The Particulars

The Review

This review for the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Red Meat Lovers (Ribeye) - Toro (Box Press) (6 x 52) is based on the journal entry dated 2025-12-19

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

Sometimes I wonder how much marketing and naming influence our perceptions, but this literally looks like a thick piece of beef jerky. It’s a very Rosado CT Broadleaf that has a light sheen and a good amount of small tooth. There’s some light mottling and color variation to it, but it feels a little dry and “crunchy” to hold. It feels like this was well-packed before the box press was applied, as it’s very firm. The seams are nearly invisible and it looks well-rolled. The intense red band is simple but looks great and works well here. It also has the most adorable little pigtail on the cap. 🐷

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Average (2) / Good (3)

The draw has extra resistance, but not enough to require the draw tool. I’ll be watching to see if it opens up or gets tighter through the burn. The burn is a little uneven, but flat and well-controlled in the first third. The ash is a light gray with even striations and minor flaking. The draw on this one never opens up any further, so it retains the extra resistance, but it never got worse or drew any tar out either.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Great (4)

Oof, heavy earth to start. These are very thick and savory flavors, and I’m already craving a big meaty dinner paired with a strong drink. Mission accomplished, Saka. 🫡 I’m getting a lot of charred wood, little bits of caramel and citrus sweetness, baking spice, light pepper, and mild cocoa. As I get through the first third, I’m picking up more dark chocolate and coffee notes, which are bringing in some natural bitterness. There’s some occasional mustiness that reminds me of fall leaves, but overall this is a dark, thick, and savory blend with some occasional brightness from the citrus notes in the sweet and a very mild floral quality. So there is some lightness that cuts through the mostly dark profile. Through the second third, no real changes. The biggest shift is that the coffee notes are increasing while the charred oak notes have pulled back. Pepper is fairly mild in this stick, but it’s enough to give some mesquite BBQ overtones that really enhance the thick savoriness. It still makes me question if I’m focusing on that because I was told this is designed for heavy, meaty meals, or did Saka really nail the intended purpose? Either way, it’s working. The coffee-heavy, dark, and thick notes lead into the final third. There’s more bitterness and more citrus, but less chocolate and wood. Pepper notes are also building at the end, sending this off with a stronger charred mesquite coffee rub flavor and a bit of a kick. 🔥

Overall Experience (0-5):  Great (4)

A very good cigar, but it feels like a specialty tool in that it has a singular defined purpose. It’s not the most complex, nor does it offer any real transitions, but I feel like it’s perfect when smoked as intended. So it would be best enjoyed with a full belly and a good drink in hand. I definitely wouldn’t want to smoke this on a hot day with an empty stomach. I think in the end, Steve Saka really hit the mark with the intention of this blend. I’ll have to house some BBQ before I smoke this cigar next time. Extra brisket, please! 🥩🍻🍖🍻

Review Base Rating (0-5):

4.00

Would I Buy It Again?

Most likely (good stick, but look for a deal)

Review Final Score (0-10):

7.67

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.