Cigar Review: Red Meat Lovers Smoke Inn MicroBlend Series

January 30, 2019 |

Author Toar Campbell

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Toar Campbell

Love of all things cigars, craft beer, Stouts, IPA's (any beer). Follow me on Untappd @Toar Campbell. Writer, reviewer, founder cigarsmoke.net

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Red Meat Lovers Smoke Inn MicroBlend Series

Red Meat Lovers Club is not only the name of South Florida’s most carnivorous fraternity of meat eaters, not only the 12th cigar in Smoke Inn’s famed Microblend Series, not only a mind-bending collaboration with one of the hottest names in the world of craft cigars “Steve Saka”, but it’s also the first-ever premium smoke to be intentionally blended to pair perfectly with a robust steak dinner.

When Smoke Inn first introduced the Microblend Series in 2010, they were pioneer in the now-ubiquitous realm of craft cigar collaborations.

The concept was born out of our love of craft beer, where craft breweries often produce one-off batches of their most exclusive and exotic recipes.

Red Meat Lovers packaging containing 10 cigars in butcher paper bundles

We spoke with Steve Saka he told Cigar Smoke “This liga was created specifically to be smoked while enjoying a fine steak or prime rib.

The cigar was actually developed while simultaneously consuming “chuleta de dos lomos” aka export grade Prime Porterhouse steaks in Nicaragua.”

He also said via social media “This is one of those projects that I was beyond excited to do.

Cigars and steaks go hand in hand, but to my knowledge no one has ever actually developed a blend specifically created to be enjoyed intentionally together as a ‘pairing’.

You would think this would be a rather straightforward task, but I took the responsibility very seriously in the selection of the various tobaccos to best compliment the hearty nature of the beef.

It required the sacrifice of many fine heads of locally sourced beef!”

APPEARANCE

The U.S Connecticut Broadleaf No. 1 Dark (Maduro) wrapper is coffee bean in color, although in direct sunlight it appears to have a slight red hue or rosado color to it with heavy tooth, vein and visible seam.

Measuring 6 x 56 it’s rolled in the Gordo or Toro Gordo format with a wide open foot and a triple rounded cap with a “Rosette” or as I call it a “Cinnabon” pigtail.

One band sits on the vitola, colored in red with white accents it reads “Red Meat” in white cursive with “LOVERS” in white font completing the motif.

It has a whole EAT AT JOES road side diner feel about it complete with broken neon sign.

A knife and cleaver with “EST. 2017” is at the bottom.

Pre-light aroma had notes of raspberries, chocolate and cedar.

The cold draw produced flavors of leather, caramelized malt and cocoa bean.

FIRST LIGHT

An aroma of sweet cedar and aromatic campfire off the toasted foot.

Initial flavors of wood char and raw cinnamon.

Settling in the blend is producing flavors of leather, cinnamon spice and black peppered chocolate.

The background profile of creamy leather, floral and raw walnuts balance in with first light flavors.

The spicy element of peppered chocolate remains consistent keeping the vitola at MED-PLUS.

The retro-hale is producing a sting of white pepper evolving into easily identifiable caramel.

CRUISE CONTROL BURN

In the second half a heavy dose of roasted nuts with a creamy leather bite actively and in between draws.

Dark peppered chocolate and mocha are adding sweet nuances to the blend with an aftertaste of raw walnuts and leather.

The retro-hale has increased with a sting of wasabi through the nose evolving into into a long finish of signature Saka caramel straight out of a Cracker Jack box.

FINAL THIRD

Heading into the final third core flavors of roasted nuts, coffee and a creamy leather bite are up front and on point.

Background flavors of dark chocolate with isolated black pepper are balancing in with all aforementioned flavors keeping the blend at MED-PLUS producing a long and balanced finish.

A slight decrease in the retro with clean white pepper with a consistent evolution of warm caramel.

CONSTRUCTION/STRENGTH

• CONSTRUCTION: Perfect in every way shape and form. No palpable soft spots, cracks or blemishes on the wrapper. Red Meat Lovers was flawless from first light to final third.

• BURN: Continuous and consistent combustion of all three components of wrapper, binder and filler.

• ASH: The salt and pepper colored ash was thick and circular holding 2 inches-plus producing an effect of stacked nickels requiring force to tap off.

• CUT: Large V-Cut on the example used for media, the remaining 2 examples smoked for review were straight cut.

• DRAW: Perfect milkshake type resistance producing an abundance of thick and creamy white smoke.

• RE-LIGHTS: Zero.

• FIRE: JetLine triple flame torch.

• STRENGTH: MED bodied Plus.

CONCLUSION

Red Meat Lovers was hearty, bold and meaty for sure and I had to keep psychologically telling myself it doesn’t taste like meat.

Specifically crafted to enjoy during or after a carnivorous meal. It hit the mark with a myriad of MED-PLUS flavors of peppered chocolate, coffee, leather and cedar that were balanced, complex and consistent throughout the entire smoking experience.

They are conveniently packaged in 10 count bundles and wrapped butcher paper.

This was the 12th release of Smoke In’s Microblend series since 2010.

It’s sure to be a hit with carnivores or vegans alike.