I picked up a box of the modern holy grail today.  The Sobremesa Brulee Blue.  These things are harder to find than the Sasquatch Steve Saka uses as his trademark.  To say that Saka's cigars are my favorites would be an understatement.  I smoke several brands regularly but none more so than Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust....and this latest (latest for me) entry has me excited like a kid on Christmas morning.

Construction: As you would expect, the blue is gorgeous.  Smooth, seamless wrapper leaf - perfect pigtail cap - gorgeous use of the existing Sobremesa band. 

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the cellophane I get a very mild sweet tobacco note from the foot and a grass and hay note from the body of the cigar.  About the same as the standard Brulée.  A cold pull gives tobacco and a very mild bitter orange zest note. 

Light and Burn: As with every Saka creation, the burn is perfection.  Laser perfect burn line flawless start to finish.

Tasting: Right off the bat I get smooth creamy spice and roasted peanuts, leather, some dried oranges.  An elegant and smooth cigar.  This would be a perfect smoke with a morning cup of coffee.  There is a bit of harshness off the start - maybe a side effect of them being a new batch.  I get a bitter earth note about a half-inch in and then poof...harshness and bitterness are gone.  Peanut butter, orange peel, leather make up a rather tasty core of flavors.  The smoke is woodsy and dense.  The profile is creamy and smooth.  Overall a nice start.

As I slowly enter the second third a retrohale gives me a note of candied pineapple.  Something I don't think I have ever tasted in a cigar.  I read the review on Halfwheel a while back and saw Brooks Whittington mention that and thought "nah, no way" but by golly it's there. Some notes of vanilla and pine creep in around the edges.  I wish it had a bit of molasses in there to give it a pineapple upside down cake flavor.  I'd do a backflip for that - and I am not a nimble fellow.

The final third shows some shifts.  The leather note is still at the core but the orange is dropping out and a nice creamy vanilla custard and light roast coffee take over the core.  The pineapple is also starting to drop down a bit on the retrohale too.  It's an extremely smooth and creamy cigar.  Notes that remind me of the standard Brulee appear as the cigar burns to the end.  Some of the final notes I pick up are honey, cocoa, and some cinnamon.  The final note is an odd one and it takes me a minute to realize it's green tea.  A great finish to a great cigar.

Value: If you can find these...and that is part of the mystique of Saka's cigars...they will run you about $15 smackers.

Final Thoughts: The Brulee Blue is a little flavor bomb that is highly unusual and unique.  I will smoke these with a huge smile on my face.  As long as I have the strength to not smoke them all in a week.  While the question of the regular Brulee being sweetened is still hotly contested in the cigar world, I should add that I detected zero sweetness on the tip of this cigar.  I guess I better smoke another one soon to see if they are all like that. Anyway, this is easily a recommended cigar...if you can find them.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Mexico (Matacapan negro de Temporal)
Filler: Nicaraguan

Strength: mild to medium

Size: 6.25 x 46 corona gorda

Another absolutely gorgeous cigar from Steve Saka.

The simple addition of the robin's egg blue in the dark gold crown is so simple it's genius.