If you follow Social Media or are a fan of Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust you’ve heard of the Unicorn. According to Saka, “It is a very very very small project I undertook after having experienced smoking some of those $250 – $2,000 cigars that have been proliferated into the marketplace in recent years. Some by legit makers, others by not so legit.”
Saka hand sorted 6,000 pounds of Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers to use the top 1% of tobacco. All the cigars in the release were rolled by the same pair with one doing the binder filler, and the other applying the wrapper. The result was a cigar with a $100 MSRP.
Is the Unicorn worth it?
Cigar Review: Muestra de Saka Unicorn
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6.25
Ring Gauge: 60
Size: Diademas Deluxe
The Look: Like the Nacatamale and Exclusivo, the unicorn comes packaged in a coffin. The wood is darker than the other releases of the Muestra de Saka with gold lettering. Inside the coffin the perfecto shaped cigar is wrapped in cello. The cloth band denotes the brand name with the silhouette of a unicorn. The dark oily wrapper expertly roller, but there are some noticeable veins on the cigar. In the hand it feels like velvet and the cigar is firm to the touch.
The Notes: Once the cigar is cut the cold draw reminds me of warm chocolate like that of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. There are some notes that remind me of wheat thins and leather. On the foot and wrapper the nose there is a sweetness along the lines of cocoa and a touch of cinnamon.
Once the cigar is toasted and lit the first note of the cigar is oak, that continues as we smoke the first third. Other notes that appear are pistachios and a hearty oak note. As we approach the end of the first third notes of espresso begin to dominate the palate with a touch of leather. The retrohale serves some white pepper.
The second sees the leather and espresso notes continue to dominate the palate, but there is also a subtle cherry like sweetness that shows itself between the inhale and exhale. The finish of the cigar sees some notes of oak with some continued pepper on the retrohale.
The final third of the cigar continues down the path laid out. There are notes of coffee, leather, and oak. There is no mistaking this a Connecticut Broadleaf cigar. The finish is long and the retrohale sees some of the wood notes along side continued pepper.
The Finish: It doesn’t suck. Is a cigar worth $100. The question in my opinion is no in general, and in the terms of the Unicorn, the answer would be the same. Would I smoke another one, yes. Would I buy one at full retail most likely. Would I rather have 10-12 Mi Querida instead, absolutely. The story behind this cigar is fun to share and it’s a nice cigar to have in your collection. Bottom line, I would probably $100 for this cigar to have one but I would stop there. It doesn’t suck.
Score: 93
Price: $100
Muestra de Saka Unicorn
Muestra de Saka Unicorn Foot
Muestra de Saka Unicorn Burn
