Cigar Review – Red Meat Lovers
When Smoked: January 2024
Obtained from: purchased single at local B&M
Size: Toro (6 inches x 52)
Approximate cost: US$15.00
See ratings below
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust is a relative newcomer (in cigar years) to the business but Dunbarton head Steve Saka has a long, illustrious list of award winning cigars from his previous experience.
One thing I really like about Dunbarton is that their cigars really fulfill the “marketing promise” of their cigars. Umbagog is a great example, smoking one is very reminiscent of a cigar to be enjoyed lakeside on a cool, crisp evening.
The marketing story for Red Meat Lovers is that it was blended specifically for enjoyment after a big steak dinner. Spoiler alert: It does meet that expectation.
Specs on this cigar – a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper tops a very dark San Andres Negra Oscuro binder and that makes things interesting, with a little punch provided by Nicaragua and Pennsylvania grown filler. It is a sturdy wrapper, which is oily and toothy.
I only smoked this one stick for this review, which is a bit unusual. But my experience with other Dunbarton cigars assures me that my next one will be consistently good as well.
This is billed as a full body cigar, but the balance of the tobacco definitely takes a little of the edge off. I’m going with 9.5/10 for body – heavy but not too spicy or overwhelmingly strong-tasting.
Construction was about as close to perfect as possible. I like the sturdiness of it, and the burn was razor sharp. Draw and smoke production were absolutely ideal.
The flavor profile is excellent – oaky with a nice cocoa undertone, with some vanilla and a bit of brown sugar thrown in. Overall, a unique and great tasting cigar.
Overall smoking experience for the Red Meat Lovers cigar is 9.5/10. As I mentioned in the video, it was only January when I had this, but it wll set the bar for all cigars I smoke during the remaining 11 months.
As you see in the video, the winter weather has me enjoying my cigars in what I call my “Cigar Hut.” Even with the flaps pretty open for ventilation, with the small heater I use I can get the interior up to about 45-48F when it is 20F outside. Mine is a pretty tight squeeze at 61 x 61 inches, but depending on how well the rest of winter goes, I may upgrade to the larger size next year.
If you’re interested in looking into this product, here is the link on Amazon. It is also available on Kohl’s Department store site, I would compare prices and availability. If you do buy from my link on Amazon I get a tiny cut of the proceeds, it doesn’t affect your price.
