Sobremesa Brulee is Steve Saka’s homage to connecticuts of years-gone-by – that mild to medium flavor profile that is soft, smooth, and lacks bitterness that are all too common in today’s connecticut lineups. The hype of this cigar is that “it provides each smoker with the top shelf experience of Dunbarton with a super creamy profile” – we’ll see about that. Check below for the full review! Before Lightup: The first thing you notice about the Sobremesa Brulee is how buttery soft the wrapper feels and how evenly colored the coffee-and-cream coloration presents. As far as presentation, it was immaculate with minimal veins, tight and visible seams, and that gorgeous tan color all offered in a simple and elegant gold band. It does have a foot band as well which slides right off and corresponds nicely with the upper band. The fragrance of the cigar was a sweet hay and a slight barnyard aroma – but in the best way possible. The pack was firm but it didn’t seem to affect the draw prior to lighting. The standout of the pre-light draw is without question the sweetened tip that is almost a straight glycerin sweetness. It wasn’t off putting, just surprising. The other flavors were mild tobacco and sweet leather. First Light: With a V-cut and a nice toasting, flavors rose to about a medium at lightup with flavor notes that were sweet and woodsy, being very cedar forward. As with any sweetened tip, there was a sweetness on the lips as well. Within just a few puffs, you could tell that the firm pack really enjoyed a nice, slow, double puff – and I was happy to oblige given the connecticut flavors that were present. The retrohale didn’t add any depth to the flavor profile, but it ramped up the level of creaminess to a whole new height. I was retrohaling on every puff. First Third: Into the first third the flavor profile opened up significantly, providing notes that accompanied that sweet cedar extremely well. They included the like of a creamy leather, a slight pepper spice with a hint of cinnamon flavor, a buttery smoothness with like a vanilla cream flavor. While the flavor profile was transitioning and growing, it was still very sweet on the lips almost to the point of detracting from the other flavors. I would imagine someone who isn’t a sweet-head might subtract some points there, but I didn’t mind. I always of the opinion to enjoy it for what it is instead of complaining about what it isn’t. The burn was really nice which kept all of the flavors in a nice balance and helped the cigar retain its medium flavor profile while still providing buttery soft and plentiful plumes of smoke. Second Third: The vanilla cream flavor note I mentioned above lasted only a couple of puffs before it filled out as a caramel note. The cedar note that was forward at first light and still ahead in the first third has mellowed and really come in line with the rest of the profile. Also in the balance was that cinnamon warmth and slight, and I mean ever so slight, pepper spice and a really nice creamy leather – overall it was an immaculate flavor profile with a perfect balance. The ash held on for a third at a time, coned well when ashed, and was firm and solid (probably from the firm pack). No change to the body, still pumping out medium flavors with no strength kick. The bands came off without any issues as well. Final Third: Throughout a cigar I always like to take note of how warm the cherry is getting and if the smoke becomes warm as a result. This stick performed flawlessly into the final third where the cherry began warming up, but the smoke remained cool and carried the same flavor profile which really speaks to consistency. The further toward the numb I got, the more I noticed a flavor in between a roasted nuts and roasted coffee – but it tasted like they were dusted in cinnamon sugar. Even down to the final inch I was able to distinguish notes of creamy leather, roasted nuts, and a generic sweetness. No change in body or strength, so no worries about nicotine sickness. Overall smoking time was 1 hour on the dot. Overall: The longer I live in the cigar world, the more and more I find myself wanting to make sure quality is never sacrificed – that’s what you get with this liga. Unfortunately, that also means you pay the price for what it costs which, inevitably, will keep this amazing cigar out of the hands of some folks. If you’ve got the money, buy a box. If you don’t, save up and get a 5-pack because you won’t want it to be a one-and-done. There were a few nitpicks where it lost points such as in the area of consistency for lack of flavor at lightup – but really I was having to look for reasons to knock points and that speaks to a quality cigar. The highlight for me was the great, full flavor profile (full here meaning “complex”) and the amazing construction. I don’t even remember having to relight a single time. The final score came out to an 9.5/10 or 95/100. Do yourself a favor, smoke a DT&T Sobremesa Brulee.
