Steve Saka, owner of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, has announced a rebranding of the original Sobremesa line. The changes include renaming the original Sobremesa line as Sobremesa Solita. In addition, most of the box counts will now go from 25-count boxes to 13-count boxes. Finally, some of the vitola names will also undergo brand changes. Saka has said while the names and box counts are changing, blends and vitola sizes will remain the same.
In a comment on social media, Saka said, “describing the original Sobremesa as the ‘old one’ does not do justice to the liga which has remained strong in the market for 8 years.” According to Saka, the Solita name is slang for “little sun,” which he says is appropriate to describe the Sungrown Habana capa grown in the valleys of Ecuador, which often have cloud cover, hence filtering the sun, which results in its exquisite texture and smooth flavors.
Meanwhile, Saka is also renaming some of the vitolas in Sobremesa Solita. These will now incorporate more traditional vitola names
- Sobremesa Robusto Largo –> Sobremesa Solita Robusto (5 1/4 x 52)
- Sobremesa El Americano –> Sobremesa Solita Toro (6 x 52)
- Sobremesa Elegante en Cedros –> Sobremesa Solita Churchill en Cedos (7 x 50)
- Sobremesa Short Churchill –> Sobremesa Solita Short Churchill (4 3/4 x 48)
All of the sizes above will now be in 13-count boxes, with the exception of the Short Churchill, which will remain in 14-count boxes. Saka says for nearly three years, he wanted to reduce the box size from the original 25ct to 13ct to match the Sobremesa Brûlée box format, but because the box maker has been so far behind, reducing the quantity of cigars per box was going to exasperate the box delays.
Another change worth noting is Saka has said the Sobremesa Cervantes Fino (6 1/4 x 46) was discontinued and will not be making the transition to the Solita line.
These changes will begin to be seen in 2024.
