The Sobremesa Wagashi was originally a Smoke Inn exclusive in 2023 and supposed to be a limited edition cigar in partnership with Cigar Dojo. But like a few of Saka’s cigars that were limited edition it was well received and loved by Saka so much so that it became a regular production cigar in 2024. The only change is a secondary band denoting Cigar Dojo.
According to Saka at the time of the original release, “I have been tinkering with a larger format of my Sobremesa Brulée Blue liga for a couple of years on and off. My original intent was to craft a ‘Big Blue,’ but when the opportunity arose to create something special for Dojo, it refocused my efforts, as the Brulée blend is one of Sensei’s favorites. Trunk pressing this liga proved to be quite a challenge, not only due to bruising and splitting of the shade wrappers, but how it impacted the flavor and burn. It required so many iterations of the blend, and to perfect the prensado techniques utilized, there were times where I thought about just saying ‘Uncle!.’ But I am really glad I stuck with it, as I am ecstatic with the end result. The bar established by our Blue is extremely high, but I believe the Wagashi rivals it both in flavor and aroma, while also being unique with its own distinct character.”
Cigar Review: Sobremesa Brulee Wagashi
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut Shade G2BW
Binder: San Andreas Negro
Fillers: Nicaragua (Select Grades)
Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A.
Release Date: April 2024
Box Count: 13
The Cigar: Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confection ths typically made from plant-based ingredients and is often served with green tea. Perhaps this has to do with the green background used with the three gold embossed bands. Whatever it is, I can’t help but think of pistachio ice cream and imperial margarine. The blonde looking Ecuador Shade has some veins present and under the fingers there is almost a velvet like feel to the wrapper. The cigar is capped off with a gorgeous pig tail. In the hand the cigar feels a bit top heavy with no voids of tobacco and an above average weight.
The Taste: The cold draw has a slight mineral component to it before giving way to molasses and cedar. The foot of the cigar is a bit musty with notes of earth and hay. The foot of the cigr isn’t as enjoyable as the cold draw but often none of these flavors transfer over to the burning tobacco.
Smoking the first third of the Sobremesa Wagashi reveals subtle notes of confectioner sugar, caramel and a subtle nutmeg. The cigar is exceptionally smooth and balanced and comes off with a mild-plus perceived strength. The retrohale of the cigar has some white pepper that musty earth that is similar to the aroma of the cold draw.
The second third sees well defined notes of toffee and a touch of raisins as the cigar sees the strength of the cigar approach a perceived medium while being full in flavor. Additionally the cigar sees notes of melted butter, raisins and some walnuts. The retrohale sees some white pepper remain with a touch of leather and some buttery richness.
The final third loses a lot of its sweetness and complexity with the cigar showcasing notes of cedar, earth and leather. The retrohale is dominated by warm fresh baked bread and white pepper with a relatively short finish until the retrohale with lengthens it considerably. Despite the slight bitterness from the terroir notes on the palate I have hard time putting this one down.
Conclusion: I often wonder how companies that make a lot of limited edition cigars hurt or help the sales of their core lines. I can’t tell you the last time I smoked a Sobremesa, Mi Querida, etc. However I walk into my local cigar lounge and I see a limited edition from Saka I grab a few. However once they are gone I don’t look back at the brand until the next limited edition or new release. It’s not because Saka doesn’t make great cigars, it’s because I look at him as a limited edition heavy cigar manufacturer. With that said and done, Saka will probably have 1 or 2 cigars in our Top 5 this year. And I am sure my statement above won’t sit well with him or his fans. But having been involved in cigars since 1998 I have seen a lot of companies fall into the trap of too many limited edition cigars. It is a fine line that has to be walked.
The Sobremesa Brulee Wagashi is a complex, rich, flavorful cigar that builds in perceived strength from start to finish but does it do enough to separate itself from the regular Brulee line, probably not. Though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Score: 93
Price: $17.99 (Before any local or state taxes)
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