Red Meat Lovers Beef Stick (6 x 48) Cigar
Red Meat Lovers is Steve Saka's bold, flavor-forward line, blended expressly to be smoked with and after beef. It began in 2019 as a single 6 x 56 toro extra created with Smoke Inn and the Red Meat Lovers Club — a charity-minded organization built around meat-centric events — and returned as a sought-after release before Dunbarton promoted it to regular production with four sizes named for cuts of steak. Saka has said no one had previously developed a blend specifically intended to be enjoyed as a pairing with beef.
A Connecticut Broadleaf No. 1 Dark (maduro) wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés Negro binder, with fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. The Beef Stick is the line's most distinctive format — a 6 x 48 toro with a flat cap and a flat, fully sealed closed foot, so the cigar's cylinder is entirely enclosed. Rolled at Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua. Box count: 10 cigars.
A full-bodied, savory profile led by earthy tobacco, black pepper and toasted oak, with a pronounced umami character and a touch of cinnamon. Creamy oak and a natural maduro sweetness round out nutty and dark chocolate notes, with hints of charred meat that explain the line's name. Robust and mouth-watering rather than harsh.
Match its intensity with a smoky whiskey taken as a digestif, or with a rich espresso — both stand up to the blend's full body without overwhelming its savory sweetness.
Built for after a hefty meal — a porterhouse, ribeye or prime rib — rather than as a morning smoke. Set aside a good stretch of time, as this format is a notably slow, long burn.
