Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s Year of the Duque has now begun to arrive at retailers. Year of the Duque pays homage to Chris Duque, a longtime fan of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. Duque volunteers at the company’s PCA booth each year. The name of the cigar is a creation of Steve Saka, the master ligador from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, inspired by the Chinese Zodiac releases. Rather than releasing a Chinese Zodiac calendar, Saka decided to release a “Year of” calendar to pay homage to supporters of the brand.
“He truly deserves to be recognized, and we are honored to do so. Two of Chris’ favorite DTT blends are our Sobremesa Solita and Todos Las Dias, so I created a ‘mash up’ of these two ligas in one of his favorite vitolas of those blends, our 5 x 48 parejo,” commented Saka on social media.
Saka blended the cigar based on Duque’s personal preferences. The cigar features a San Andres wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado binder. The fillers are a combination of Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania tobaccos. The cigar comes in one size – a 5 x 4 parejo. Production originates from Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A. There were 2,000 14-count boxes produced.
The cigars were pre-sold to retailers, and according to Saka, all the boxes had been sold out. Even though orders could not be taken, Saka still chose to showcase Year of the Duque at this year’s 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. The plan is to honor a different person each year with the series. While Saka says the 2026 cigar is being rolled, he has not revealed to whom that cigar will be dedicated.
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted
