Dunbarton - Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 448 Rated 93 & #6 COTY

The Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 448 gets going with a good bit of white pepper and some light earthiness that has hints of clay in it. In addition to being a decently punchy start, it also has very lingering finish, and it’s on the finish that a bit of chalk emerges. The body of the cigar begins to fill out a bit, though inconsistently among the samples, meaning that in one cigar the smoke feels a bit thin, in another it’s rich and meaty, and in another it’s somewhere in the middle. Retrohales begin to develop as well; while they have had good pepper from the start, as the burn line progresses they add some of the Italian dry salami sensation I found in the prelight aroma, giving it a slightly oily and savory spin that I find quite enjoyable. One sample offers an earthier retrohale, which works just as well if a bit more familiar and less distinctive.

The first third comes to a close with a clean and crisp flavor that will be most notable for the tight and bright pepper in the nose and on the palate. Flavor is medium to medium-full, body is medium, and strength is medium. Construction and combustion is excellent on all fronts.

The second third ushers those in fairly quickly, kicking up the earth and pepper to fill out the profile, yet keeping it from getting overly heavy. There are a few puffs where the profile gets a bit smokier, a change which furthers the progression of flavor that the second third seems to be all about. Retrohales pick up a bit more gravitas, as the pepper gets heavier as it sheds some of the brightness from earlier, while backing notes of black coffee and smoky earth provide foundational support. The complexity of the cigar is impressive as the second third comes to a close, as while the flavor has gotten fuller it is still impressively clean on the palate and the retrohales are very engaging. Construction and combustion remain stellar, while flavor is a solid medium-full, body is medium-full, and strength is medium.

While the second third of the Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 448 filled out the profile and gave a bit more body, the final third gives it a bit more brightness and heat. There’s the bite of red chili pepper seeds that begins tingling the lips, while the lighter pepper from the first third starts to return. With the exception of the red chili pepper, it’s an interesting centering of the body and flavor between what the first and second thirds offered. Retrohales are a bit brighter than earlier and now provide a more pronounced accent to the flavor. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium-full, and strength is medium. I can’t say enough good things about the technical performance, as it was essentially flawless.