Dunbarton Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 548 Review

The Dunbarton Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 548 arrives looking like exactly what Steve Saka built it to be, the bolder, more-aggressive cousin of the original Mi Querida. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is dark, oily, and slightly toothy. The construction is dense, the kind of cigar that feels heavier than it looks.

The cap is precisely applied. The Triqui Traca band, distinctive within the Mi Querida line, marks this as the ligero-heavy variant. Steve Saka founded Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust after leaving Drew Estate, and Mi Querida quickly became the brand's flagship boutique offering.

The cold draw pulls at moderate resistance, slightly tighter than the original Mi Querida. Pre-light flavors are concentrated: dark cocoa, leather, espresso, faint pepper. The aroma at the foot is intense, dark cocoa, sweet earth, espresso bean, faint barnyard funk. The Triqui Traca's ligero-heavy filler signals depth before the first draw.

The first third opens at full body within two draws. Where the original Mi Querida is full medium-full, the Triqui Traca is full. Dark cocoa, leather, espresso, and a sharp pepper accent settle in immediately. The extra ligero in the filler delivers the boldness that defines the Triqui Traca line.

The smoke output is dense and creamy. The burn line is razor-sharp. The ash holds firmly with tight gray banding.

The retrohale is the Triqui Traca's defining moment. Sharp pepper wraps around dark cocoa and resolves into espresso and leather. The retrohale is more aggressive than the original Mi Querida, with the same Saka-signature complexity but pushed harder.

For smokers familiar with the Foundation Tabernacle Robusto, the Triqui Traca is what happens when Saka pushes the same Connecticut Broadleaf maduro philosophy into more-aggressive territory. Both are top-tier boutique. They serve different palate moods.

The second third is where the Triqui Traca earns its 92-point reputation. Cocoa thickens into proper baker's chocolate. Leather thickens. A subtle dried-fruit sweetness emerges, fig and prune, that adds dimension without sweetening the cigar. Coffee shifts to fresh espresso.

This is the third where Mi Querida fans defend their preference over heavier full-bodied alternatives. The complexity here is among the most-impressive in modern boutique smoking. Six or seven distinct notes available on any single draw, integrated rather than stacked.

Body holds at full. The pepper recedes from sharp accent into a balanced background note. A faint baking-spice character, cinnamon and clove, appears on the finish.

Construction continues flawless. The draw is at perfect resistance. The ash drops cleanly. For more on Connecticut Broadleaf maduro alternatives, read Cigars Similar to Liga Privada and the best Boutique Maduros 2027.

The final third pushes deeper into earth, leather, and dark chocolate. The cocoa softens into smokier baker's chocolate. The pepper returns more prominently. A faint capsaicin warmth emerges on the lips and tongue.

This is where the extra ligero in the filler proves its premium. Most Connecticut Broadleaf cigars get harsh in the final inches when ligero-heavy. The Triqui Traca stays balanced. The flavors deepen rather than collapse, although the body is slightly more demanding than the original Mi Querida.

The cigar warms in the last inch but never becomes uncomfortable. Total smoke time runs 60 to 80 minutes at a relaxed pace.

The Dunbarton Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 548 sits in the small group of cigars that defines bold modern boutique smoking. Steve Saka launched Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust in 2014 after leaving Drew Estate, and the Mi Querida line quickly became the brand's flagship.

What the Triqui Traca does better than the original Mi Querida is intensity. The original Mi Querida is full medium-full; the Triqui Traca is full with extra ligero in the filler. For smokers who already love the original and want more, the Triqui Traca is the obvious next step.

For comparable full-bodied Connecticut Broadleaf boutique smoking, the Mi Querida Triqui Traca sits alongside the Foundation Tabernacle and the upcoming Dunbarton Sobremesa in the conversation about modern boutique excellence at the $10 to $14 price tier.

The Triqui Traca is widely available at premium tobacconists and major online retailers. Compare current pricing across 19 retailers before any box purchase. For more on Steve Saka's blending philosophy, the brand has a distinctive owner-driven character that distinguishes the Mi Querida line from contract-blended boutique cigars.

Final score: 92/100.

Best paired with espresso, aged bourbon (Knob Creek 12, Eagle Rare, Booker's), Highland Scotch (Macallan 18, Lagavulin 16), or aged Cognac. The Triqui Traca's full-bodied Connecticut Broadleaf profile pairs beautifully with substantial spirits. For pairing strategy, read best cigars for bourbon pairing.