Cult Blood Red Moon

During Covid19 isolation I had to amuse myself, somehow. One thing I began was a search for a modern cherry blend. Rummaging through a very large stash, I found several that were untried. Most were failures, or near-failures, and none really satisfied as a smoke - until now. Here, in Cult Blood Red Moon, we have a cherry blend that works. Beyond that, it is a really nice VaBur smoke in it's own right. I would have liked to light up right away, but, no way. My tin was so damp that the thought of lighting up was out of the question and, besides, you wouldn't have the slightest idea what the base tobacco under the cherry flavoring was about. So, I began a long and winding journey to try to air this stuff out. A big wad was spread out for drying about 5:00 PM. At midnight it was still wet and I went to bed. Next morning it still felt too damp to smoke. Two incredible days later I got fed up with waiting and crammed it into a pipe and lit up. All the preceding went away and I began one of the best cherry blend smokes I had enjoyed since the original Middleton Cherry Blend went south. Strongest in the upper third, it lasted well into the bottom third. As if that wasn't enough, I discovered that the base blend was an excellent VaBur; one of the best I've had in some time. Combine these things and you arrive at four stars and a high recommendation. Now, lets talk about that f-o-r-e-v-e-r airing out time. I don't understand the logic of sullying such a beautiful pipe blend with an organic humectant that, when you think about it, probably isn't doing very much of anything important anyway. Still, I recommend this blend highly.

As cherry aromatics go, this is in a league of its own. Instead of a sickly sweet artificial cherry flavor, in Blood Red Moon the cherry serves more as a vehicle to combine all other flavors.

The other flavors I notice are vanilla, some nutty, woody burley flavor, and a boozy note that reminds me of a top-notch bourbon. As the flavor develops during the smoke, the virginias add some more sweetness and the boozy note is a bit more like a nice Irish whiskey.

A bit of drying time can be beneficial. I dried it in my covered wooden drying bowl for a few hours, and still got some tobacco juice coming up through the stem (though it must be said, even that tastes a lot nice than your average tobacco juice!) and I ended up with some moisture at the bottom of the bowl. Aside from that, it does burn nicely, giving a very rich smoke.

This can easily be an all-day smoke. It does not require much attention to be appreciated.

The room note is among the best of my tobacco rotation.

I came to Blood Red Moon searching for a pleasant cherry aromatic and that is what I found. The cherry topping tastes very nice—much better than it smells in the tin. The addition of chocolate works well with the overall flavor profile. The cavendish is creamy the smoke is smooth, though I cannot discern any other tobacco components in the blend. There is quite a bit of p.g. in Blood Red Moon as with other Cult blends, but I do not mind.

*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.

This is precisely what I wish and hope for in an aromatic: 1. It tastes like what it smells like in the tin 2. It doesn't burn your tongue to cinders 3. Uses quality tobacco that doesn't leave a harsh taste in your mouth. 4. Doesn't require 20 re-lights. I'm not sure how, but Cult have achieved all of the above. Every cherry aromatic I've smoked in the past has tasted like garbage, so I avoid them, but this blend bucks that trend. The cherry flavor gives way to the chocolate about mid bowl. Not a strong chocolate taste, but a pleasant creaminess that lasts until the end. ZERO tongue bite.I smoked a whole tin and don't believe I ever had to relight more than once. If you don't like aromatics in general, then this likely won't convert you. If you're looking for an aromatic without all the drawbacks normally associated with them, then I highly recommend.