Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback is medium brown with some darker marbling, has some thick but well pressed veins and has a fine toothiness to it. The seams are smooth and the caps are decently applied. The band is green and gold and denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is rich, dark earth and stewed fruit. The foot brings a mellow mix of cedar, earth and stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw brings cedar, dusty earth and a floral note along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback has a rustic appearance, nothing flashy, but that is the intention of the cigar. It’s about the grit, not the show. Colorado Maduro to Maduro coloring on the wrapper, it is leather in texture with veins present throughout. Oily cigar and toothy. Aromas are rich. Honey, earth, chocolate, coffee and stone fruit.
John: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker that has the cigar information and an integrated tear space to remain intact when opened. The main band is a fairly straightforward Umbagog in gold on green background. I weighed the cigar at 11.5 grams and the humidity at 62.5% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included medium intensity barnyard, wood and mild earth. From the foot, there was hay, tobacco and faint barnyard.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth and baking spice. At a quarter inch in, the baking spice increases in intensity. At a half inch in, a light smokiness joins the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the baking spice mellows back down a bit. The retrohale is smoky cedar, earth and lightly zingy baking spice. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the baking spice a bit behind and some smokiness in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with rich earth and tobacco notes. Mineral spices are present with some dark chocolate. Coffee notes present as well. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with tobacco, light plus spices following and a spicy wood combination to finish. A delayed spice and wood comes into the post draw. The spices quickly move up to medium strength on the retrohale after a few puffs. As the first third has settled in, the draw begins with creamy spices on the retrohale, and a dark chocolate in the center. Medium strength earth breaks into the finish in the bottom half of the first third.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the baking spice mellows a bit. The retrohale is now just toasted cedar and earth with a light smokiness. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth takes a slight lead over the toasted cedar. At an inch and a quarter, the overall profile becomes a bit dry. As the third comes to a close, the dry earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar, with the baking spice just behind the middle and some light smokiness in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is right in line with the first. Mineral spices with earth and tobacco. Chocolate and coffee on the finish. Some red pepper and wood. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Creamy earth gets the second third started with earth giving way to a mildly dry wood on the finish. Creamy tobacco sweetness as the first third settles in, as medium spices follow and spices, wood and earth linger into the post draw. The wood falls off in the post draw with the spices and earth the primary components. That profile remains consistent for the remainder of the third.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the baking spice has departed. At a half inch in, the toasted cedar and earth become even again. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and earth with a light smokiness. At an inch in, the toast level increases a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with some smokiness in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is right there with the first and second. More mineral spices with red pepper and rich earth on the finish. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The start here is similar to the second third with creamy spices, earth and wood through the center and tannic wood finishing into the post draw. The earth begins to take over the post draw as it continues, and by the halfway point completely defines the post draw.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback

Burn

Aaron: The burn was slightly wavy at times, but never needed any intervention. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Burn was average.
John: The burn was razor straight through the entire review with the ash holding on over one inch increments.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Draw was a little snug.
John: The draw was at most 1/2 of a notch towards the resistant spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw score.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth and baking spice. A light smokiness joined in a bit later. The second third saw the baking spice mellow and the earth take a slight lead in the profile. The final third saw the baking spice depart. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback had a nice start, with a good balance and nice flavor delivery. As the baking spice waned in the second third, the enjoyment level took a step back and remained at that level the rest of the way. I really wish the profile of the first third could have held on longer. I just don’t see myself really coming back to this, but it is one of the more affordable offerings in the companies portfolio, so I could see it as a good entry point for new smokers to the brand.
Seth: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback is quite solid for the price. It has a consistent profile from start to finish, not much transitioning, but it’s complex. There is depth, and it is a filling cigar. It’s a solid every day cigar. If you want to smoke all the time, and this is your profile, I will highly recommend this cigar for several reasons. Price being one of them. I typically love the 5 by 48 size, but not with a profile of this nature. I would rather have a 54 ring gauge or make it 6 by 48.
John: The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback delivers an amped up version of the Umbagog blend while still maintaining an overall medium strength profile. I particularly enjoyed the first and second thirds. The burn and draw were both perfect. You’ve got a good flavor profile and a sub $10 MSRP price point. That’s a winning combination and something I’d be happy to return to. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.85

Cost/Point

$1.67

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.07

Cost/Point

$1.61

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.43

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog Bronzeback