StillWell Star: Dunbarton’s Pipe Tobacco Cigars, Revamped for 2026

StillWell Star is a 5 x 48 to 6 x 52 handmade cigar from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust that blends Nicaraguan filler with real pipe tobacco from Cornell & Diehl. Three blends, each with a sweetened cap, shipped to stores this week. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a serious cigar maker takes pipe tobacco seriously, this is the answer.

• Maker: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (Steve Saka) · Factory: Joya de Nicaragua
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano or Connecticut-seed, depending on blend)
• Binder: Mexico (San Andrés Negro Cultivo Tonto)
• Filler: Nicaragua + Cornell & Diehl pipe tobacco
• Body: Mild to medium (Claro) · Medium (Maduro) · Medium-full (English)
• Price: $14.95 (Petit Robusto) · $17.15 (Toro)
• Best for: Cigar smokers who also enjoy a pipe, or anyone curious about what pipe tobacco does inside a handmade cigar

What is StillWell Star?

Steve Saka launched StillWell Star about five years ago as Dunbarton’s crossover brand. The idea: take real pipe tobacco blends from Cornell & Diehl, one of America’s largest pipe tobacco companies, and work them into handmade cigars rolled at Joya de Nicaragua in Estelí. The pipe tobacco is blended by Jeremy Reeves, Cornell & Diehl’s head blender. The result isn’t a gimmick — the pipe tobacco changes the flavor profile in ways that regular cigar filler alone doesn’t.

The original line had four blends, all in a single 6 x 52 toro. For 2026, Saka streamlined to three blends, each now offered in two sizes with its own band color and a sweetened cap. The market told him what it wanted: the sweeter, aromatic blends kept growing while the others flatlined. “All versions were selling, but the market definitely prefers the sweeter, more aromatic options,” Saka told Halfwheel. “But me being me, I had to throw in that Sweet English because it is my personal favorite.”

The three blends

Aromatic Dulce Maduro (deep blue band) uses an Ecuador Habano wrapper over a San Andrés binder. The filler mixes Nicaraguan tobacco with Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia, and Burley pipe tobacco. This is the same blend as the original Aromatic No. 1, just renamed. Expect a sweet, medium-bodied smoke with notes of cocoa and dried fruit.

Aromatic Dulce Claro (light blue band) is the new blend. It uses an Ecuador Connecticut-seed wrapper, same San Andrés binder, and fills with Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia, and Red Virginia pipe tobacco. This is the mildest of the three — creamy, sweet, and approachable. It’s built from a hybrid of previous Holiday releases that tested well with smokers.

English Dulce Maduro (green band) is Saka’s personal pick. Same Ecuador Habano wrapper and San Andrés binder, but the filler swaps in Caked Latakia, Turkish, and Burley pipe tobacco. Latakia is the smoky, campfire-like leaf that defines English pipe blends. Reviewers consistently get leather, earth, and a smoky sweetness that you won’t find in a regular cigar.

How it smokes

We haven’t lit one up for a formal review yet, but the early coverage and trade show feedback point to a cigar that delivers on its promise. The sweetened cap is a real addition, not just marketing — it changes the cold draw and the first few puffs. The pipe tobacco filler shows up most in the retrohale, where the Cavendish and Virginia tobaccos add a sweetness and complexity that standard cigar filler doesn’t produce. The English blend’s Latakia gives it a smoky, almost peaty quality that reviewers describe as unlike anything else on the market.

Each blend comes in two sizes: a 5 x 48 Petit Robusto ($14.95) and a 6 x 52 Toro ($17.15). Boxes of 13. Regular production — not limited, not allocated.

Why it belongs at Grapevine

We carry all six SKUs. The customer who walks out with a StillWell Star is usually someone who already knows Dunbarton — they’ve had the Mi Querida or the Sobremesa, and they want to see what Steve Saka does when he plays with pipe tobacco. It’s also a solid pick for pipe smokers who are curious about cigars but don’t want to give up the flavors they get from a good English or aromatic blend.

Find it at Ole’ Grapevine Cigar & Tobacco — Grapevine, Southlake, and Colleyville.

Sources: Halfwheel — Revamped StillWell Star Line On the Way to Retailers (Aug 2026) · Halfwheel — Revamped StillWell Star Line Debuting at PCA 2026 (Feb 2026) · Halfwheel — StillWell Star Debuting This Friday (Nov 2021)