Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 552
Posted on March 17 2021
Vitola: 5x52
Smoking Time: 73 Minutes
Cigars Smoked: 3
Body: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
MSRP: $10.75
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust was started in 2015 by Steve Saka. While it is undeniably a new company, Saka is no stranger to tobacco. Saka worked in retail, and then started working for Drew Estate, working his way up, he became the president, and then moved up to CEO. If you are familiar with Liga Privada, you know Saka. Known for bold blends, and the same attitude, his cigars are not for the faint of heart.
Visual Inspection: Everything about this cigar screams Broadleaf, the color is spot on. An off brown, leaning towards black, and beautifully marbled. The wrapper is rough, and rustic, with prominent veins that zig zag to holes in the leaf. I’m not sure if they go all the way through to the binder, or simply cosmetic. After I clip the cigar, I will be able to tell. Seams are almost unnoticeable, and only stick out due to slight variance in the color marbling.
The aroma is strong, and sweet, bringing notes of barnyard, citrus, cocoa, and nutmeg. The RH of the foot is 67%, allowing plenty of bounce when squeezed which revealed no soft spots. The tooth on the Triqui Traca is ample, almost so much so that it's hard to see. After a cold draw, I'm absolutely floored at how much spice is up front. Jalapeno, black pepper, and citrus are very prevalent.
First Third: Very Bold, and upfront, notes of the familiar jalapeno, and black pepper are the most powerful. Sub tones of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, are there under the veil. After exhaling a lingering mouth-feel of mint is left on the tongue. Already this is an unbelievably complex cigar. The body is very full, but not overpowering. The smoke is rather light, and doesn't feel like what you would expect from a full bodied stick.
The burn line is rough, but almost expected from a cigar with such prominent veins. The draw is amazing, and provides ample smoke. Ash starts off white, and then fades into a medium grey, and is not flaky, and feels tight. The jalapeno heat has faded back and forth this third, when it is muted it is met with cream, and fluctuates between the two.
Second Third: While I’m not thrilled with the burn line, it doesn't cause any problems, other than speeding up the cigar review. Touching it up doesn't fix the issue either. At this point the jalapeno is muted, bringing cream into play, which is met with cinnamon, dry earth, toffee, and charred wood. Earlier I mentioned how light the smoke felt, I would describe it as being more on the front of the mouth, as opposed to a throat hit. All the heat coming off of the cigar is related to the flavor, the jalapeno truly makes your mouth feel as if you are eating one, and the minty mouth feel, numbs your tongue.
After many touch ups, I think I have gotten on top of the burn issues. Notes of charred wood are more up front, followed by citrus, gingerbread, and toast. The ash has become flaky, but lightened up in color.
Last Third: Once again, the jalapeno is back with a vengeance, but this time it’s retaining the creamy notes that follow. The baking spices are still very up front, and the sweetness has faded. The “holes” in the wrapper did not cause any problems, and the draw is still exceptional. The toast flavors are very upfront, which is a nice change from the normal spice.
The tooth on the wrapper is not translating through to the ash, because it is so dense. But it is showing in the character of the smoke. The burn line has wavered again, but to a much smaller scale than prior. Finally, flavors are very consistent, jalapeno, toast, baking spices, earth, and charred wood lead the pack. This cigar is so good I’m using a PerfecDraw Nub Tool to savor it as long as I can. A final retrohale brings the jalapeno and black pepper running back, while still keeping the same familiar sub flavors.
Final Thoughts: The Triqui Traca is so different from the original Mi Querida, which is what I like so much about it. Where Mi Querida has more notes of pine, the Triqui Traca is jalapeno focused. Truly a testament to how altering a blend can make a whole new cigar. These are one of my favorites from Dunbarton, and something I would share with an aficionado who loves spice. Triqui Traca is extremely consistent, and never has a dull moment. While there is no debating, the flavors are full, the body of the cigar is medium. Providing a smooth complex experience most smokers could enjoy.
-Sam