Cohiba Cigars Spectre 2025 in Review

BRAND: Cohiba
BLEND: Spectre 2025

WRAPPER: Connecticut Habano
BINDER: Mexican San Andres
FILLER: Dominican, Mexican

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3/5

NOTES:
Cherry Dr. Pepper | Tree bark | Red spices

There's also cola. Draw starts stiff but loosens up. Taut tension palate. / I never lick trees. Focused, complex sensations. Lacquered spice rack, shined. / Ash grows oily thick. Refined yet rusticated. Gentleman fox hunt?

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

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

::: very ::: 

Hoyo de Monterrey Cigars Shade Toro in Review

BRAND: Hoyo de Monterrey
BLEND: Shade

WRAPPER: Honduran Shade
BINDER: Honduran
FILLER: Honduran

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Mild-medium
SPICE: 1.5/5

NOTES:
Play/beach sand | Lemon candy | White peppercorn

This smoke registers into a genre of similar smokes all which make me think of Lemonhead candies plucked out of play or beach sand and popped into my mouth. A bit more toward gritty here-- perhaps beach sand. White pepper accompaniment gets confused-into citrus. A bit of white-to-green tea is of interest.

Consistent. Balance is there, simply-so, but there. An easy cigar that I'd recommend pairing with a dry chardonnay or light-roasted coffee barista'd into a latte. There are, in fact, hints of both those beverages herein. Draws excellently-well. Burns nicely with a more oily than expected dark ash. Rolled ably, although a hairline crack develops in the top-leaf midway.

All notes are a bit mingled, at times intermingled. Usually somewhat muffled if not muted. There are depths and nuances, but they must be looked for diligently.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Diesel Cigars Whiskey Row Founder's Collection Raceking in Review

BRAND: Diesel
BLEND: Whiskey Row Founder's Raceking

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua (AJF)
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2.5/5

NOTES:
Chocolate malt | Earth/Suede | Raisins (golden, spiced)

Fusty(fungal), perhaps. Dusty(earthen), for certain. Suede layers therein. Folds? Chocolate malt swirls. The above/italicized raisin thing. Very consistent, approachable. Graphite back-end. Bit dry palate.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for July 2025

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for July 2025

(Post titles are links to stated KM. things)

What an odd month. Let me explain. First, there are no cigars which qualified for this month's list; a rare occurrence. However, there is a single honorary mention: Outcast Cigars Robusto in Review.

Also, there is this post: Kaplowitz Media. Top 5 Cigars Halfway Through 2025. That's a good one.

Finally (pen-ultimately), cutting into my cigar review schedule have been "Every Thing Else" reviews. Here's an index of my drugstore aftershave reviews, appropriately titled: Kaplowitz Media. After Shave Review Index.

Expect more cigar reviews in the upcoming posts--new ones each Monday and Friday. Book-end your week-end with Kaplowitz Media. Plus, I'll be looking at two more grocery store coffees after this: Maxwell House Coffee Original Roast | Kap Reviews Everything Else, Pt. 4.

I like to work in threes.

Hope your summer ain't a bummer!

::: very :::