Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red is medium brown and has some decently raised veins present and some thick ones protruding from beneath the wrapper. The seams are smooth and the head is finished off with a tightly wound pigtail. There are two band, both in a red and gold color combination, The primary has a crown while the foot denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is stewed fruit funkiness along with some cedar. The foot brings a mellow mix of cedar, bread and light earth. The pre-light draw brings cedar, bran and some stone fruit sweetness, along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red is lovely in appearance. It is firm in hand, and finished with a lovely pigtail cap. The wrapper has a nice Colorado to Colorado Maduro coloring, and it is a dark antique brown coloring. The wrapper is silky in texture with some fine grit present. Medium sized veins are present throughout. The wrapper has an aroma of rich earth, barnyard, tobacco and spices, and the foot has notes of sweet spices, tobacco, rich earth and chocolate.
John: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear space so it remained intact when opened. There is a primary band with the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust logo, and a thin secondary Sobremesa foot band. For additional artisanal complications, there is a pigtail cap. I weighed the cigar at 13.9 grams and measured the humidity to 61.0% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet tobacco and wood, almost a syrupy sweetness to the tobacco. From the foot, I was getting pipe tobacco like aromatics, mild earth and coffee.
Jiunn: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red has a fine grit sandpaper feel to the wrapper. The coloration has a light red hue. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the mini man bun is well applied. Pre-light aromas consist of light cedar, construction paper and mixed roasted nuts.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At a quarter inch in, there’s a subdued candied cinnamon that becomes present and the finish is long with a mix of that cinnamon and the black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the candied cinnamon is pretty light and the black pepper has mellowed a bit as well. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and some mellow candied cinnamon in the background. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with warm baking spices. I am picking up a good bit of cinnamon and pepper. There is rich earth notes present as well, along with barnyard and sweet tobacco qualities. Leather and wood notes on the finish. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third gets going with earth, tobacco and an earthy espresso through the finish. The same profile is present on the retrohale with the addition of wood and red pepper flake. As the first third continues, earth is defining the post draw, with a delayed red pepper flake lingering on the palate. I find the first third continuing to evolve as mild powdered cocoa and a malty sweetness develops on the retrohale. The red pepper flake evolves to become peppercorn. Wood is defining the center of the profile as it settles in, with some mild vegetal notes present on the finish. Bread pushes past the wood on the finish as the first third marches towards the halfway point. The peppercorn fades as it reaches the halfway point, becoming largely a background note.
Jiunn: The first third has a flavor mixture of dried red pepper spice but with a bit more spice heat than I typically would get. Along with the spice, there’s cedar, cafe au lait and shelled mixed nuts. Retrohaling gives a much bolder red pepper presence, doing a good job of scorching and waking up my palate. The finish is short, with a quick hit of cedar. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the mellow candied cinnamon has departed. At a half inch in, the earth and black pepper have both increased a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the toast level increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and now some dustiness in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third continues with those rich earth notes that are paired with leather and sweet tobacco. Baking spices are present as well, showing off cinnamon and pepper notes. Touches of coffee beans and barnyard notes on the finish. Like before, it is medium-full in strength and body.
John: Bread and baking spices lead off the second third with tobacco and wood teaming up in the center, finishing with red pepper flake and cinnamon. The profile is consistently medium strength as it continues with wood, earth and baking spices defining the post draw. There are no changes to remark on as the cigar reaches the halfway point. Through the bottom half, bread and baking spices lead off with wood providing a supporting note.
Jiunn: The second third highlights more of the dried red pepper spice and associated heat. But luckily it’s not just pepper, as the cedar, cafe au lait and shelled mixed nuts still hold their own weight. Strength and body continues to be medium-full and medium, respectively.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front. At a half inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the dustiness in the background picks up a bit and the toast level increases some more. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper just behind the middle of the profile and some dustiness right behind the pepper. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third delivers those flavors of rich earth, barnyard and leather. Sweet tobacco is present with warm spices, and the finish has touches of coffee and dark cocoa. It is medium-full to full in strength and body, and it has a long finish of tobacco and leather.
John: Bread and wood carry the cigar into the last third as mildly dry wood finishes, joined by delayed baking spices on the post draw. As the last third settles in, mild earth comes into the post draw, accenting the baking spices and dry wood. That earth picks up to medium strength at times as the last third continues. The bread that started the last third is falling away approaching the halfway point, as wood and earth are driving. The post draw consists of wood and baking spices at this point. Earth takes over the lead of the profile through the bottom half.
Jiunn: The final third becomes a bit too red pepper spice and heat driven. Such that I taste much less of the other flavors. Still a decently pleasant smoke but not as complex. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: The burn was good throughout the cigar.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review experience.
Jiunn: Great burn construction providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool smoking temperature.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: The draw was perfect from beginning to end.
John: I found the draw to be roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches towards the resistant spectrum. Measuring it with the CigarMedics draw tester, it measured 61 inches of water.
Jiunn: Great draw performance, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. A subdued candied cinnamon joined in fairly quickly and then mellowed out. The second third saw the candied cinnamon depart and the earth and pepper both increased. The final third saw the earth become even with the toasted cedar up front and some dustiness became present in the background and then increased a bit. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red had a nice start as the candied cinnamon was a great supporting note, but as it departed in the second third, the profile became pretty average and remained that way through the rest of the cigar. This cigar doesn’t quite live up to the original Solita line and I wouldn’t see myself returning to this with any real frequency.
Seth: It’s been some time since I smoked a Sobremesa Solita. I probably should have smoked one of those to compare with the Red. With that being said, the Red is stronger and richer than I recall of the Sobremesa Cervantes Fino and the current Solita line. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red is a rich cigar with warm baking spices, dark cocoa, leather and tobacco throughout. It’s a nice, concentrated smoke with the Lonsdale vitola. The burn was not perfect, but it presented no problems. The draw was great from beginning to end, and there was nice smoke production. It’s a blend I would return to in the future, and it’s a blend I would enjoy in other vitolas. I typically prefer these blends with larger ring gauges; robustos to robusto-extras, but the Lonsdale vitola is always done well by Saka. This release reminds me of the Todos Las Dia Mas Fuerte, and I loved that release, concept and blend as well.
John: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red started out a bit slow but found its stride roughly a half of an inch in. I didn’t find the profile as elegant or nuanced as the other Sobremesa offerings, but the flavor combinations are good and it kept my interest for the majority of the review process. The burn was perfect and the draw was somewhat towards the resistant spectrum. I think in general now you can say that most of the cigars Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust releases are going to be good to very good offerings. While the price point is a bit higher than the average for 2025, it’s also delivering on a good experience. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 12 minutes.
Jiunn: This Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red is probably the strongest DTT cigar I’ve smoked to date. But a strong cigar without good flavors is a waste of time and my palate. Luckily for me, this was a cigar that was both strong and flavorful. The strength, matched with the red pepper spice and heat, was a great complement to each other. The other trailing notes of cedar, cafe au lait and shelled mixed nuts gave it the softness and complexities that it needed. This isn’t something that I would enjoy smoking everyday as I’m not a big nicotine guy, but when I want it, it is a great fit.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$3.02

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.63

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$2.75

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.63

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Solita Red