Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Negro “cultivo tonto”
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
Filler: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania
Size: 6 x 48 Toro
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $19.75
Date Released: March 2026
Quantity Released: 2700 boxes of 14 ~ (7-Michelle’s cigars & 7-Tom’s cigars)
Factory: Joya de Nicaragua

BACKGROUND:
From Smoke Inn:
“The ‘Year Of’ concept has become a familiar theme across the cigar world, but Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust has always taken a different route. Rather than tying the idea to a zodiac symbol, the company uses the series to honor real people who represent its community. Year of the Pausers does exactly that, celebrating Michelle and Tom Pauser, a cigar-smoking couple whose enthusiasm, generosity, and presence have made them fixtures among Dunbarton’s extended family. Because the project honors two individuals, it results in two distinct cigars, each reflecting a very different palate.

“Both cigars share a 6″ x 48 format with a pigtail, but the similarities largely end there. Michelle’s blend draws inspiration from Sin Compromiso, serving as a modified take on the Paladin de Saka concept. It uses a Mexican San Andrés negro “cultivo tonto” wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano rosado binder, with fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. The adjustments to the filler recipe tilt the profile toward added sweetness and creaminess, layering cocoa and coffee notes with a softer, more polished texture. Her cigar is produced at Joya de Nicaragua, where the core-line Sin Compromiso is rolled.

“Tom’s cigar ventures into entirely new territory. Built around a first-use wrapper varietal dubbed “Capa Camaleón,” the leaf is a hybrid of Habano 2000, and Connecticut Broadleaf grown in Estelí. It rests over a Mexican San Andrés negro binder with fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua and is produced at the NACSA factory. The profile leans fuller and more expressive, showing burnt caramel sweetness, a savory saltiness, and a distinct twang that lingers on the palate. Together, the two blends tell a shared story through contrasting voices, reinforcing the idea that the DTT Year of the Pausers cigars are less about a theme and more about friendship, individuality, and the many ways people connect through cigars.”

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Drove me crazy at first when I received my box. I couldn’t find anything pointing to which cigar was which. They look identical. After tearing out my last hair, I saw it. On the cigar band, where it says 2026, the zero has the sign for male or female. And since I was born in 1745, I often forget which symbol is which. I cheat by remembering that the arrow for male looks like a dick. Not my dick because the symbol doesn’t look circumcised. This is a non-Hebraic stick.

These are limited cigars. Only 2700 boxes. Anything in limited release from Saka goes fast. Dunbarton cigars age well. Based on my early perception on receipt, I like both cigars. Yes, I am reviewing both blends early. I will review the Tom blend soon. But if you’ve ever smoked a cigar from DT&T, you know that they rarely miss.

I’m getting over some sort of unknown virus that affected my stomach and sinuses. I questioned the cute rats that I feed at the back door if they were ill and they all nodded no. Rats don’t lie. This is why the little devils have never held public office or write cigar reviews.

Both the Tom and Michelle look extremely rustic. In the right hands, it signals something sexy. The sticks are bumpy, lumpy, and full of veins…which is what I see in the mirror every morning. Michelle’s wrapper is just a touch lighter in color. A feminine mystique compared to Tom’s wrapper which is dark and foreboding.
Tom Pauser cigar:

Michelle Pauser cigar:

The first aroma from the wrapper is barnyard. It’s very mild as is other aromatics: chocolate, nutty, sweet caramel, black grapes, malt, and slightly perfumey.

The little cinnamon bun on the cap is no match for my PerfecPunch.

The cold draw is meaty. With sweet honeysuckle overtone. More malt and lesser notes of bitter almond and baking spices.

The blend starts with a swell flavor profile: Earthy, rich, meaty, equal amounts of chocolate and espresso. So, yeah, you’ve seen and tasted this a million times. What commands me is the lovely crudeness paired with near instant complexity. And it ain’t fucking around as the cigar starts at medium/full strength. But I have a full belly of celery, nutmeats, and kreplach.

You know straightaway this is Steve Saka. That’s why we love his cigars. He leaves his very special, and identifiable, touch on all his blends. I’m not a trained botanist, veterinarian, or cigar sommelier so I am not a student of theories and conspiracies. If I was to say it in plain English, Stevie’s cigars speak to me with their consistent earthiness, richness, depth, and complexity.

The rustic appearance is a deadfall trap. But once the burn begins, it is clear that construction is top notch. The char line is damn fine. And no matter how long I allow it to sit in the ashtray, it stays lit.

I love the slight sourness that is part teriyaki and part candied lemon rinds.
Black cherries show up. I hum to the cat a warning, white punks on dope. And then a glowing brain smile because transitions are in play.

Here is the dichotomy…the cigar is rough and smooth at the same time. I take a puff and the strength hits my lungs and my moderately packed belfry. Moments later, the smoke levels out and delivers an incredible sense of wellbeing. This is why we smoke cigars. This is why we spend money we don’t have. Always adding to the pile. Pissing off our wives. Being asked why we have so many burn holes in our clothes. And making excuses for sitting on the patio with a heater because we must.

I was never more scared than standing in the middle of the stage during a bass solo with a white-hot spot on me in front of thousands of fans. I didn’t get high before the gig. While I find thc calming, it will fuck up your concentration when it’s needed for a specific task. Now…during the last song of the night, when the violinist was doing a 10-minute solo, the roadies had a full pipe of hashish ready for Copeland and me. We’d jump back onstage with renewed energy, knowing no more solos ahead of us…and maybe a bunch of encores.

Smooth as a donkey’s ass on Rodeo Drive. Smooth as Copeland telling me that the tab of acid was very mild. Smooth as McCartney asking me to let go of the front door of the Fender Sound House on Tottenham Court Rd so he could enter. Smooth as Janis Joplin’s bass player visiting rehearsal and changing his bass strings in front of me. Or smooth as the previous Curved Air bassist listening to the Live album finished mix and saying, “You use a pick?”

The Michelle is making me comfortably numb.

The burn is glacial. Moving slowly while executing noggin cells that seek out distraction. I’m honed in. I’m relaxed. $20 cigar that does its job.

I skip ahead. In public, I meander.

The first third was a hallucination come true. I have a boner this big.

The second third is about mouthfeel. I hate that term. It’s stupid. The smoke maneuvers around my giant orifice and sends its signature and illuminates the blender’s intent.

Do blenders steal from their own kitbag? Probably. It’s like tv shows, music, or movies. Keep repeating what works. But with cigars, it’s more like refining rather than copying. How do they blend us into a dreamlike state? Some guys don’t replicate the magic. Others keep layering on their successes. The Michelle is layer #42. No idea what that means.

I could squint and furrow my brow seeking out bizarre and exotic flavor points. Who cares, right? I have a delivery system bringing joy to my bent psyche. I’d just as soon smoke this cigar in peace without worrying about what you think. But as I’m a union writer, I have obligations. I don’t want to be docked significant pay and I wish the union didn’t take lunch breaks out of my dough.

The first half nailed it. Right to the cross. The moaning comes from me. Not pain. Exculpatory sequential notes of glee. There is no vengeance in Sakaland. But he certainly holds the stone hammer, and I hear the bangs in E#m. See, this is what a good cigar does for us. We drift off. We can stare at the tv or computer screen and not see anything. Our ears are attuned to our surroundings, but we are calm. How do you explain this to non-cigar smokers while they stare at us in disgust.

Drummer Alphonse Mouzon had a crush on Sonja. And he wasn’t shy about it. Meanwhile, Copeland and Sonja were living together. So, while Larry Coryell’s keyboard player was doing a solo, Stewart and Alphonse got into a fight on the side of the stage. It sorta ruins the mood of a good gig.

Earthy and rich complexity. Better reviewers than I can explain it better. Flavors are minimal. Listing them is useless. I find myself useless in this state. Nirvana without the suicide.

I love the maltiness. Reminds me of those frozen chocolate concoctions we got at the movie theater or Dodger stadium. Impossible to breach with the tiny wood spoon. Patience was required. Cigar smokers have none of that quality. This is why we glom together as a group. We understand each other.

Jeff Beck was in the audience in Dover. He got up and jammed on the encore. I remember that we broke into “Freeway Jam.’ He brought Jan Hammer with him. Darryl Way giggled while he traded riffs with him. But in the dressing room later, Sonja locked herself in the bathroom and tried to kill herself. A yin and yang evening.

I’m down to the last couple of inches. The story finds its dénouement. The blend continues to build, layer upon layer, inch by inch, slowly I turn, don’t call me Al.

I take a respite so I can breakdance on the carpet. Sammy the Cat jumps in. I can’t tell who is screeching the loudest. I’ve told him countless times not to wear a tutu because his wiener hangs low and touches the back of my neck. He thinks it’s hilarious. No Liva Snaps for him.

Zero nicotine. The strength never exceeds medium/full. By this time, the Tom blend is scorched earth. The depth of the Michelle blend is coated in layers of complexity. It is the baklava of dead bushes.

The term ‘smooth’ is overused. Me especially. As the cigar sees its death in the rear-view mirror, I can see the difference from the first third. The blend is a constant metamorphosis of change but develops into a consistent work of art.

There are a few retailers selling these boxes. Non-sponsor Smoke Inn has them for $235 for 14 cigars or $16.79 each instead of $19.75. It’s 15% off. If you know of a better deal, please leave a comment.

If you got the money for a box, do it. A fiver is cool too.

RATING: 98

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Year of the Pausers ~ Michelle’s Cigar | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, katman, phil kohn