Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust StillWell Star English Dulce
Reviewed by Michael Z
Cigar Details
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Mexican San Andrés Negro
Filler: Nicaraguan cigar tobacco, Burley, Turkish tobacco & Cypriot Latakia pressed cake
Vitola: Petit Robusto, 5 x 48
MSRP: $14.95 per cigar / $194.40 per box of 13
Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2
They have finally hit brick-and-mortar shelves, and I have been waiting for these ever since Steve Saka announced the new StillWell Star Dulce releases in February of this year as part of the revamped StillWell Star line.
I have always been a big fan of the Aromatic No. 1, so naturally I was anxious to try the new version of that cigar. That review is coming soon.
For this one, however, I decided to start with the StillWell Star English Dulce.
I picked up one of the sampler boxes about a week ago and gave the cigars some time to acclimate before lighting them up. I will also admit right from the beginning that I was never a big fan of the previous StillWell Star English No. 27. It simply did not work with my palate.
Because of that, I thought it was only fair to approach the new English Dulce with an open mind and see whether the changes made a difference.
They certainly did.
Appearance
The English Dulce features a new hunter green and gold band that I really like.
Yes, there is also a footband, and as I have said many times before, I am usually not a fan of footbands. In this case, though, it works. I like that it clearly identifies the cigar rather than feeling like another decorative band added simply for the sake of having one.
The cigar felt good in the hand and appeared well constructed, with no obvious soft spots or concerns.
There was also a very noticeable smoky aroma coming from the cigar. It immediately reminded me of a smoked brisket after it has been pulled from the smoker and allowed some time to rest. Deep, smoky and savory.
That certainly got my attention.
Cold Draw
The English Dulce features Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s new proprietary sweetened cap.
The sweetness was immediately noticeable on the lips, but I did not find it overpowering.
On the cold draw, I picked up some dark fruit sweetness along with something that reminded me of honey.
The draw felt open and comfortable.
Time to light it up.
First Third
The first few draws were effortless, and the cigar immediately began producing a very good amount of smoke.
The room aroma was pleasant, and one of the first things I noticed was how quickly the sweetened cap settled into the background. It was still present, but instead of dominating the experience, it seemed to complement the Cypriot Latakia pressed cake, Turkish tobacco and Burley in the filler.
The unmistakable character of pipe tobacco began to develop early, accompanied by leather and woody notes.
The combination worked extremely well.
There was plenty of flavor without the cigar feeling heavy, and the different tobacco components seemed to work together rather than compete against one another.
The burn remained relatively even throughout the first third.
Second Third
Moving into the second third, the burn became slightly uneven and required a small touch-up. It was nothing significant, but since it occurred during the review, it deserves to be noted.
Flavor-wise, this is where the cigar really began to shine for me.
The Mexican San Andrés Negro binder started delivering some of the characteristics that make this tobacco one of my personal favorites. The woody notes remained, accompanied by a mild underlying sweetness.
Then things became more interesting.
I started picking up something resembling smoked tea, followed by a surprisingly distinct blackberry note.
That blackberry sweetness combined with the smoky tobacco character was fantastic.
The cigar was developing more complexity than I expected, and at this point I found myself simply enjoying the experience rather than analyzing every draw.
That is usually a very good sign.
Final Third
As I moved into the final third, I experienced another minor burn issue on the second cigar smoked for this review. Once again, it was nothing serious, but it did require a small correction.
The flavor profile, however, continued moving in the right direction.
The Latakia became much more noticeable during the final third and really took center stage. Along with it came a flavor that reminded me of sitting near a campfire.
Smoky, woody and slightly earthy.
For a warm September evening, it was a perfect flavor to find in the cigar.
Throughout both cigars, I periodically retrohaled the smoke and consistently picked up a very pleasant black pepper note. The pepper never became aggressive or harsh. Instead, it added another layer to the profile without overpowering everything else.
The combination of Latakia, wood, dark fruit, smoked tea and pepper made the final portion of the cigar particularly enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
I went into the StillWell Star English Dulce fully expecting this might not be a cigar for me.
My experience with the previous English No. 27 had already shaped that expectation.
Steve Saka changed my mind quickly.
The reworked English Dulce is considerably more enjoyable to my palate. The sweetened cap adds something to the experience without turning the cigar into an overly sugary smoke, while the English pipe tobacco components remain unmistakably present.
Steve Saka has called the Sweet English profile his personal favorite among the StillWell concepts. When developing the English Dulce, he reportedly wanted the sweetened cap to be less aggressively sweet and taste more natural, providing sweetness without burying the distinctive English pipe-tobacco character.
For me, that is exactly what happened.
The sweetness complemented the Latakia rather than covering it up, and the progression from leather and wood into smoked tea, blackberry, campfire smoke and pepper kept the cigar interesting from beginning to end.
My biggest criticism came from the burn, as both cigars needed some assistance along the way. Fortunately, the corrections were minor and never significantly affected the smoking experience.
I started this review wondering whether the new English Dulce could change my opinion of the StillWell English concept.
It did.
I tip my hat to Steve Saka on this one.
The StillWell Star English Dulce will absolutely be finding a place in my rotation.
Final Score
Construction: 9.5/10
Burn: 8.6/10
Draw: 9.2/10
Flavor: 9.4/10
Complexity: 9.3/10
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