Pre-light Experience

The cigar is cloaked in a cedar sleeve that runs from the bottom of the band to the foot and has the line name spelled out on it. The band is a simple design in black and white with the company logo present on the back. After removing the cedar, the wrapper is dark brown covering a cigar that is slightly pressed on two sides. There are a couple of slightly raised veins present and while the seams are smooth, they are fairly easily visible due to a darker color at the edges. The caps are very well applied and it is hard to determine if there are two or three of them. The aroma from the wrapper is mostly sweet and spicy cedar while the foot brings more cedar along with some stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw brings a very light wood along with some tobacco sweetness.

Pre-light Experience

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Selección No. 5 Parejo comes with a nice press and is nicely rolled. The cap is applied well and the wrapper is seamless over the tobaccos. It has a nice maduro coloring to it and it sports few veins throughout. Those that are present are small in size and not noticeable in the wrapper texture. The wrapper is giving off oils and is silky as well. The foot is showing some Asian spice qualities and it has some smoky and meatiness to it. The wrapper is more subtle and showing some soft tobacco and cedar notes.

Pre-light Experience

An impressive pre-light experience on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Selección No. 5 Parejo. The cigar has a cedar sleeve that covers 60% of the cigar, and has ‘Sin Compromiso’ in a hunter green colored font. The cigar band is white and the same green, with a Celtic cross style design. Removing the cedar sleeve reveals a dark chocolate brown smooth wrapper, with firmly pressed veins. The wrapper has aromas of fresh leather and old shoe leather, fresh vegetal, light cedar, and light hay in the foot.

First Third

The cigar begins with heavy cedar and a concentrated baking spice. At a half inch in, the baking spice mellows and takes on a bit of a toasted character to go along with the cedar. At an inch in, the cedar gains some char while the baking spice maintains its toasted profile. The retrohale is baking spice forward and has a pretty decent zing while some dry cedar is present in the background. At an inch and a half, some mustiness joins the profile. While the cedar still has some char, the baking spice has lost the toasted note and is now a supporting note in the background. As the third comes to a close, the baking spice picks back up so that the cedar, cream and baking spice are all at equal levels. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third opens up with some nice creaminess and some red pepper to follow. There are some dry earth qualities with that and some soft coffee flavors as well. The finish is nutty, showing some almond and cashew qualities and it has a toasty profile with that. I would classify the cigar as being medium in strength and body and the flavors as well. The construction is dead on and this is a nice start to the cigar.

First Third

Flavors of sweet spices, and cedar, both at a mild strength level. The retrohale produces more layered baking spices, at a light to light plus level. There is a delayed post draw leather. As the cigar progresses, some light cocoa comes to the surface. The post draw has a mild loam mixing in with the leather. Once the first third has established itself, some mild coffee on the retrohale, as earth flavors begin to mingle into the chocolate. At the bottom half of the first third, there is some fresh cedar.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the toasted note returns, but this time is is paired with the cedar as the char leaves the profile. At a half inch in, the mustiness increases and takes the lead as the char replaces the toast on the cedar again while the baking spice remains even with the cedar. At an inch in, the charred cedar really picks up and is up front with the mustiness and the baking spice is now in the background. The retrohale carries this same profile. As the third comes to a close, a slight cream enters which knocks down the charred cedar a bit. The mustiness remains up front and the baking spice has left the profile. The strength in this third has bumped up to medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third of the cigar, I find the creamy aspects fade away and the peppery spice notes become more prominent. The pepper notes are paired with a dry wood, earth and leather profile and it is a distinct transition from the first third. In no way is it over the top in terms of strength and pepper, but it is definitely present. I would classify this third as being at a medium-full level for strength, body and flavors. Like the first third, construction is perfect.

Second Third

The earth flavors break free of the chocolate and come to the forefront in the middle third. Once the middle third establishes itself, the chocolate and earth reverse position as the chocolate becomes the primary flavor. There is post draw cedar taking on a toasted quality. Some honey sweetness is detectable on the regular draw. At the halfway point, the toasted cedar drops off, as cedar and baking spices now harmonize. A defined cinnamon comes in for the remainder of the middle third.

Final Third

As the final third begins, some toast comes back to the cedar while some char also remains. At a half inch in, the toast leaves as the charred cedar and mustiness are up front together with some slight cream still in the background. At an inch in, the charred cedar takes a slight lead over the mustiness as the cream has departed and the profile is slightly drying. The retrohale carries the same combination of charred cedar and mustiness. The charred cedar continued to increase as the cigar came to a close. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

I am in the final third of the cigar now and finding the spice and pepper profile to be on the rise again. It has some dried wood and leather qualities with that, but it is predominately showing the spice and pepper notes. The finish has some dry earth to it and with that is a touch of nutty and toasty qualities at the end.

Final Third

There is a general sweetness to the profile moving into the final third. The toasted cedar returns on the post draw. The cinnamon is still present at a light to light plus level. Once the final third has established itself, there is a post draw earthiness at a medium strength level.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy but never required any attention. The ash held on in just over one inch increments.

Burn

The burn on the cigar was very good from start to finish. The burn line was consistent throughout and it was nearly dead on. The cigar produced a firm ash that held on well, and it was a light charcoal color.

Burn

This is a textbook burn experience, with a near razor sharp burn line for the entire cigar. The ash holds on very well in 2 inch plus increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar started out with a good combination of cedar and baking spice and then moved into a core profile of charred cedar and mustiness. Construction was very good and strength built from just below medium to just above medium. I was a bit disappointed in the enjoyment level from this cigar based on the companies previous offerings and how other people have raved about the cigar. I’m very interested in trying another vitola to see if there is one that is a better fit for me. As it stands, this is probably my least favorite line from the company, but I’m interested in giving it another try to confirm.

Draw

I really enjoyed the draw on the cigar. It was not too loose or snug, and it delivered well for the cigar.

Overall

I enjoyed the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Selección No. 5 Parejo. I was not blown away by it, or think it was spectacular, but I enjoyed it. I do feel the strongest part of the cigar was the first third, that is when it smoked its best in terms of flavor profile being delivered and complexity delivered, but the other two thirds were fairly good overall when looking at a cigar. It had a nice body and strength level with the flavors being delivered, but it just lacked complexity and depth throughout. While it did show transitioning from start to finish, it was not the transitioning I was hoping for in the cigar. If it delivered what it had in the first third, much different story on the cigar.

Draw

The cigar is resistant, about two notches into the tight spectrum.

Overall

The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Selección No. 5 Parejo has layers of subtle flavor, featuring cinnamon, chocolate, cedar, coffee, and at times, earth. The strength of the cigar is very restrained, barely reaching medium only at a few points. I’m looking forward to comparing the flavor experience with the Intrepido which has a thinner ring gauge.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$2.91

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.02

Cost/Point

$2.49

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$2.68

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Selección No. 5 Parejo