HDA (Hermanos de Armas) Cigars Cataclysm Toro in Redux* Review

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Cataclysm

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
(*now rolled at the Rojas Factory)
INTENSITY: Medium-full/Full
SPICE: 4/5

NOTES:
Chocolate | Spices | Shine Box

More punchy and more focused now. A greater vigor. Chocolate bread and corner brownie piece. Wooden tension via seasoned and charred oak. Excellent structuring. Heavy. A bracing salinity. Shots of espresso and accompanying crema. Ginger beer. Lingering animal, vegetable, and mineral oils.

Well-balanced unerring black peppery delivery. Draws a bit slow, but evenly. Burns on a razor-line. Excellent smoke out-put with a darkly-sweet woodsy olfactory sense. Built quite well, showing goodly amounts of veinage twixt tight seams. A full meal, and dessert. Visions of a shine box...

"Now go home and get your fucking shine box."

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 July 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for July 2026

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

My Father La Gran Oferta
Villiger 1888 San Andres

HONORABLE MENTION
Stolen Throne "The Winnie"

::: very ::: 

Stolen Throne Cigars Kiawe 2025 for R. Field Wine Co. in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: Kiawe 2025

WRAPPER: Mexican
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro, closed-foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:

Darkly sweet-spiced mahogany, seasoned oak. Charred lean meats on beds of whole grains. Leathery oil mouth-feel--weighty, lingering--tightened-up 'tween pulls by roasted citrus sensations.

::: very ::: 

Stolen Throne Cigars "The Winnie" Winston's Humidor Exclusive in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: The Winnie

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Torpedo (654) closed-foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full
SPICE: 3/5

Sweet Spices | Milk Chocolate | Oyster Sauce

NOTES:
Oyster sauce? Sure, umami-triggering with a warm caramel sweetness, a pinch of salt. Also, I just ate some lo mein. Sweetness grows uncloyingly-so. A bit of a flaky pie crust vibe. I can't pull apart the spices but they're all sweet and the warmest pepper is white. Could use a tick of citrus to tighten.

Still, a crazy smokeable blend.

I taste apple pie*. A super pleasing, undemanding blend. Burn lags a half-bit on one spot but figures it out sans manual re-direct. Excellent draw. Good smoke out-put offers a pastry olfactory, *which falls to the palate and onto the tongue. I can't say plum sauce. I can say plum sauce! There's none of it in lo mein.

This should get an honorable mention in the next Cigars of the Month post. I hope typing that reminds me. Also, I love the band and I love Winnie.

::: very :::