On CBD Oil Infused Cigars | Cigar View by Kaplowitz

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"Fuck this CBD snake oil bullshit. I swear people have lost their damn minds." - my special lady friend.

To a large & even vast extent, she's right. Probably. I'm not just saying that because she lets me touch her butt. Probably. Much of the CBD hype smacks of vague quasi-science -- if not fully 'snake oil' sales. It seems to cure everything. Except I've also talked to a good deal of folks who got bupkis relief from what ails them via the stuff. Also, Bob Marley died of cancer.

Is it fuck all worthless? Is it transcendent gold? I don't care. My guess is it sits somewhere in the middle of WWII era doctors recommending walking a mile for smooth-smoking Camel & a good strong cup of your yoga instructor's chamomile tea. Was it G. Carlin who said much of the marijuana high is expecting and being open to getting high? It was someone. So, that. I know, I know - no one's talking THC here.

Cigars, tho -- we're talking/I'm writing re: cigars... of the newly intro'd CBD oil varietal. I skirted the question on the latest Kaplowitz Television ep ((( link ))) "Are CBD oil cigars "gimmick sticks?"" Too, I wrote about 'gimmick sticks' in last week's editorial ((( link ))) 

Yes. They are gimmick sticks. Before you jump down my throat about this, I am on the record at the afore-posted link as being pro gimmick stick. #TeamGimmick if ya will. So there. With a caveat here: please don't sell these things as a cure for everything 'tween A & Z and beyond. I realize that is an integral if not inherent part of the gimmick -- but maybe soft-sell the cure-for-everything bit.

What do we have thus far on the CBD oil cigar market? Jas Sum Kral Nuggs & Traficante El Patron, to my understanding. JSK's is a very mild tobacco blend, so as to highlight the oil. So is it a gimmick stick or gimmick CBD delivery system? Or is it both? Gosh, I do-so hope it's both. Double gimmicks make me cry even more happy tears than do double rainbows.

Speaking of rainbows, I saw a midget while shopping at WinCo yesterday evening. So I'm expecting great fortune today. That. however, is neither here nor there. It is SOMEWHERE, tho. I mean everything is somewhere.

As to the Traficante stick, I know virtually nada about the brand. Although they do seem to market to the anti-hero if not straight riff-raff brigade. So I s'pose CBD fits. Bad boy therapy, maybe. Dunno. For the record, I find their marketing quite interesting. Also, I haven't ever smoked one, which begs the Q; interesting how, exactly?

"You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm funny how? I mean funny like I'm a clown?" Ah, the limit-full stylings of Mr. Joe Pesci. [replace funny with interesting there]

Does this fully explain my response to the question? Mostly, I'm sure. It's spring-time & I'm distracted by the weather. One thing more -- a thing with which to arm yerself lest you fall prey to snake-oil salesmanship (none of which I've seen yet in cigars, but just in case and maybe to the whole CBD oil shebang)... cocaine, opioids, booze, and my good G-d garsh 'even' tobacco, have all in the past been touted as cure-alls to varying extents. 

Coca-Cola went fairly mainstream even post coke zetz. Anyone taking action on whether or not the CBD oil fad/craze/enlightening takes its infused cigars with it back into the good graces of the general public? It seems these days drugstores are pulling 'baccy & placing Cannabidiol. I mean, they're called drug stores for a reason, perhaps. 

Anything tobacco is demonized & anything pot is lauded. Such strange times. Circling back: "Pharmacy (n.) late 14c., "a medicine," from Old French farmacie "a purgative" (13c.), from Medieval Latin pharmacia, from Greek pharmakeia "use of drugs, medicines, potions, or spells; poisoning, witchcraft; remedy, cure," from pharmakeus" - www.etymonline.com 

My first tobacco industry job was running to the corner drugstore and buying cigarettes for my elderly neighbors. They'd drop socks full of bills and sometimes (end of the month) coins from their apartment windows. I'd scoop them up, run to the store and then throw a sock full of Benson & Hedges back up to them in it. I kept the change. I forget now what I used to buy with it. I know I stole my candy -- so it wasn't that.

Now, I tell people what I do to make dough dough (bread money) (a "living") and they look at me like I'm the fucking devil. I imagine I'd be a hero in their eyes if I worked at one of the 45 trillion weed dispensaries in my lil PNW town. Oh well. You're welcome for my sharing my thoughts and a little story to boot. Although I do feel not much was accomplished here. #infotainment

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Illusione Cigars ~ mk ~ teaching machine | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

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Illusione mk
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Corona 5 1/8 x 42
ORIGIN: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA)
STRENGTH: Full

NOTES: Slickery heavy overtones of espresso & anise. Finely-ground black pepper backed with sweet red spices. Undertones of purple-fruited cedar. A smoothly powerful slice of Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake ((( recipe ))) Barnyard & leathery oil savory underbelly. Marshmallow fluff thinly rounds all the edges. Herbal notes flit in and out, more-so as the smoke progresses.

Burns on a slight bit of a wobble, self correctingly-so. Slow paced. Big smoke out-put makes for a lingering patisserie next door to bakery room-note. Draws smoothly with a pleasant tick of tension. Smoke stays cool gate-to-wire.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

"A blend of Nicaraguan Criollo '98 and Corojo '99, and finished with a AAA Grade Corojo Rosado wrapper. Medium to full-bodied and very complex." - www.IllusioneCigars.com

Come get me out of this hole
Use all your mind control
Hey man, tell me, where do I go?
You look like someone who knows

Soft nails claw the walls
Slings and arrows, they're not my fault
Think I gave it all that I got
I gave it my best shot

I'm free
'Cause I believe
Yeah, I'm free
'Cause I believe

Mud, matter, roots and coal
Mama, gimme the remote control
Transmissions from those in the know
Who bathe in the gods galore

Sick cities, pillars of salt
Temptation, fits and starts
Keep repeating, we are what they're not
We're gonna give her one last shot

There is a light at the top of this hole
There is a promise of complete control
So come on, tell me, where do we go?

You say you're the ones who know
I'm free And I believe
Yes I'm free And I heard

Come get me out of this hole
Come get me out of this hole
Come get me out of this hole

- Guster, Mind Kontrol ((( link )))

"It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. And also a bit of fun. Many of Illusione cigars have hidden meanings encoded in the packaging and in the names. The "mk" printed on the black-and-white Illusione band, for example, stands for "mind kontrol." Brand owner Dion Giolito believes that the corona size, such as this one, serves as the best blending format when creating a cigar due to its proportions and ratios of tobacco. He who produces the best corona, his thinking goes, is the one who "kontrols" the market. If you're not one to mix riddles with your cigars, the data on this smoke is pretty straightforward. It's made in Nicaragua at the TABSA factory and is full of fantastic Nicaraguan tobacco. Substantial flavors of coffee and spice lead to a sweet note on the palate. For such a little cigar, the Illusione mk imparts big character." - www.CigarAficionado.com 

(This offering was ranked 24th in the CA Top 25 of 2016.)

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Kaplowitz Television | Episode 14 | Q&A Session

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DAV Cigars is the exclusive sponsor of #KTv
Visit them at www.DAVcigars.com

Questions answered re: humidor stuff, pairings (atmospheric), and the first thing I look for in a cigar. Question skirted: CBD oil cigars... but I'll get to it. 

Read my Mestizo review: https://bit.ly/2GUMT14

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Amendola Family Cigars Maduro | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

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WRAPPER: Habano Maduro
BINDER: Criollo 98
FILLER: Dominican Piloto Cubano

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia, Honduras
STRENGTH: Medium

NOTES: Overtones of meat on a stick. Savory beef jerky & seasoned broth. Roasted oak over a toasted cedar. Undertones are an upward reaching Cuban coffee then fudge, molasses, dark fruit syrup on-down. Underbelly envelops the landscape in a dark rye & barnyard manner. Cola weaves through the profile and extends to a lengthy sweet-bitter finish. Smooth and light-syrupy texture. Less complex than nuanced.

Burns on a wobble which requires a pair of re-touches. Those retouches may have added to a quicker than moderate pacing. There is some slight blistering near the line. Draws excellently and stays very cool to the nub. Ash is a tick aerated, fails to grow to a full inch. Very much the proverbial smoke bomb, furnishing a room-note of dark 'baccy laced with mocha lilts.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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Thompson Cigars Tits Up in Tampa | Cigar News by Kaplowitz

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"SCANDINAVIAN TOBACCO GROUP, THOMPSON

"Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) has 'entered an agreement to acquire' Thompson and Co. (catalog retail biggie) for a cool $62M. Thompson boasts net sales of over $100M and 185 employees. STG, in turn, is the momma co. of some Mom & Pop operation named General Cigar Company. Ya may've heard of them.

This deal includes all of Thompson's retail sites and stores, their Tampa call center, and many shop exclusive blends."

Me, via Cigar News Weekly Report: February 4, 2018

Now, one of the oldest/biggest cigar retailers in the USofA is set to 'mostly' shut down its stateside stuff come June 29. In total, 112 jobs will be lost.

'Mostly' -- the B&M within the company's HQ will remain open-endedly open. President of Cigars International, Craig Reynolds, seems non-commital re: timelines there. He also declined to comment on rumors of CI opening two stores in the Tampa area. Due to open by the end of the year is a Ft. Worth locale.

3/28 EDIT: "From the very beginning, we have been transparent with the Thompson employees,” Craig Reynolds, executive vice president of STG and president of Cigars International, told Cigar Aficionado. “When we acquired Thompson last year, we made it clear we would be transitioning the business to the Pennsylvania office."

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La Aurora 107 to Get New Vitola & Packaging | Cigar News by Kaplowitz

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La Aurora has announced the coming of a new vitola to their 107 line -- a portly 450 Perfecto -- first intro'd last year in China. The format's nom de tobacco is "Zeppelin," and it is important to realize that real cigars come in all sizes and big is somehow particularly beautiful. Unless you let your dog get too fat because that's unhealthy and you're being negligent or perhaps abusive.

Anyhoo, the blend will be the same as its brethren: Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder, fillers by way of Brazil, DR, Nicaragua, & Peru. To be clear, the new size is expected to launch in the US, but no ETA has been given by the company's distributor, Miami Cigar & Co. It will be available in Spain come June.

 Also, the 107 line will, in its entirety, be given a facelift in the form of updated packaging.

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Between the Leaves #3: Shad Bates, Janus Tobak | by Andrew Perelson, Kaplowitz Media Contributor

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Between the Leaves #3
by Andrew Perelson

"The dream of Janus Tobak started almost three decades ago when my late father-in-law handed me my first premium cigar. I remember I initially smoked cigars with him because it was an opportunity for him to get to know me, I needed him to like me because I knew his daughter was the one. For 20 years Dale and I smoked cigars and talked. In the small town where I live, he was my primary smoking buddy, ok, my only smoking buddy."

- Shad Bates

My name is Andrew. I have a lot of time on my hands. I write about cigars and I fantasize about buying cigars. In the latter undertaking, I am signed up for alerts and emails from online retailers in order to not "miss out" on the perceived something special they might be offering.

As it turns out, a lot of these purveyors think we are idiots. To pull out some overstocked item or high margin lower quality cigar and put it out as something fabulous is fraudulent. These are the efforts of people carrying P&L statements and inventories through a warehouse -- not lovers of cigars and certainly not lovers of limited production 'boutique' offerings.

Receiving these emails quickly becomes highly disappointing. In my opinion the bigger the site the worse the offender. The only cigar smokers they typically serve are the ones who have purposefully said "these cigars are good enough," or "I don’t have time to hunt for something new and special just give me something I can smoke." This is not why I love cigars. Why I love cigars is the journey which never has to end because there are artisans out there producing so much excellent product.

The first site I found which really fit my independent ethos is the one run by Shad Bates. I decided that I would reach out to him, so I rang him and my call went to voicemail. Right away a call came back from Torrington, Wyoming -- which is as it turns out a very small town near Casper. [which ain't that big neither. -ed.]

We went through the usual introductions, then got right into it. A tiny town of 6,500. 140 miles to the nearest Brick and Mortar. So he opened up a private lounge which now sees its membership tallying twenty. If you're one of that 20, in order to gain access you just give him a buzz on his cell.

He then personally comes, opens up, and of course, hangs out. Additionally, we talk about how he decided to create an eCommerce site, one fashioned as close to the local tobacconist experience as possible. In my opinion, he's done a pretty darn good job of that with Janus.

Janus is the Roman god of new beginnings and Shad loved the connection of looking to the future while remembering the past. As a start, he felt that single cigar sales were being ignored by the big boys and he would gladly handle the solo smoke patron.

Additionally, he wanted there to be no charge for shipping. He also saw how challenging the industry was and how badly the others were handling the time from order to shipment. He set a company rule that all cigars go out the next day and are all properly packed with a little gift and personal note.

As a matter of fact, Shad answers all emails himself and tries to have personal relationships with as many customers as possible. The strategy for this approach was to provide surprising satisfaction so that their initial solo stick purchase would grow into five or more.

Moreover, as you will see with a visit to the site he has a great selection of boutiques and has made an effort to buy directly from the owners and makers and have relationships with them, as well. These owners, in turn, admire Shad’s attitude towards his customers and his dedication to running a special kind of website.

The hallmark of Shad's online venture is their Cigar of the Month Club -- arguably one of the very best out there. It is small and exclusive with 200 members and a sizable waiting list. Shad networks to get as many first release cigars and the top rated ones of a brand. He also dares to introduce people to lesser-known companies and because the members trust his tastes, they get to learn of and enjoy something new.

He tells of a story of Pete Hassell Johnson making calls himself to his Director of Production to fill an inventory gap necessary to include something really special in a monthly mailer. With this said, I am hoping this article somehow wins a Pulitzer [do they give those to editors? -ed.] so that I can jump the line. Or perhaps I can simply convince Shad I am a long lost cousin.

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to Shad. The 20 guys who get to smoke with him in Wyoming must have a blast.

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Amendola Family Cigars Connecticut | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

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Amendola Connecticut
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
BINDER: Honduran
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia, Honduras
STRENGTH: Mild-Medium

NOTES: Sandalwood & cream soda. Macadamia nuts. White pepper in clarified butter occupies the driver's seat. Them's the overtones. Cream cheese on an untoasted plain bagel rounds out the undertones with weak brewed and sugary coffee, more butter (fatty/creamy here), and dandelion/chamomile floral bits. Some white chocolate fudge. Underbelly is white sand beaches & sunlit earth, lightly-so. Finish extends of longer legs than I'd have guessed, & is a subtly complex look-see at undertones. Quite smooth & very interesting.

Burn operates on a tick of a curve, un-egregiously-so. Smokes at a nice pace. Not very smoky of a thing but the sweet sandalwood, golden 'baccy room-note is a selling point. Draws evenly with a nice slight resistance. Ash grows oily and easily to a solid inch.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

"Amendola Family Cigar Company, a cigar company based out of Durham North Carolina, has announced it has entered into a partnership with Tabacalera G. Kafie y Ciia to handle its production. Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia is located in Danlí, Honduras and is owned by Dr. Gaby Kafie ...

"A driving force for searching for a new factory is that the company had goals to meet increased demand for its product without sacrificing quality. Amendola Family Cigar Company said it produced 30,000 cigars last year, and with the new factory move it plans on increasing that number by 30 percent to meet its demand." - www.Cigar-Coop.com (July 2018)

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Crux Cigars Shipping Limitada Redline | Cigar News by Kaplowitz

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Shipping to market as of this typing is the Crux Limitada Redline, a thing announced at the latest IPCPR show. As with its Limitada series brethren, the offering will showcase a proprietary Nicaraguan Enganoso top-leaf. The Redline is slated to appear in a singular Toro vitola of Cuban box-pressed format. The intended annual release sees a total (2019) production tally of 1K 10ct boxes.

"Meanwhile, the Crux Limitada Gunner [coming later this year] is a 5 3/8 x 46 Cuban Box Press Corona Gorda. It will also be available in ten-count boxes with each cigar priced at $9.99." - www.Cigar-Coop.com

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Kaplowitz Media: Cigars of the Month (February/March 2019)

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[in which February/March are included in order to make up for my Feb. writing hiatus]

"Sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit, these men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem. If no one else can help. And if you can find them -- maybe you can hire the A-Team."

Gentlepersons below is a list as shallow and pedantic as Lois Griffin's meatloaf. It is a list of recent (again, 2&3/19) cigar offerings I humbly found to be worthy of A (- to +) review ratings.

THE A-LIST

{Names are links to full review.}

Rock-A-Feller Vintage Nicaraguan Habano

Felix Assouline CSB Fuerte Black Habano

Bombay Tobak MQBA Diadem

Felix Assouline II SaintS L'ange Noir

Bombay Tobak Vintage Reserve MQBA

Caldwell Cigars Long Live the King

Illusione Cigars eccj 20th

Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars Maduro

You can take a gander @ last month's Grade A smokes ((( here )))

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Kaplowitz Radio | Episode 123 | Debonaire Cigars Daybreak

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Read more re: Kaplowitz Radio ((( link )))

Here in this here episode, I cover the week that was at KAPLOWITZ MEDIA (Cigars) & smoke a Debonaire Daybreak in Toro (redux look-see).

Kaplowitz Radio is Presented by:
www.CaldwellCigars.com
www.GHcigars.com
www.IllusioneCigars.com

Interested in #KM #Boxing? ((( link )))

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On "Gimmick Sticks" | A Kaplowitz Media Weekly Editorial

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Lettuce set parameters. Firstly. I will not be using named instances of what I feel are "gimmick sticks." That's at once overly subjective & contrivingly shit-stirring. Secondly, and most importantly, what is meant by the term "gimmick stick" itself?

At the core of the derogatory sentiment is this: All show, no go. An inferior product made snazzy via marketing tact -- and typically a flashy one. A pig in lipstick. Except I don't believe that. That's what a certain crowd I'll address later (you'll know which/when) would have ya believe.

Between that and my take most likely lives the truth. My take on defining gimmick in the context of premium cigars is thinking outside the box & embracing schtick (while hopefully avoiding schlock). *SPOILER ALERT* A bracketed bit as to the previous parenthetical: [I'll in (almost) closing, come back to this point]

OK, then. That is the what and how I shall be addressing here.

Please let me start by saying... I love you. Hello! Is it me you're looking for? Because I wonder where you are and I wonder what you do. Are you somewhere feeling lonely? Or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart, for I haven't got a clue... But let me start by saying I love you.

Good stuff. Couldn't resist. BACK ON TRACK: did you know that most if not all cigars are cigar colored? Like a brownish hue? & that furthermore they are all made of all tobacco leaf? Too, they are predominantly cylindrical? I mean there's variation there but c'mon! A fella could get a tick bored.

There is tradition and there is New School. Then there is the progression which sees the new school become a tradition via aging practitioners and generational hand-me-downs but lettuce avoid that here. Cigars are traditional. By which I mean the cultures and lifestyles which surround cigars and cigar smoking are typically of a traditional bent or err.

I myself am somewhat traditional. Conservative. But also I am progressive (this is not a political sentiment one way or another). I often see myself getting into a situation as I imagine a test pilot would an aircraft -- by saying aloud to no one in particular "let's see what this baby'll do." I'm a complicated man, man. Don't try to figure me out.

WTF was I talking about? Oh, yeah. Gimmick sticks. Cigars are great & cigars are good. I love tradition but fuck -- I'm totes for occasionally seeing what this baby'll do. Because I also have ADHD. Because also, what's wrong with a lil excitement? A lil buzz? A lil catching of eyes? A lil let's not entirely fucking stagnate as an industry? A bit of whimsy. I hate whimsy. Again, don't try to psychoanalyze me, bub.

I am NOT saying we need a lot of these gimmick sticks. Just the occasional one. Why the heck not? The traditional stuff ain't going nowhere and that traditional crowd will remain not only unharmed but strengthened by absurdly presented cigars. For instance --->

"Look at how ridiculous that is."
"Harrumph."
"Harrumph."
"Harrumph."
"Hey, I didn't get a 'harrumph' outta that guy!"

So that's it. I'm pro-gimmick. Funny. I spent time in the world of pro wrestling. Everything is a gimmick there. Literally. "Gimmick" loosely means to wrestlers what "Smurf" means to Smurfs. Hand me that gimmick. I'll grab that gimmick. I'll gimmick something together. Are we going to that gimmick? We taking that gimmick there? Gimmick is my second favorite word after jism.

"Just one more thing..." - Columbo.

I'd like to address potential purveyors of these offerings. I'm a dad. I'm also miserable at metaphors, let alone parables and let alone I'm not even soiten what either one of those things is. I tell my weird friggin' kids that they should all feel free to be as friggin' weird as they want. With one thing in mind -- the weirder you act... the stranger you present yourself... the stronger you gotta be. Across the board.

In cigar terms -- you gotta be a damn good smoke. Then why wrap a damned good smoke in ridiculous kitsch??? That's it. I'm going to bed. Would the last one out please turn off the lights?

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Diesel Hair of the Dog Hits Market | Cigar News by Kaplowitz

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General Cigar Co. has brung to market a new & LE addition of an offering under their Diesel line. The Hair of the Dog is/was crafted jointly by AJ Fernandez and General's Justin Andrews (Sr. Brand Manager).

According to GCo., it is meant to complement the previously released (2018) Diesel Whiskey Row. I'm not sure what that means. Are we now pairing cigars w/ cigars? Because: fuck yes. Also, I have been doing this for some time ((( link ))) ---> "Pairing the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars of 2017"

Man, I forgot to do that this year [sad emoji]

The HotD comes out of Esteli's Tabacalera Fernandez in a single Toro size & in a box-pressed format. The recipe sees an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder laid twixt Nicaraguan Habano guts & Ecuadorian Habano skin. This to the tune of 5K 10ct. boxes.

Please note my incredible restraint in not using canine puns. Truly, if that's what you came here looking for -- you BARKed up the wrong tree. Ouch... that was RUFF. Something, something 'BITCH.' thx

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Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars Maduro | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

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Indian Motorcycle Maduro
WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Central American

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: De Los Reyes, Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Full

NOTES: Overtones of a predominantly spiced-roasted earthiness. Red pepper settling to African-American pepper on the lengthy bittersweet finish. Chili powder with paprika and cumin prominence. Spicy! Balanced by dark chocolate shavings sweetness and lingering molasses notes. Undertones are more & beefy earth -- compost & barnyard, full city roast coffee beans. Licorice. Underbelly is a sturdy stage of seasoned cedar and wine cask. Quite the purposefully driven blend/experience, yet not delivered in a ham-fisted way.

Burns in a slow & cool manner. Line stays even gate-to-wire. Draws a bit stiffly but satiates/saturates the palate excellently-so. Ash grows on a tight stack of dimes with an oiliness which is ditto'd on the mouth-feel. Very smoky-smoke plumes (both passive & active) of a deeply sweet aroma.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

"Indian Motorcycle®, America`s First Motorcycle Company and Debonaire have joined to capture the essence of this brand`s heritage with a new ultra-premium cigar range. Since 1901 Indian Motorcycle has produced some of the most iconic American V-twin motorcycles. The Indian Motorcycle® Premium Cigars, developed by 6th generation cigar makers; truly are premium." 

- www.IndianCigars.com  

"At the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show, Debonaire Cigars rolled out a new brand called Indian Motorcycle Ultra Premium Cigars. It was about a year ago when Debonaire Cigars co-owner Phil Zanghi announced on the Stogie Geeks 3 Year Anniversary Show that he had re-acquired the rights to the Indian Tabac trademark. Indian Tabac was originally a partnership between Zanghi and Rocky Patel. In 2002, he sold the company to Patel to focus on other areas in the cigar business before returning to premium cigars in 2012. Instead of bringing back Indian Tabac, Zanghi opted to go in a different direction and create a whole new brand called Indian Motorcycle Ultra Premium Cigars. This brand incorporates a theme based on the popular motorcycle brand with the same name. The new brand also introduces two all-new blends – one featuring a Habano wrapper and another with a a Maduro wrapper." - www.cigar-coop.com

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Illusione Cigars eccj Corona Gorda | Cigar Review

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Illusione eccj

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan Criollo 98 & Corojo 99

FORMAT: Corona Gorda (6.5x48)
ORIGIN: TABSA, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

NOTES: Condensed notes on a broad flavorscape. I'll 'splain, Ricky, I'll 'splain. Overtones of milk chocolate, citrus malt. clarified butter, white peppercorn w/ pale ginger accompaniment. Undertones are dappled sunlight peeks of cedar, clay earthiness, blonde roasted coffee beans -- all through (or within) a big 'baccy front (or core). Quite complex, and lively-so, but the interesting bits come via the nuance of a singular sweet cream note which fleshes out the entire profile. 

Flawless in terms of performance. Burns on an even-line at a languid pace. Excellent smoke out-put mainly actively but also passively. [Can we talk room-note? Sweet citrus and cedar, muskily-so. Really a great aroma.] Playing to that point somewhat and outside its brackets -- RETROHALE & thank me later. Draw is smooth and cool and at once effortless tho too not too open.

FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

"It was early 2015 that Illusione released their anticipated followup to 2008’s ~eccj~ cigar—dubbed the ~eccj~ 20th. And as with most Illusione releases, you’ll need to do a little digging to find the meaning behind their mystery-shrouded concepts. For ~eccj~, it’s not as “Illuminati-esque” as their usual forte, but it still requires a quick overview.

"The original ~eccj~ was made to commemorate the European Cigar Cult Journal’s (there’s your acronym) 15th anniversary. And while the “journal” now simply goes by “Cigar Journal”, the new ~eccj~ 20th keeps the old title. Yes, it appears the cigar missed the actual 20th anniversary by a couple of years, but it’s the thought that counts… And I think we can all agree, a better product trumps a timely release.

"~eccj~ was such a popular release, Illusione later converted the cigar to a regular production, under the name Epernay. For the 20th anniversary blend, brand owner Dion Giolito has tweaked the original blend, making for what many describe as “An amped-up Epernay.”" - www.CigarDojo.com

Illusione is a sponsor of KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.

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Caldwell Cigars Long Live the King | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

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Caldwell Long Live the King
WRAPPER: Dominican Corojo
BINDER: Dominican Corojo
FILLER: Peruvian Pelo de Oro, Nicaraguan Habana Ligero

FORMAT: Corona (5.75x46) "The Heater"
ORIGIN: Caldwell Cigar Factory, DR
STRENGTH: Full

NOTES: "Richer than Warren Buffet," indeed. I love the band on this thing. I feel like I've talked about this offering a ton -- I know I've smoked it a ton. Ah, familiarity, you old motherfucker. Deep & dark notes. Roasted. Overtones ---. black/red pepper, brownie (corner piece), espresso. Undertones ---> cedar, molasses, black bread, raisins, compost. Floating about in varying levels of twixt (complexities) ---> chili powder, leather, beef. Finish is long thick overtones.

Burns on an even line sans re-touching. Draws smooth, even. Ash ain't a builder, much. Offers goodly+ smoke both actively as well as passively, building into a meaty bittersweet room-note. Luscious and enveloping of room and smoke-hole.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

I reviewed this blend in its Petite Corona "Manzanita" vitola ((( link )))

I also smoked it in an ancient edition of a Cigars City podcast ((( link )))
Caldwell Cigars is a sponsor of KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.

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If interested, you may scope the KM boxing blog ((( link )))

Kaplowitz Radio | Episode 122 | Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars (Maduro)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Read more re: Kaplowitz Radio ((( link )))

Here in this here episode, I cover the week that was at KAPLOWITZ MEDIA (cigars) & smoke an Indian Motorcycle in Maduro (first look-see).

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Central America

Interested in #KM #Boxing? ((( link )))

Presented by:
www.CaldwellCigars.com
www.GHcigars.com
www.IllusioneCigars.com

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Kaplowitz Media Weekly Editorial | Thoughts re: Candela on St. Patrick's Day

"Have you O'Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Today is the big 'un if yer Irish, Irish once a year, just generally wanna be Irish, or are simply a lush. I'm not any one of those things -- but I will watch the Quiet Man as I usually do. See, I'm a traditionalist, and John Wayne engaging in once a year pitch-fork water bucket pub-stop fisticuffs with Victor McLaglen is a tradition on this the O'Day of days. (Although we all know Barry Fitzgerald stole and steals the show, echoing thru all space & time.)

My yearly take-aways from the flick? I assume it'll be my usual array: The Quiet Man is the longest premium tobacco ad ever filmed. Also, Mary Kate had to have made the rest of poor Sean Thornton's life a living hell of high-level tsuris one red-headed nag-fest after another of varying violences. Every year tho, I see the movie differently. Every year, many a lens can be used to filter its technicolor thru. How interesting. My take-away (back to 'baccy) within the cigar-centric theme of this blog? Glad ya asked, gentlepersons.

Lettuce (cabbage?) jump right in thusly --

It's hard to tell when exactly the Dbl. Claro/Candela wrapper became the green beer of the cigar world, but I'm sure it happened quite early on as it is an obviously & unfortunate entirely perfect fit -- but the aforementioned traditionalist in me wants it known that Candela is (okay maybe more was) a very serious thing. A very serious thing full-on deserving of yer consumer considerations in the remaining Gregorian 364 -- one not just to be relegated to schtick and kitsch and the blarney of all that.

The Candela wrapper, in fact, owned the cigar landscape of the mid 1950s to the '70s in the US. So much so, that Candela offerings were dubbed with the nom de tobacco "American Market Selection." If that black and white flick yer watching includes a stogie -- chances are it's green as I am in the 3/3 of a nic bomb Skip Martin offering. This might be hard to fathom in our flavor-bomb era ushered in by improper tastings and taste (a tale for another time), but the Candela is quite flavorful in its albeit subtle nuances. Please don't make me discuss the retro-hale for another hour. No, I shan't share a link. Look it up. It exists. It shamefully even woefully exists.

I found myself pondering this just O'Yesterday, as my social media feeds became a dare I say kitcsh-fest of Pickle Juices, Filthy Hooligans, and my otherwise mainly sane brethren in ridiculous hats. I felt & feel rather peeved that a once American Icon was relegated to this. I mean schtick is wonderful, as I am made up of precisely 92% of the stuff, but as the green leaf slips further from the common humi, broski -- the schtick begins to teeter on schlock.

Now I am not saying current Dbl. Claros are all schlock, mind you. It's just that much of schlock is perception and well, them fucking ridiculous hats. It's a mainly slippery and fully Yiddish slope which Candela is well more than halfway down. Please then, to allow me to act as a set of tire chains and slow the roll with a good bit of traction, gentlepersons. How? By asking you to nurse your today's near certain hangover with a bit of the hair of the dog that done bit ya -- and pair that with another day of Candela.

I do believe you'll have a deeper appreciation of the leaf. You might not end up loving the green as much as Ms. Piggy and/or Donald Trump, but then again -- ya only might -- but then again & again those samples given are an awful lot of love. Maybe you'll just like it. Or Wonder Years "like it, like it." Appreciate it. Even if it's just 'nuff to next year do schtick not schlock... I'll be ever so happy to simply point and laugh at yer choice of head-wear alone, ya leprechaun-like maniacs, ya.

[Why yes, I did only mildly re-work this from last year. Good eye. thx.]

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