Introducing the world’s first luxury pipe tobacco cigar, the Dunbarton StillWell Star!
From “Master Ligador” Steve Saka (former President of Drew Estate) comes this titillating invention of a creative tobacco mind. His chosen partner for this venture is Jeremy Reeves, the head blender of the famed pipe tobacco maker Cornell & Diehl.
If you’re a strict cigar smoker, hang on to your humidor, because we’re going to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Well, not exactly.
This is not the first time anyone used pipe tobacco. In fact, the Drew Estate Larutan line had it as a blend component. What makes StillWell cigars unique is that Saka et alia attempted to solve the main problems that usually come along with such blends. Namely that they are “unbearably sweet, utilize marginal pipe and cigar tobaccos and are rather simple, heavy-handed blends that afford the smoker little sophistication or balance.”
We’re kicking it up a notch here with Dunbarton StillWell Star cigars.
Reeves and Saka chose high-quality tobaccos and used methods that would create something ready for use in a cigar, then blended it to create an elevated experience. The goal was to keep the “nuances of the flavors and aromas of the pipe blends, yet work… in concert with the black cigar tobaccos.”
The idea for the brand name actually came from Saka’s approach to enjoying pipes. One has to be still to really get into it. “Be still, be well” is the idea behind these cigars, where sitting back and contemplating things is an expected part of the process.
There are four distinct blends under the StillWell Star cigar line, each with a sweet tip. They all use the same core formula of Nicaraguan long-filler, San Andrés Negro binder, and Ecuador Habano wrapper. This is then brought to a whole new level by the inclusion of selected pipe tobaccos.
The first is the Aromatic No. 1, which features Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia, and Burley. This one has a very pleasing room note.
Next is the somewhat stronger English No. 27, with a quintessential mix of Burley and Turkish leaf, along with a generous portion of Cypriot Latakia pressed cake. “Rich and decadent while not being overpowering” is how Dunbarton describes it.
Just from the name “Bayou No. 32” you can probably guess which famous pipe tobacco is inside. This one adds Bright and Red Virginia leaf to the cigar tobaccos, along with the “most select” St. James Parish Perique. It’s mild but has a spicy finish with a classic “VaPer” combination of zest and umami.
The final blend is Navy 1056. It’s a “crumble cake of stoved Red and Golden Virginia tobaccos” along with something Dunbarton calls “Naval Rations” combined with Orientals and Latakia tobacco expertly blended with dark air-cured black cigar leaf. What a mouthful!
If you’re in the mood for something completely different, this is the cigar to try out. Let the nostalgia of that grandfatherly pipe tobacco smell turn your smoke spot into a time machine.
Please browse our selection of Dunbarton StillWell Star cigars at your leisure.
