I’m big fan of the original blend of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog. When the newest addition to the line came out and Simply Stogies was deciding who was going to do the review, it had to be me. The Bronzeback is a modified blend of the Umbagog that uses a different Connecticut broadleaf wrapper that is supposed to tone down the sweetness and increase the pepper during the smoking experience.Â
OVERVIEW
VITOLA:Â Â Rothschild
SIZE:Â Â 5″ x 48
ORIGIN:Â Â Nicaragua
FACTORY:Â Â Nicaragua American Cigars S.A.
WRAPPER:Â Â Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER:Â Â Nicaragua
FILLER:Â Â Nicaragua
STRENGTH:Â Â Medium to Full
SOURCE:Â Â Â
halfwheel.com and dunbartoncigars.com
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:Â Â
Home, in the garage
WHEN:Â Â
January 16th @7pm
DRINKS:Â Â
Water or Bourbon
WEATHER:Â Â
65
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:Â Â
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Â Regular Production
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE Â April, 2024
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size:Â Â Â Bundles of 10
Production Totals:Â Unknown
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Rothschild  (5″ x 48)
BAND DESIGN
The band is simple. The difference between the Bronzeback and the original Umbagog is no more than the colors. The band is a dark green that does a fairly good job of blending in with the cigars Connecticut Broadleaf Wrapper. The text and border are gold which does pop and is easily identifiable. Since the Umbagog Bronzeback is a modified blend of the rest of the Umbagog line up, I can appreciate the fact that the band is different.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The Umbagog bronzeback proves to be a well constructed cigar. All three cigars that I consumed for this review were well filled. Two of the three cigars had minor burn issues that self corrected while the third cigar burnt perfect. I found no need to bring the lighter back out for a touchup. The second cigar I smoked had two small holes in the wrapper. After inspecting that cigar in a little more detail, I concluded that it was nothing more than a minor cosmetic issue of a premium hand rolled product and moved on. At no time did I have any issues with wrappers cracking or caps coming apart. The Umbagog Bronzback is, simply put, a well made cigar.
AROMA
The overall aroma of the Umbagog Bronzeback is simple, but interesting. All three cigars produced a slightly altered aromas of cigar smoke. That’s strange for me to say, but one cigar would have the aroma similar to what you would find walking into a cigar lounge first thing in the morning while the other would smell like walking in towards the end of the night. Though all three had earthy tones.
COLD DRAW
In the case for each of the three cigars, the cold draw left me with very little. In fairness, for me this is often the case. I did pick up on notes of Earth, Mushroom, Tobacco (obviously) and a faint chemical that I was having difficulties converting to something more familiar.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut:Â Generic Punch Cutter
Fire:Â Palio Quad Flame Torch
Lighting the Bronzeback is a simple task. The foot effortlessly toasts and quickly becomes ready to enjoy. There were no issues with the draw even with the minor burn issues that I mentioned earlier. Simply put, this cigar is well constructed and it shows.
SMOKE
The smoke output is just about perfect. When the cigar sits idle in your had or the ashtray, there is just enough smoke being produced to let you know the cigar is still burning. After taking a pull from the cigar the smoke intensifies filling your mouth with enough to cover your pallet. Yet the smoke is light enough that it doesn’t hang around and make your eyes burn. When I look up at the light, I don’t see a cloud of smoke hovering in the air.Â
FIRST THIRD
>> Earth, Smoke, Caramel
I found the first third to be on the lighter side of the spectrum. Though my pallet found earth, tobacco, and an occasional hint of caramel or even graham cracker. As I’m getting further int the cigar I realize the chemical that I am picking up may be a burnt spice of some sort. As I get closer to the middle third, the profile picks up and dives directly into a medium bodied cigar.
SECOND THIRD
>> Earth, Cedar Wood, Baking Powder
Reaching the middle third, the Umbagog Bronzeback is definitely a medium bodied cigar. The earthiness remains. There doesn’t seem to be a change here. Any sign of sweetness has left with the first third. Though subtle, hints of cedar creep in. The smoke is a little thicker in the middle coating my pallet completely. There’s a spice that I call baking powder because it reminds me of a salty flour. Sometimes it works for me. This time it doesn’t.
FINAL THIRD
>> Earth, Salted Nuts, Spice
In the final third the earthiness stands in the foreground while hints of salted nuts and spices dance there way to the scene. The Umbagog Bronzeback remains a medium bodied cigar down to the nub.Â
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
Earth is the dominant profile while each of the thirds provide something a little different. In fact, in each cigar smoked during this review the progression was a little different. For each of the thirds I used the profiles that stood out the most.Â
BURN EXPERIENCE
Two of the three cigars had minor burn issues in the second third that quickly corrected themselves while the third cigar burned razor sharp from start to finish. All three cigars were smoked in a controlled environment, but I don’t believe there would have been an issue with the burn even if I was sitting outside with a good breeze.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.70Â / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.45Â / 0.50 …Â Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Lighting Process
7.20Â / 7.70 …Â Smoking Experience
0.10Â / 0.50 …Â Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Solid Construction
- Solid Ash Experience
- Great Burning Cigar
- Progressions May Not Match Up
IT’S THE OG FOR ME.
The Umbagog Bronzeback is a solid cigar and an interesting addition to the line. The cigar does have flavor progression but it just didn’t work for me. But hey!, that’s the beauty of a cigar. It’s all subjective and I know I’m the odd man out. I’m still a big fan of the original blend of the Umbagog and will continue to enjoy it. I’m just going to leave the Bronzeback for the rest of you to enjoy.
