Mi Querida Black PapaSaka

In 2021, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust was one of a number of companies that produced limited-edition cigars for the 50th anniversary of retailer JR Cigar. Dunbarton’s cigar was called the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Limited Edition “EM” Maduro, wearing a black and pewter version of the Mi Querida band, and it quickly became known that the cigar would be a preview of a new line called Mi Querida Black.

That Mi Querida Black would debut at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show and then began shipping to stores in early September. It was released in the same 7 1/4 x 54 vitola as the JR Cigar release, but now called the Mi Querida Black SakaKhan.

The blend features a U.S.-grown Connecticut broadleaf No.1 darks wrapper, while the binder is a Mexican San Andrés Negro leaf, and the fillers come from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. It is billed as being a robust and rich blend by the company.

For its second size, Steve Saka, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s founder, created a 5 5/8 x 48 corona that he dubbed the PapaSaka, which began shipping to stores following the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show where it was part of several new releases from the company.

It’s also a limited production release, with Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust saying that there will only be 3,500 boxes of 10 cigars produced for 2023.

The Mi Querida Black line is produced by Nicaragua American Cigars S.A., often referred to as NACSA, which is led by Raul Disla.

• Cigar Reviewed: Mi Querida Black PapaSaka
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Nicaragua American Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
• Binder: Mexico (San Andrés Negro)
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras & Nicaragua
• Length: 5 5/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 48
• Vitola: Grand Corona
• MSRP: $15.95 (Box of 10, $159.50)
• Release Date: August 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 3,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (35,000 Total Cigars)*
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

*This is the stated production for 2023.

The Mi Querida Black Papa Saka is a pretty straightforward-looking cigar, sporting a dark wrapper leaf and a very simple black and silver band, though the points on the trim do give it a bit of flash and character. Each of the three cigars is rolled fairly firmly without much in the way of give, though I don’t think it’s fair to call any of them outright hard. The caps are all well applied, as are the coils, almost a shame they need to be cut off in order to smoke the cigars. There are some decent veins on the wrapper leaf, and closer inspection reveals a bit of tooth, something that seems to get lost when holding the cigar more than a foot or so away from my eyes. The foot’s aromas are fairly mellow, with a familiar smell of wheat toast that isn’t particularly dynamic. The cold draws are all smooth and equally mellow in flavor; I get a fairly standard tobacco flavor that is light and doesn’t point in any specific direction, with occasional touches of sweetness.

I’m impressed by how much creaminess there is at the start, as simply by looking at the Mi Querida Black PapaSaka, I wouldn’t think it would start off with such a profile. An early retrohale is my first encounter with the cigar’s peppery side, and it’s a fairly hearty pepper that gives a pointed tingle to my nostrils. One cigar has a more developed, complex opening, with toast, light wood, pepper throughout the senses and some subtle earth. To no surprise, the one cigar with the more developed profile is more engaging and ultimately enjoyable, though I wouldn’t turn down either start. Regardless of which profile it starts with, the profile stays in its lane without much change, giving the senses plenty of time to soak in what the blend has to offer in this opening section. Flavor is medium-plus, body is dependant on the creaminess and thus varies between medium and medium-full, while strength is mild thus far, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there is some on the way. Construction is fantastic, as the burn line is even, the smoke is plentiful, the draw is smooth and the ash builds up quite well.

The creaminess from the first third hangs around and still has its hand on the wheel in two of the cigars, helping to drive the flavor at the start of the second third. In the case of the third cigar, it’s more in the backseat of the profile, with pepper and some earthy terroir leading the way. As this section gets underway, I find myself fascinated by how the pepper seems to only subtly register on my taste buds, whereas it is the dominant sensation via retrohales. By the midpoint, I get a light woodiness, peanut shells, black pepper and less creaminess than earlier, a shift that lightens the body up just a touch. It’s a noticeably different profile than the first third, but not a radical departure. If anything, it’s not quite as rich of a profile as I might have been expecting as the cigar progressed, but it’s equally as enjoyable, if not a bit more, than the first third. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium-minus. Construction remains fantastic, with nothing getting in the way of a smooth smoking experience.

The final third of the Mi Querida Black PapaSaka is where the profile really begins to shine, as there is a campfire smokiness in the aroma, pepper becomes more of a contributor to the flavor, and while the creaminess is still a significant factor, it is now a layer in the newfound complexity of the cigar. If I had wanted more richness from the second third, the final third is there to deliver it, subtly building it up in the first couple of puffs so that by the time the band needs to come off, it’s seemingly where it should be. There is a really pleasant, punchy pepper through retrohales at the start of this section, a bit less pointed and intense than earlier, having settled into a really good spot where it still stimulates the senses but doesn’t try to do too much. There’s a touch of heat emerging in the final puffs, which amplifies the pepper on the palate and into the top of the throat, with the result reminding me of smoking some puritos of fairly strong ligero tobaccos. It’s easily the strongest the cigar has been flavor-wise, pushing the otherwise medium-full profile into full territory, while the body is medium-plus and strength has crept up to medium territory, and maybe even a touch more in the very final puffs. Construction remains essentially perfect, with none of the three cigars requiring a touch-up or relight, and each delivering plenty of smoke along the way.

Final Notes

• I don’t like to forecast what cigars will do well on end-of-the-year lists, but I have to think that the Mi Querida Black PapaSaka will. It’s a more approachable vitola than the SakaKhan, it has a dynamic and enjoyable profile that isn’t overbearing, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust does a very good job engaging with those who produce such lists.
• The cigar that was released for JR Cigar gets the EM part of its name as a nod to Ed McVey, a former buyer for the retailer.
• The Mi Querida Black line, as well as the Sobremesa Brûlée Blue, added the Unicorn vitola at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show. It’s a 6 1/4 x 60 diadema that is priced at $100 per cigar.
• On its price list and media materials, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust puts both PapaSaka and SakaKhan in quotes, something it does with only three other cigars: the Intrépido, Varita Magica and Paladin de Saka vitolas in the Sin Compromiso line.
• The quotes are also used on the boxes.

• I’m not quite sure what to make of what appears to be a chip in the wrapper of the first cigar I smoked.
• I wasn’t necessarily expecting to feel woozy after smoking the Mi Querida Black PapaSaka, and I’m glad I didn’t feel that way after any cigar, but I was a bit surprised that it didn’t hit me with more strength. That’s not to say that it will have the same effect on everyone, of course.
• Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was one hour and 50 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co., Famous Smoke Shop and JR Cigar carry the Mi Querida Black Papa Saka.