Today, Tyler Caldwell and I are discussing the new StillWell Star Holiday 2025 cigar, available now from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. This cigar was made in collaboration with Jeremy Reeves of Cornell & Diehl, featuring pipe tobacco in the blend. It's the perfect crossover cigar or beginner cigar for someone who wants to dive into the hobby, and is tasty and richly satisfying for any palate, especially for this most wonderful time of the year.

[Shane Ireland]: If somehow StillWell Star by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust has never been on your radar, this project started when Steve Saka, owner and blender of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, and an all-around awesome dude with a wealth of experience in the cigar industry, connected with Jeremy Reeves from Cornell & Diehl over his, as he put it, closeted love of pipes and pipe tobacco.

Back in the day, Steve was in the military service and he was a pipe smoker, and still is to this day. Basically, he wanted to create an elevated version of what had been done before, which was a combination of types of tobaccos that are often used in pipe-tobacco blends mixed into traditional, hand-rolled cigars. He turned to Jeremy Reeves and Cornell & Diehl to supply the pipe-tobacco varietals, and to help with constructing these cigars. They're expertly made at Joya de Nicaragua and there are multiple StillWell Star cigars out there, including the original StillWell Star Holiday edition from 2022.

The Inspiration for StillWell Star Holiday 2025

StillWell Star is a really interesting format for people who are either pipe or cigar smokers to cross over and experience a little bit of what the other side has to offer. It also just gives you a new experience, even if you are a seasoned pipe and cigar smoker. The Holiday edition is a homage to a practice that has long been around on the pipe tobacco side of the industry translated into a limited-edition cigar.

This is the fourth StillWell Star Holiday limited edition and there are some differences this year.

[Tyler Caldwell]: What makes this release unique compared to any of the other holiday editions and StillWell Star, in general, is that 2025's edition is rendered in the Parejo, 5" x 48, vitola.

[SI]: It's also the first time that Steve has released a StillWell blend in a different vitola since the beginning of the project. I was really excited about that to see how it would smoke in a smaller package. It's a great format.

[TC]: The Holiday editions usually stand out because they use a different wrapper for it. With 2025's edition, it is comprised of Ecuadorian Connecticut for the wrapper, Mexican San Andrés for the binder, and Nicaragua fillers mixed with some pipe tobacco.

[SI]: These are burning great and the draw is excellent. I don't know if you can pick up on not only the amount of smoke that's thrown off, but also it's the bluest smoke I've seen on a cigar in a minute. It has a perfect construction, which is not easy to do when you're hybridizing your tobacco types for the cigar-rolling process.

A project like StillWell requires so much R&D because you can't just take a little bit of pipe tobacco and put it in a cigar and expect it to work well, not just in terms of the harmony and the flavor but also the burning characteristics, the smoking properties, the rolling, and the bunching. It's really not easy to execute well and a lot goes into executing these so well.

These are well made and they're delicious. There's a finesse and a delicate, refined approach to combining these flavors that are typically not combined. This is not going to hit you over the head with an aromatic quality.

[TC]: No. Not at all.

[SI]: It really threads the line really well.

A Sweetly Enjoyable and Fun Cigar

[TC]: As far as the flavor, it's not overbearing.

[SI]: There's still a natural tobacco flavor supporting the Aromatic qualities. They smell great. There's a little bit of extra perceived sweetness but texture wise, it is dense, creamy, and pillowy.

[TC]: It's thick and buttery while also being creamy, and it has a sweeter profile.

[SI]: Yeah, man, it is extremely balanced and very approachable. I think there's enough strength and body here that seasoned smokers would find this a welcome change of pace as an early morning smoke with a cup of coffee. If you are a mild-to-medium smoker, this is right in your wheelhouse.

[TC]: It's the kind of cigar that I wanna smoke in the fall and winter, during the holiday season. One thing about this line that I have always appreciated is that I've met a lot of cigar guys over the years who are intrigued with pipes and pipe tobacco to experiment with but it can be overwhelming to get started until you can figure out your way to enjoy it. That process can be frustrating and confusing.

[SI]: Yeah, the learning curve is steep and it's hard to know where you should start. There's so many different types of pipe tobacco. StillWell Star Holiday is a great way to dip your toes in the water. I think it's a great way for an ardent pipe smoker to have an occasional change of pace as well.

[TC]: Yes, absolutely.

[SI]: It's an enjoyable experience. All of the other selling points aside, if someone just handed this to you blindly, you may pick up on the fact that there's an additional flavoring happening here but ultimately, you're just gonna get an experience that is somewhat different from what you're used to but I would say elevated and amplified. It has the refinement of a really well-made Nicaraguan cigar that's not terribly powerful in flavor or strength. But the added complexity and the aromatic qualities, not just in the sidestream but also in the palate, changes your perception of the raw tobaccos in there and how you're tasting them.

It's just such a fun cigar. I don't think I've ever called a tobacco or a cigar fun, but really, that's what this is. It's something that you can explore and experiment with, and it's a unique experience. More than those things, it's done so well that it's something you're gonna return to. It's definitely highly repeatable.

A Unique Palate Cleanser with a Clean Finish

[TC]: Absolutely. I think it's very well-rounded. I think for any type of cigar smoker, you could find some enjoyment out of it, whether you lean towards something flavored and infused, or if you traditionally don't like flavored and infused, you might like this cigar as a unique palate cleanser.

[SI]: It's developing in complexity now that we're a little bit more into it. I'm definitely getting more of the aromatic quality than when I first lit the cigar. But also, the finish is so clean. It does not taste like I just smoked a cigar. If I just wait a moment here without puffing, my palate is clean.

[TC]: I think this cigar would be really great with a hot chocolate. It's got that marshmallowy, fluffy sweetness but it's also got some notes of milk chocolate, like a Hershey bar.

[SI]: When we describe cigars, often we talk about creaminess, sweetness, vanilla and chocolate, and all the barrel char characteristics that you find in bourbons and whiskeys. I don't think I've ever used this descriptor for a cigar before either, but if I had to pick one word to describe this particular StillWell Holiday 2025, it would be milkshake, both in spirit and flavor.

[TC]: I can get that.

[SI]: It really does have that richness that has just the right amount of sweetness.

Limited-Edition StillWell Star Holiday 2025

[TC]: For anyone out there who is interested in trying something a bit different and something new, StillWell Star 2025 Holiday edition is gonna be a great cigar for you. The flavor is excellent, and the room note will be pleasant for folks that you might be smoking around who don't smoke.

[SI]: That's important to think about, especially this time of year as we are gathering for holidays. You'll want to have a smoke that won't be offensive in mixed company during the holiday parties.

[TC]: It's gonna be great to share with all your loved ones as well.

[SI]: If you have a few extra on hand, maybe even some inexperienced smokers could get into something like this really easily.

This release is highly limited. We have a very small amount of boxes available worldwide, so definitely jump on 'em while you can. I will also say that yes, it's the perfect smoke for this time of year, but I do think that these will also age pretty nicely. Make sure you get a couple of extra cigars to save for the summertime.