Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Halfwheel.com website)
Steve Saka, founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, is known to mention how busy he is with all of his cigar projects, which is understandable. But he is also known to find some time to relax, which occasionally involves fishing, specifically at Umbagog Lake State Park in Errol, N.H., which Saka has called his favorite lake for fishing.
So it should come as little surprise that Saka created a line of cigars named for his favorite fishing hole.
The Umbagog line debuted in early 2017, with Saka calling it “robust and durable, designed to endure the rigors of outside activity with its thick broadleaf capa and easy burning liga. This is a cigar that doesn’t pretend to be special or seek to elicit the ‘oohs or aahs’ of the cigar snobs. It is an honest, hardworking cigar that is meant to be smoked, chewed upon and lit however many times you wish. For me, it is the perfect cigar for mowing the yard, hiking, four wheelin’ and of course, fishing!”
In 2024, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust would release the Umbagog Bronzeback, a variation on the Umbagog named for the nickname of the smallmouth bass and using a different priming of the wrapper. While both cigars use a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder and filler, the original Umbagog uses what’s called a Medium/#1 Dark, the Bronzeback uses a 2LS.
The 2LS, which Saka said is a designation for the leaves typically situated between the 1/3 to 1/2 mark on the stalk, sit beneath what are called the “Mediums.”
“This section of the plant produces wrapper with a different hue and flavor profile,” Saka explained in a Facebook post, adding that they offer a slightly less sweet, but significantly more peppery smoking experience than the classic sweet, earthy and cocoa notes exhibited by broadleaf.
The Umbagog Bronzeback debuted in a lone 5 x 48 Rothschild vitola. Then, in June 2025, the line got its second size, a 5 x 52 robusto, which comes priced at $10.75 per cigar or $107.50 for a 10-count, paper-wrapped bundle. The Umbagog line is made at Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA) in Estelí.
The cigar is medium to dark brown and nicely made. It has an average feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good with a little touch of firmness. The initial flavors at light up were pear, brown sugar, leather, and black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. Pretty good start.
At the first third (19 minutes) I had the same notes. The pear is secondary to the brown sugar. There is still some leather and black coffee. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is pear with very good lingering black pepper. The sweet notes are nice and the lower level notes are in the proper amount. I rated the first third 94.
Moving through the second third (38 minutes) there was a big change. The leather, which now appears to be a tanned leather, has risen along with the black coffee. The same sweet notes are there but they have decreased. There is also a nuttiness in the cigar. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is unchanged. I rated the second third 92.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 2 minutes. The sweet notes came back. The leather and black coffee pulled back. The cigar got back to the way it was in the first third so I rated the final third 94. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is unchanged. This is a good cigar with a good price point so look for these at your local shop and give it a try.
Overall Score: 93.33
