Umbagog comes to us from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. The cigar gets its name from one of the most pristine wilderness lakes in all of the United States. It is on this lake that Steve Saka takes part in something he loves almost as much as cigars, fishing. As a result, he wanted to create a durable cigar for time spent on the lake where the beauty is nature, not the cigar itself. To accomplish this he uses the same wrapper as the Mi Querida however, these did not have the look necessary for that cigar.
Cigar Review: Umbagog
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6″
Ring Gauge: 48
Vitola: Corona Gorda
The Look: Packaged in 10 count bundles wrapped in craft paper like that of a brown paper bag and a sticker denoting the size with the words “10 Broadleaf Seegars Made in Nicaragua”. The Umbagog features a mantis green band with white lettering. The cigar features a broadleaf wrapper with a few veins and uneven coloring. It’s firm to the touch with a nice weight to it and no voids of tobacco.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Corona Gorda offers up some subtle sweetness with hints of graham cracker while the aroma off the foot serves up a cedar and a touch of molasses. One the cigar is toasted and lit the initial notes are cedar which come through loud and clear.
Moving on the first third of the Umbagog the cedar notes slowly pull back some as a molasses like sweetness begins to take hold. There is also a hint of citrus present with some red pepper. The retrohale of the cigar sees that red pepper intensify and the cigar has a brown sugar aroma to it that is visible post-retrohale.
The second third sees the sweetness of the cigar fade as espresso notes begin to dominate. There is still a touch of citrus though it is far less than the first third and almost non-existent as this part of the cigar comes to a close. The pepper on the retrohale is stronger, and dominates well into the finish.
The cigar concluded with notes of espresso and leather and a slight nuttiness on the finish. The retrohale continued to serve up a ton of pepper notes that singed the nostrils with a touch of cedar on the aroma.
The Finish: When I first smoked the original release a year ago I thought it was a bit fresh. And while this review isn’t from the original batch it does seem that cigar feels more finished. If you have the patience I would sit on them a few months before lighting up, and if I had the patience I would set a side a bundle or two for extended aging of a year. That’s not to say they aren’t ready to smoke, but I believe this cigar would age really well.
Score: 90
Price: $6.99 / $62.99
Umbagog Corona Gorda
Umbagog Corona Gorda Foot
Umbagog Corona Gorda Burn
