Alec Bradley Cigars Thirty Years in Review

BRAND: Alec Bradley
BLEND: Thirty Years

"...a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan..."

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

NOTES:
Chunky (candy bar) | Tajin seasoning | Sandalwood

Well-rounded sweet profile with an occasional citrus barb. Nice spice play. Harmonious mostly, a bit jittery-excited. Feels a bit lighter than it tastes. Clean finish.

Burns wobbly, grows dry-ish ash. Excellent draw. Big smoke out-put; sweet-sour smaller aroma of a powdery quality. Slim bod is a talc-like consistency, as well.

Takes a few beats to decide what it wants to be, then fairly accomplishes itself.

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

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

::: very ::: 

La Gloria Cubana Cigars Intencion in Review

BRAND: La Gloria Cubana
BLEND: Intencion

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Honduran

FORMAT: Gran Robusto (554)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
SPICE: 4/5

NOTES:
Bridge Mix | Fajita Seasoning | Pumpernickel Toast

Thems the notes, italicized. Winks and a nudge of brown sugar, leather, compost, mesquite. Not transitional, but not static. Slow evolvings, changes in perspectives. Notes entrench, darken, round-out, maybe catch the throat a tick. Interplay. Also, it still tastes like it tastes but now I'm tasting from here.

Quite a toothy, sand-papery shaft. Seams could be tighter; maybe not really. Veiny. A veiny shaft. Maybe I'm getting Snickers more than bridge Mix? Nah. Grow up! Draw starts a hair snug, loosens some but there is still a good resistance. Puffs let loose clouds, and coat lips. Chewy. Dark not somber.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars Star Guide for Spring 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars Star Guide
for Spring 2026

TALLY of STAR RECIPIENTS
as of WINTER 2026

Aganorsa Leaf (1)
Arturo Fuente (2)
AJ Fernandez (2)
Casa Carrillo (2)
Diesel (1)
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (2)
Espinosa (1)
Foundation (2)
Illusione (2)
La Flor Dominicana (1)
La Gloria Cubana (2)
My Father (3)
Oliva (2)
Padron (2)
Perdomo (1)
Powstanie (1)
Punch (1)
Rocky Patel (1)
Room101 (2)
Stolen Throne (1)
Tatuaje (3)

SPRING 2026 UPDATES

Aganorsa Leaf (+1)
Alec Bradley (+1)
Crowned Heads (+1)
Diesel (+1)
Drew Estate (+1)
Espinosa Cigars (+1)
Padron (+1)
Perdomo (+1)
Placensia (+1)
Villiger (+1)

COMPLETE KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.
STAR GUIDE for SPRING 2026

Aganorsa Leaf (2)
Alec Bradley (1)
Arturo Fuente (2)
AJ Fernandez (2)
Casa Carrillo (2)
Crowned Heads (1)
Diesel (2)
Drew Estate (1)
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (2)
Espinosa (2)
Foundation (2)
Illusione (2)
La Flor Dominicana (1)
La Gloria Cubana (2)
My Father (3)
Oliva (2)
Padron (3)
Perdomo (2)
Placensia (1)
Powstanie (1)
Punch (1)
Rocky Patel (1)
Room101 (2)
Stolen Throne (1)
Tatuaje (3)
Villiger (1)

Spring is a time of growth, so subtraction just wouldn't seem right. Check back in Autumn for heads and stars to roll. I guess.

::: very ::: 

Flatbed Cigar Co Panacea Brown Label Brazil Maduro Torpedo in Review

BRAND: Flatbed Panacea
BLEND: Brown Label Maduro

WRAPPER: Brazilian Maduro
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Torpedo (652)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 1.5/5

NOTES:
Chocolate Mousse | Hazelnut | Peppered Chicory

The hazelnut weaves into and throughout the airy chocolate, adds some heft, and bingo--Nutella. Peppered Chicory is boiled chicory sauteed with chili or black pepper(s). Serve that all up on a bed of rich compost confined in a hardwood frame, and that's this. Consistently, unerringly, this/that.

& ain't this/that enough? But also a sweet finish with the slightest of crisp tingles. A real meat and potatoes smoke. A smoke that plays on its union softball team. I am familiar with, and now thankfully reminded of this brand. It's always felt so Americana. Like smoking on a chili dog outside the Tastee-Freez.

Good draw, effortless burn, tight construction. Smells like back when you could smoke in a diner. I'd imagine Bruce wouldn't get why this is such an affordable smoke; going off his ticket prices. & while Jack has his hand between Diane's knees; this cigar is just a cigar, a damned solid ditty of one at that.

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

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

::: very :::