Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for October 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for October 2026

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

Dunbarton RML Spicy Beef Stick
Dunbarton Sobremesa Tapa Negra
Dunbarton StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Claro
HDA Sentinel LE

Halloween is for kids.

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars English Dulce in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: English Dulce Maduro

WRAPPER: n/a
BINDER: n/a
FILLER: n/a

FORMAT: Petit Robusto (548)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full

NOTES:
I prefer an English blend to anything other than perhaps a Balkan. But that's when I smoke a pipe and I haven't now for a spell. This one is quite pipe-ish. Also quite like licking maple syrup off of creosote. Which I'd imagine is preferable to licking creosote off of maple syrup.

Combustion is an issue from its onset, as one part is airy and another seemingly not flammable--but it does improve. The whole thing improves, across the board. Flavors smooth out and settle down. By the 2/3's mid-section, I get a nice semi-sweet chocolate. Soon after, dare I say, a plum pudding.

TASTE: B+
DRAW: B
BURN: B
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Dark in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Dark

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia, Burley (Cornell & Diehl). Nicaraguan (cigar leaf)

FORMAT: Petit Robusto
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Medium-Full

Corner Brownie Piece | Red Spices | Candied Almonds

NOTES:
Ingredients seem cooked a tick too. Maillard reaction +. Tightly huddled notes-on-notes won't untangle. Still a good smoke though; ultimately more noise than nosh. Intriguing room-note.

TASTE: B
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Claro in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Claro

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Shade
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Cavendish Burley, Virginia (via Cornell & Diehl) and "Black Cigar Leaf" (Nicaraguan)

FORMAT: Petit Robusto (548)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-Med.

NOTES:
I know this. For I am a winter baby who's had winter birthdays. Hot cocoa and confetti cake with vanilla icing. The deftly side-stepped threat of Mom's upside-down pineapple cake somehow looming like a spectre. Years later, getting half-drunk off a pastry chef's egregious rum cake at the start of a shift.

Smooth, mostly. A quarter tick throaty as it heats. Cloying but comfortably-so. Lemon meringue? Madeleines, slightly over-baked. I've never been to a ski lodge nor have I worn the appropriate sweater. I couldn't pull that look off any better than plaid flannel. Smokes like a Hallmark holiday movie.

If a Labradoodle were added to Dogs Playing Poker, he'd be smoking this cigar.

TASTE: B+
DRAW: A
BURN: A-
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very :::