Typically, when a company introduces a spinoff blend from a pre-existing line, they’ll show off a fairly significant wrapper change in order to clearly differentiate the cigars from one another. This was not the case with Steve Saka’s Umbagog Bronzeback, which simply moves to a different position on the tobacco plant in order to provide a familiar experience with a twist. It’s no secret that Saka is more in tune with cigar nerds/hobbyists than virtually any other cigarmaker on the planet. The Bronzeback demonstrated this connection with ease, as cigar fanatics found themselves suddenly fascinated by the subtle differences between the 2LS and Mediums designations of Connecticut Broadleaf. While the original Umbagog features the latter Mediums leaf, the Bronzeback shows off the 2LS Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper—described as a throwback to the “slightly less sweet, but significantly more peppery smoking experience” of Broadleaf-wrapped blends of the ’80s and ’90s. Rolled in a single Rothschild size and sporting a new bronze-stamped version of the beloved Umbagog band, the Bronzeback is a densely packed specimen with a concentrated draw/smoke onto the palate. The smoke has a familiar balanced nature from Saka’s blends out of the NACSA factory, being punchy and slightly dry in texture as the experience kicks off. Flavors hover around earth and black pepper, eventually rounding out to include baker’s cocoa, a touch of licorice, and an unexpected maple sweetness.
Umbagog Bronzeback Breakdown
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: Nicaraguan American Cigars S.A. (Nicaragua)
- Production: Regular Production
- Vitolas: 1 (5″ x 48 Rothschild)
- Price: $9.75 (MSRP)
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