Stillwell Star Aromatic No.1 review by Don José
Hey team, Don José here back with another review.
Today we have the
Stillwell Star Aromatic No. 1
by DT&T
If this is your first time here, my reviews rate each cigar on 10 factors and each factor gets a rating out of 10 giving me an overall out of 100. The 10 factors are: Construction, Draw, Burn, Flavour, 1/3 overall, 2/3 overall, 3/3 overall, Journey (how well it flows), Complexity & Value for money.
You may have seen my announcement about these making their way to NZ and now that they are here, I will be reviewing each one! Starting today with the Aromatic No.1.
Now these sticks are not your usual cigar. They are mixed blends of Cigar and Pipe tobacco... While pipe tobacco has been used in cigars many times before... we have not seen it produce anything of interest.. Steve says this is due to the approach and quality of tobaccos used.
"StillWell Star is the world’s first luxury pipe tobacco cigar. [it] is a totally different approach.
All of the cigar and pipe tobaccos used are amongst the finest available, no expenses spared. Each of the pipe tobacco recipes is meticulously crafted in small batches by Reeves utilising only the best tobaccos and techniques. And each of the cigar ligas was carefully tailored by Saka to specifically showcase and enhance the nuances that each of the pipe blends add to the cigar.
The end result is a truly mesmerising smoking experience. Four unique cigars each with its own personality, deftly blended to afford the smoker the nuances of the flavours and aromas of the pipe blends, yet working in concert with the black cigar tobaccos. Balance, measured, refined and elegant are all hallmarks of StillWell Star."
Details:
Brand: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
Size: 6x52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian habano
Binder: San Andres Negro Cultivo Tonto
Filler: Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia and Burley + more... I believe.
"The finest of aromatic Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia and Burley pipe tobaccos added to a mild, Nicaraguan puro to provide a delightfully smooth and exceptionally room pleasing note making it not only a joy for the smoker, but for those around them. Each cigar is delicately finished with a cabeza dulce."
Ok, so now let's talk a little about the wrapper
Habano cigar wrapper is a leaf grown from a Cuban seed, hence the word “Habano” or “Havano,” referring to Cuba's capitol. Habano tobacco wrapper is darker in colour, has a much spicier flavour, a richer aroma, and has been grown in Nicaragua's Jalapa Valley and Estelí since the 1990's.
More important than the pronunciation are the reasons we like Habano cigar wrappers. Mainly we like the Habano wrapper’s flavour. It’s spicy, rich and the colour is generally dark. Chocolate is commonly tasted in Habano wrappers. And the Habano cigar wrapper is going on many of your favourite cigars.
let's get into the review.
Construction
Seems like this comment is on repeat when it comes to DT&T but here we are. As always, flawless construction. Nothing about the visual aspect makes it look any different to your 'everyday cigar tobacco only stick' really however it is a bit more fragrant than most.
Burn & Draw Again, DT&T coming through with outstanding quality rolls. The draw is perfect. The burn is a little odd but overall nothing to complain about, I did wonder if the pipe tobacco would burn differently and I put its burn down to just that.
Flavour & Complexity Ok so this is where things start to get unusual.. Starting with what 'seems' like a sweetened tip... a hard call to make with Steve at the helm, ever since the whole Sobremesa situ that brought about the STFU pack, but I'm going to go on the record now and say I don't believe it is additionally sweetened, just natural sweetness from the tobacco used.
Once lit... well, things really are interesting, it is very true that this is not like any other cigar I can think of. Flavours aside for a second, the mouthfeel is different, I want to say 'damper' than usual, and slightly oily.
Sweetness continues throughout the whole stick and so does a 'mustiness'... but not musty in a bad way, just the musty tobacco smell you associate with pipe tobacco usually. There is some nut and leather but not a single ounce of spice.
Strength Mid strength, actually the lightest of the 4 offerings I believe.
Enjoyment / Journey Well its always fun to try something new and different, and when that new and different thing is also exceptional... thats special and thats exactly what this cigar is. There is also a nice progression throughout, the first third I think was mostly me getting used to the uniqueness but the second and third were exceptional smoking.
Overall This is an interesting smoke for sure. It is unlike any cigar I have ever tried and I'm damn excited to try the others.
To me, it is noticeable that its pipe tobacco, it has all the characteristics of pipe tobacco and that seems a little weird at times, but it works, its tasty and intriguing.
If anything tho, I will say that it almost seems like you're not smoking a cigar.. it feels like something else, obv its not a pipe either.. its new and its exciting and is 100% a must try.
I rate this cigar 91 points.
A look at the numbers.
Construction -- 10/10
Burn -- 8/10
Draw -- 10/10
Flavour -- 9/10
Complexity -- 8/10
First 1/3 -- 8/10
Second 1/3 -- 9/10
Third 1/3 -- 9/10
Journey -- 10/10
Value -- 10/10
