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Cigar Review: Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 648

15 Oct 2020

The story of Triqui Traca starts with Mi Querida, the sophomore cigar line from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (DTT). Launched in the summer of 2016, Mi Querida was (and is) crafted at the Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA) factory in Estelí by Raul Disla, under direction from Saka, with a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos surrounded by a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Three summers later, in 2019, an offshoot called Mi Querida Triqui Traca was announced. The phrase mi querida translates to “my dearest,” but in Nicaragua the phrase is most often used to describe a secret mistress; triqui traca is another Nicaraguan term, this one used to describe fireworks that are bound together to form a long string of fuses and ignited in the streets to mark special occasions and holidays.

Triqui Traca is “arguably our boldest cigar released to date,” said Saka in a June 2019 press release. “At its core, it remains our quintessential Mi Querida blend with its earthy, sweet Broadleaf notes, but with the incorporation of a couple refinements.” Those refinements include the addition of a “high-octane” Dominican ligero leaf, and the replacement of the “traditional Connecticut Broadleaf mediums” used for Mi Querida wrappers with a “rarer No. 1 dark corona leaf.” As a result, Triqui Traca retains the “inherent sweet loam and chocolate characteristics” from Mi Querida, yet it “delivers a significantly heavier smoking experience,” says Saka.

There are four Triqui Traca vitolas available: No. 552 (5 x 52, 20-count box), No. 648 (6 x 48, 20-count box), No. 652 (6 x 52, 20-count box), and No. 764 (7 x 64, 10-count box). These are easily distinguished from Mi Querida by their understated yet beautiful red-and-gold bands (Mi Querida sports identical bands, but the background color is blue).

I sampled two Triqui Tracas in the No. 648 format ($11.75) for this review. Both are notably firm to the touch to the point where there is almost no give when lightly squeezed. They also both have toothy, slightly reddish, mouth-wateringly textured surfaces with significant oils and an almost crystallized appearance—especially when viewed in sunlight. The foot exudes a musty aroma with some sweet hints of raisin.

The cold draw is smooth, notwithstanding the cigar’s firmness. Once an even light is established, I find a balanced, full-bodied, dense profile with notes of rich cocoa, espresso, musty earth, cereals, and cayenne heat. The texture is powdery—it’s hard to smoke this cigar without thinking about cocoa powder—and I would be remiss if I did not mention the nicotine intensity, which is typically something I don’t notice, even in strong cigars. Here, it’s noticeable but not overbearing.

I also can’t stress enough how heavy the overall taste is. This is a palate-coating cigar that lays a thick blanket of flavor that will drown out almost any beverage. As far as pairings go, I would suggest sipping neat a smoky Islay whiskey like Laphroaig, Ardbeg, or Lagavulin.

Construction is masterful. Expect generous smoke production, a straight burn that requires no touch-ups, a smooth draw, and a white ash that holds very well off the foot.

To date, my favorite DDT cigars are the Sobremesa Cervantes Fino and the Muestra de Saka Nacatamale. The Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 648 is not quite on that level, but it’s close—and that earns it an exemplary rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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