Stillwell Star Bayou No. 32 is part of the cigar line of the same name released by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust in late summer 2021. Steve Saka, the company’s master blender, described it as “the most controversial cigar of 2021”. The reason for this statement was due to the type of tobacco varieties typically used as pipe tobacco were used. Saka, who had been a pipe smoker for several decades, used to add pipe tobacco to the cigar blends reserved for his consumption.
Stillwell Star comes in a Toro-sized cigar with four distinctively different blends. They are sold in lacquered 13-count boxes of 13.
The cigar comes dressed in a shiny Maduro wrapper with brown reflections. To the touch, the leaf appears oily, with little marked veins. The overall construction is excellent, and the filling is generous.
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Size: 52 x 152 mm (6″)
- Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
- Binder: San Andres Negro (Mexico)
- Filler: Nicaragua, Bright, and Red Virginia, St. James Parish Perique pipe tobacco
- Price: $2 15.50 – € N.A.
Stillwell Star Bayou No. 32: intense aromas of cocoa are perceived in the cold draw, followed by lesser notes of earth and honey.
Once lit, the cigar brings a delicately sweet smoke to the palate, with slight hints of spiciness. It expresses balsamic and woody notes, enriched by spicy nuances. Strength is medium-light (2/5).
In the central section, the delicate initial sweetness is flanked by the sapidity, while the slight tactile sensation of initial spiciness continues to reverberate its effects. Alongside the woody and balsamic notes appears a white pepper component. Strength remains unchanged (2/5).
In the final third, the sweetness gives way to the sapidity which increases in intensity. Even the spiciness becomes more pronounced but without being overpowering. A note of leather explodes, followed by less intense woody and white pepper characters, which have remained unchanged since the second third. Strength becomes medium (3/5).
In conclusion, the Stillwell Star Bayou No. 32 is quite a surprise. Literally. The cigar manages to propose something new and unusual, with particular and very interesting results. The profile is quite broad, but what catches the attention is a persistent spicy component that is not overpowering, on the contrary. The evolution is not particularly pronounced, but the cigar, despite the size, is not boring. It is recommended for long-time smokers looking for a change of pace or for smokers curious to explore something new.