The Muestra de Saka Krakatoa according to the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust website, “was truly agonized over and took well over three years to perfect.” Named after the famous volcano located between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung the cigar would have been an ideal candidate for Sumatra tobacco. Since its famous eruption in 1883 the volcano continues to add new land masses to the region with various eruptions.
Since the release of Muestra de Saka in 2017 there have been 6 releases according to their website. Exclusivo (6 x 52), Nacatamale (6 x 48), #NLMTHA (7 x 38), Unstolen Valor (6 x 52), The Bewitched (6 5/8 x 50) and today’s review Krakatoa (6 x 48)
Cigar Review: Muestra de Saka Krakatoa
Size: 6 x 48 (Corona Gorda)
Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (Broadleaf, Criollo & Corojo)
Debut: September 2023
Box Count: 7
The Look: Packaged in 7 count boxed each Muestra de Saka Krakatoa comes packaged in its own wooden coffin. Inside the slide top box sits the cigar in cello. The foot of the cigar is covered in a yellow band denoting the brand name. For the sake of visuals we removed the foot band and reapplied it in the tradition spot for the cover photo. The cap features a small pigtail and the cigar is flawless rolled with a lot of visible oils. There are some visible veins on an otherwise gorgeous Habano wrapper.
The Cigar: The cold draw of the Krakatoa reveals notes of aged cedar with a tough of pine nuts while the aroma offers up a little bit of mocha, peanut shells and cedar shavings. Once the cigar is lit it starts off with notes of a freshly made cup of milder espresso.
As we smoke the first third of Muestra de Saka Krakatoa notes of cedar begin to emerge with wisps of cinnamon and coffee beans. It’s a glorious flavor profile for a cigar that captivates the palate. The retrohale reveals additions notes of cinnamon and at times an abundance of honey. I’m told by those around me that the cigar has a cedar aroma that fills the room.
Moving into the second third the cigar sees the notes of the cigar shift to a primary note of fresh cedar shavings. There is a saltiness present as well that compliment a peanut like component that develops just shy of the halfway point. As we cross over to the final half notes of cocoa and berries begin to develop that are both enhanced by the retrohale that also has a hint of white pepper.
The final third sees notes of mocha develop with roasted peanuts, cloves and leather developing as the cigar the cigar gets shorter. There is a continued saltiness with cedar, though they aren’t as dominant as in the earlier part of the cigar. The aroma continues to be cedar heavy which is noticed on the retrohale where is it joined by additional clove notes.
Conclusion: I don’t think there is a company on the market today that releases more limited edition/limited production cigars than Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. While I don’t consider myself the average consumer with 25 years of experience in the industry I wonder how much this affects core line sales. I find myself constantly smoking the new and chasing the limited while ignoring the core lines often if not always. After all I don’t have an endless supply of income. There have been brands in the past that made an effort to reduce the amount of store exclusives and limited to focus on re-establishing their core line. With that said, Saka knows his customers best and my views are just that of my own.
The Muestra de Saka lines have all been stellar cigars and the Krakatoa is no exception. It’s smooth, balanced and flavorful. If there was a knock it would be the price but that is more of a knock on the industry as a whole than this specific brand.
Score: 92
Price: $20.75
