Muestra means "sample" in Spanish, but in a cigar factory devoted to handmade cigars, it refers to the realised vision of the blender — the cigar that finally encompasses the desired profile, after time spent tweaking and refining. Dunbarton founder Steve Saka presents a series of unique blends and vitolas made in extremely limited quantities and distinguished by different tobaccos in the Muestra de Saka line.
The Unicorn was inspired by Steve's dissatisfaction with ultra-high end cigars, which frequently feature rare elements such as gold leaf, expensive alcohol infusion, or celebrity endorsements and sell for $100 to $3,000. Are cigars like this worth the price? In Saka's experience, the answer was emphatically "No." But how much would it cost to make a cigar from only the best tobacco leaves and have it rolled by only the best torcedores? Would the flavor and construction be worth the price?
To begin, Steve wanted the Unicorn to be a distinct, one-of-a-kind shape, so he chose a dramatic Perfecto modelled after those seen in classic cartoons. He then decided to only use Nicaraguan tobaccos, and he chose the best-quality Broadleaf wrappers he could find — only the most textured, oily, and colorful leaves made the cut. Following that, he and his team sorted through 6,000 pounds of A+ grade Nicaraguan filler leaves that had been cured and fermented over the previous seven years. Only 2% were ultimately deemed worthy of the Unicorn. The Unicorn came to life after the best torcedor in Nicaragua used intricate bunching techniques required for the cigar's shape. Saka admits that the cost and effort were significant.
