Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s founding father and master blender Steve Saka first handed me a prerelease Sobremesa way back in 2015 and I’ve been enjoying the brand ever since. When the Sobremesa Brûlée was introduced in 2019 it quickly became a mainstay in my personal humidor and the Brûlée Blue extension line in 2020 was even better. Wagashi (和菓子) are Japanese sweet desserts that are usually paired with a cup of green tea. I love green tea, let’s see if I love the cigar…
THE CIGAR – SOBREMESA BRÛLÉE WAGASHI AS A NATIONAL RELEASE
Size: 6 x 50 (toro)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed
Binder: Mexican San Andrés negro
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $17.95 (while these samples were submitted for review, please remember when purchasing your Sobremesa Brûlées or other fine Dunbarton cigars from Famous Smoke Shop to use your new favorite promo code TNCC20 at checkout where it will knock $20 off your purchase of $100 or more)
There’s an herbal aroma pouring off the wrapper leaf and sniffing the foot of the Wagashi directly reveals scents of both flowers and hay. The green and gold color scheme of the cigar’s 3 bands looks sharp and does its job of distinguishing this Sobremesa release from the many others on your local retailer’s shelf.
I gently peel off the Wagashi’s pigtail cap and that seems to provide sufficient airflow to start things off. Upon ignition, there’s a sharp peppery spice that lights up my nostrils soon followed up by a combination of cedar and sweet cream via the draw. My hunch was correct for once, the Wagashi is drawing perfectly without the need for any additional assistance from my cutter. The draw’s sweet cream quickly transitions in to a less-sweet creaminess reminiscent of heavy whipping cream. Not that I’ve ever drank pure delicious heavy whipping cream… of course not… that’d be fucking crazy.
The cedar is now presenting itself solely through the retrohale and it’s dampening the spice’s presence significantly. There’s a slightly sweet, bready note developing underneath the draw’s cream-heavy profile and it reminds me somewhat of a Honey Maid graham cracker. I suddenly feel the urge to pair the Wagashi with a cold glass of milk but, again, that’d be fucking crazy. Maybe a Guinness Milk Stout? Would that be manly enough for you?
I thump off the strong ash, although it seemed as if it was willing and capable of hanging on much longer. Construction overall has been great with no burn or draw issues. The middle portion of the Wagashi continues the same course, with a cream heavy profile on the draw and a delicate balance of cedar and pleasantly mild pepper courtesy of the retro. I wish the honey-like sweetness was more pronounced but it’s still detectable if you’re paying close attention.
Want some more creaminess with your creaminess? Well you’re in luck as a creamy peanut butter note begins to arise through the draw. If you’re not a fan of cream, the Wagashi clearly isn’t the cigar for you. And, on a related note, what the hell is wrong with you?
If you felt that last sentence was directed towards you personally and your lack of love for all things creamy, well, you might want to have your head examined… weirdo. CREAM rules everything around me, dollar, dollar bill y’all! Seriously though, cream is awesome. In a surprise twist, the crisp pepper spice returns just as the burn line approaches the primary band. And it brings along a splash of Nicaraguan mineral with it. This cigar is not boring.
It’s worth mentioning just how much smoke the Wagashi is producing, it may be a new record-setter for a cigar featuring a Connecticut-seed wrapper. The final act consists of cedar, mineral, and highly approachable pepper upstairs and the motherlode of cream downstairs. No maintenance was required at any point during the smoking experience.
THE NUB
TNCC FINAL SCORE = 93
The Sobremesa Brûlée Blue Wagashi is a welcome addition to the Brûlée lineup. Outstanding construction, a complexity in flavors, and consistently enjoyable transitions (especially the ever-changing waves of peppery spice) all worked in the Wagashi’s favor throughout its 75 minute smoking duration. I, for one, am happy that this is now a national release as I will be buying more. And I am going to pair this cigar with a glass of milk in the near future, so sue me.
