Dunbarton Cigars Red Meat Lovers Spicy Beef Stick in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: Red Meat Lovers (RML)

WRAPPER: US Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Nicaraguan, American

FORMAT: "Spicy Beef Stick" (648)
closed-foot&flat-head
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Med.-Full/Full
SPICE: 4.5/5

Black Pepper | New Orleans Coffee | Leather

NOTES:
A no bull-shit straight-shootin' son-of-a-gun. Sometimes I like being lied to, though. Very consistent smoke; dutifully earning its nom de puff with each and every puff. Cracked black pepper. Boots, belts, and saddle leathers. N'awlins style Cafe du Monde Coffee (& Chicory). Minerality-laced powdery underpinning at back-end--a taste of tzimmes right prior that.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but a sterling example of that kinda cuppa.

TASTE: A-
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: A

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars Sobremesa Tapa Negra in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: Sobremesa Tapa Negra

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Shade | Nicaraguan Sungrown
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-med/Medium
SPICE: 1.5/5

White chocolate | Macadamia Nuts | Buttery Suede

NOTES:
Takes a couple ticks to calm down and open up. How is your mom? There's a learning curve to drawing in something quite different than what's on your lips (Shade/Sungrown). Makes full sense sometime in the opening-third. Becomes a nice creamy-sweet thing with nuff white pepper to keep one honest.

Still smooth to the point of lacking some in structure. Complexity is nice but mellow and needs looked for. A quiet smoke. Hints of lemon cleanse well. Slight dandelion dalliances. Salted caramel comes on in a mid-way shift toward dessert notes. Ends in a black pepper shot of espresso at the nub.

TASTE: A-
DRAW: B+
BURN: A
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for September 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for September 2026

(listed in alphabetical order)
(names are links to full reviews)

Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Maduro

That's the list. Hey, maybe check out these links...

Brand Spotlights:
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
La Gloria Cubana
Villiger

Cigars of the Month 2026 Index

::: very ::: 

Room101 Cigars 17th ANNV in Review

BRAND: Room101
BLEND: 17th Anniversary LE

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua (AJF)
INTENSITY: Full
SPICE: 4.5/5

Espresso Beans | Black Peppercorn | Star Anise

NOTES:

The spice is more feels than flavor. The strength far nuff surpasses the body to be noteworthy. A screamer. A scorcher. Not to ill-effect, however, and all seems according to plan. Please too, to note the difference between aniseed and star anise. I feel I've failed to be overly clear here in the past.

A ghosting of beef jerky. Sniff an empty bag of the stuff with your mouth opened. A slight potpourri vibe. There is more here than meets the eye, but the glare is there. I bet with another ANNV or so rest, this blend will bear brilliance. Not bad right now, if you buckle up.

Dark chocolate comes in at the third/third. At first waxy then rich. See ya next year, babe.

TASTE: B+
DRAW: B+
BURN: B+
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very :::