Cigar Review: Dumbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red

Cigar Name: Sobremesa Solita Red

Brand: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

Vitola: Grand Corona 6 ¼ x 46

Origin: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.

Wrapper: Ecuador Habano

Binder: Mexican San Andrés Negro

Filler: Nicaraguan from Esteli, Condega, Pueblo Nuevo, and  Pennsylvanian Broadleaf

Price: $18

Date Smoked: June 20th, 2025, June 27th, 2025, July 27th, 2025

Smoking Time: 90 minutes, 87 minutes, 90 minutes

Reviewer: Marty C, Michael George, Teddy

Marty

Flavor Profile: I am smoking this cigar at noon on the back porch of our cabin on the lake in Northern Wisconsin.

• First Third: We start with a burst of flavor - It’s Cinnamon apples like Grandma used to make. The whole nine yards with butter and brown sugar. Oh man, so good! Retrohale further brings out the cinnamon spice a little more deeply.

• Second Third: I can see a Loon out on the lake and this cigar is making me Looney (in a good way)! Cedar joins the mix in the second third. The apple brown sugar sweetness recedes a bit but the cinnamon remains. A cashew nuttiness joins as I get closer to the final third and the second chuck of ash falls.

• Final Third: Cedar ramps to the forefront as we enter the final third. The spice shifts to a mild pepper. The watersports have begun on the lake so the loon is gone but the birds are abundant here. I’ve seen an Oriole and a red headed woodpecker, a wren and a sandhill crane. I havent spotted the bald eagle yet but we see one most days. This is such a perfect place to enjoy a cigar. A toasted nuttiness joins the cedar as I near the end. As I get to the nub the cinnamon apples returns. I really don't want to put this down, but I’ll burn my fingers soon if I don’t.

Complexity: The cigar has some nice transitions and really enjoyable flavor notes. I would classify this as a desert cigar.

Strength: Medium 

Aftertaste: A very pleasant mild spice remains on the tongue between puffs.

Notes: Wow!

Score: 36/40

Mike

Flavor Profile: 

• Cold Draw: Woody and some sweetness

• First Third: Woody, like dress cut lumber, some pepper, possibly red pepper flakes and leather notes.    As I continued to smoke, notes of a freshly grilled steak came through.  Retrohale was very nice, no burn and some lite spices.

• Second Third:  The creaminess I got on the first third has been maintained.   There are sour dough bread notes that are more forward.   The wood and spice notes are still there but less dominant.

• Final Third:  I don’t really sense any dramatic change in the cigar.   The bread notes along with the spices and red pepper flakes are maintained. I enjoy the retrohale as its smooth and pleasant.

Complexity: Saka continues to produce excellent cigars and this is one of them.  Although not very complex, it is a fantastic cigar that is enjoyable for the seasoned cigar smoker.

Strength: Medium and medium strength 

Aftertaste:  There is a a creaminess that will remain on your palate..

Notes: I paired this with YellowStone Select and it was a very complementary pairing.  

Score: 34/40

Teddy

Flavor Profile:

• Cold Draw: Very musty, almonds and earthy notes for a cold draw ( When is a new cigar i always Cold draw on it)

• First Third: Another masterpiece from Steve Saka added for the Sobremesa line. Right from the get go, the first flavors I got were straight espresso coffee notes.

• Second Third: Second third woodiness takes over the cigar with leather continues notes that came out of nowhere. It became meaty goodness with cedar powdering the palate, also tasting saltiness too from it. 

• Final Third: Cigar changed a lot, light pepper notes started kicking in out of nowhere. Definitely medium to heavy body cigar, love the taste of a good habano. Solita Red hits the spot on this blend with the combination of the Ecuadorian habano and the San Andres binder.

Complexity: The flavors that you can taste from this cigar are off the chart, your palate will go crazy with all the different notes of flavors you will taste.

Strength: Medium to Full

Aftertaste: Woody notes with coffee beans

Score: 32/40

2. Construction 

Marty

Quality: Very good Construction. Seems are minimal. I can sense a vein from the binder underneath but it does not affect the burn or appearance.

Feel: Cigar is firm and feels solid in the hand.

Cut: A straight cut with my Guillotina de Saka cutter slices through the pigtail nicely and the cap retains its integrity.

Notes: 

Score: 19/20

Mike

Quality: Wrapper is brownish and smooth. There is a vein that starts at the top and wraps around but had no influence on the smoking experience. 

Feel: Good feel in the hand, not too firm  and not soft.

Cut: Straight cut

Score: 19/20

Teddy

Quality:Wrapped in an Ecuadorian Habano with some veins,

Feel: Smooth and Firm 

Cut: Straight 

Score: 19/20

3. Draw

Marty

Resistance: Draw is very nice. Right in the perfect zone.

Smoke Volume: Its noon and I’m outside so its a little hard to tell but it seems like like a typical amount of smoke

Consistency: Remained consistent throughout

Notes: 

Score: 20/20

Mike

Resistance: The draw was on mark.    

Smoke Volume:  Average amount of smoke output 

Consistency: Draw never changed throughout.

Notes:  Very good and enjoyable.  .

Score: 18/20

Teddy

Resistance: Great draw no issues

Smoke Volume: Moderate

Consistency: Draw never changed 

Score: 20/20

4. Appearance 

Marty

Visual Appeal: Wrapper is a medium brown with a light sheen. This goes well with the gold and red band design. I almost want to see more of the red but I like the smaller band. The cigar is what is on display here. The cigar has a nice coiled pigtail on the cap which is a nice touch and adds to the elegance.

Band Design: The band is on the small side like  the Sobremesa Brulee Blue. A raised matte gold crown with a red inlay owing to the name. The red is unique with a pinkish hue. Maybe a medium candy apple. The is also a footband with the same colors and Sobremesa lettering in gold.

Overall Presentation: 

Notes: .

Score: 9/10

Mike

Visual Appeal:  Brown wrapper that just draws you in as something you want to smoke.  Nice pig tail top adds nothing but looks impressive.  

Band Design: (If applicable—style, placement, ease of removal?) There are two bands and a foot band that says Sobremesa in gold surrounded by red with a gold header and footer.   The top band is the signature Sobremesa crown in gold with red running through it.    Really love the play of the red on the gold.  Both bands came off with zero damage to the cigar.   

Overall Presentation:  This cigar looks tasty.  The appearance is on point and the bands just draw you into the cigar.

Notes: Love the Gold and Red colors for this cigar

Score: 10/10

Teddy

Visual Appeal: Band Design: A nice medium dark brown wrapper and with the regular band design of the Sobremesa line, this time the crown is red inside also gold on it.

Overall Presentation: Red stands out from the other cigars from the coreline.

Score: 10/10

5. Burn 

Marty

Evenness: Burn is perfectly straight and stayed that way throughout 

Ash: Ash is whitish grey with the dime stamp effects as the burn progresses. Ash holds nicely with only 3 chunks of ash total for the entire cigar.

Relights: None!

Burn Time: 90 minutes down to the nub.

Notes: no touchups required which is a nice rarity for me.

Score: 10/10

Mike

Evenness: A good toasting set this cigar up for success.   Burn started out straight and required no touch ups.  

Ash: Ash was white and just looked perfect.  

Relights: None

Burn Time:87 minutes

Notes: Nothing to complain about here.  The burn was great

Score: 10/10

Teddy

Evenness: It was a straight burn in the beginning, after the second third was getting uneven but it was fixing by itself

Ash:Greish, very flaky

Relights: One time 

Burn Time:80 minutes 

Score: 9/10

Overall Experience

Marty

Summary: The Sobremesa Solita Red from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, delivers a flavorful experience with a medium strength profile, starting with cinnamon apple and brown sugar notes, transitioning to cedar, cashew, and mild pepper, and finishing with a return of cinnamon apple sweetness. The construction is solid with minimal seams, a firm feel, and a nice coiled pigtail cap, complemented by a visually appealing medium brown Ecuador

Habano wrapper and a distinctive gold and red band. The cigar offers a perfect draw with consistent smoke volume and an even burn, producing a whitish-grey dime stacked ash. I consider this a dessert cigar which would  pair well with coffee, cola, root beer, or light whiskey. This is a box-worthy cigar that has earned a spot in my regular rotation.

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Pairing Suggestions: This would go nicely with a coffee or cola and as always a rootbeer. I think a lighter whiskey would work too, but nothing too overpowering.

Would You Smoke Again?: Box worthy! So glad this will be regular production. Definitely going to get more..

Total Score: 94/100

Final Thoughts: This is the third of these I have smoked and I have been impressed by every one - a great addition to the Sobremesa line. It is another banger from Steve Saka who keeps hitting them out of the park.

Mike

Summary: “Sobremesa Solita has a special place in my heart” was Steve Saka's comment about the Solita Red.   I can understand why.  This cigar although not complex is a solid smoke and well worth the money.  You don’t need a sophisticated palate, just one that is ready for a great smoke with some fantastic notes.   

Pairing Suggestions: YellowStone Select.   

Would You Smoke Again?: Yes no doubt I will be adding more of these to my humidor

Total Score: 91/100

Final Thoughts: Can you ever go wrong with a Dunbarton Cigar?   Doubtful.   Take some time and just sit back and enjoy this cigar.   The price point shouldn’t scare you away as you will find enjoyment during your smoke.

Teddy

Summary: In November 2024, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust announced it was adding yet another variant of the Sobremesa Solita to the company’s lineup. Named Sobremesa Solita Red, the 6 1/4 x 46 grand corona is described as a bolder and stronger varietal of the original seven-tobacco core recipe. The blend is made up of a dark rosado grade one Ecuadorian habano wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés Negro binder, and a filler that includes four varietals of Nicaraguan tobacco and a filler from Pennsylvania. You can see the difference in quality in Steve Sakas tobacco, I have been noticing a lot throughout the years just another box worthy of cigars.  

Pairing Suggestions: RC cola

Would You Smoke Again?: Absolutely , Box worthy

Total Score: 90/100

Combined Score: 92