Kaplowitz Media. Programming Report | The Skinny on The Rest of December 2025

Kaplowitz Media. Programming Report
The Skinny on The Rest of December 2025

A heads up on the (subject to change) times of some key end-of-year festivities here at Kaplowitz Media. You couldn't possibly think of a better year to wrap-up the year of our Lord 2025. Here goes...

12/15: Top-Rated Cigar Reviews of 2025
Which Kaplowitz Media. cigar reviews garnered the most views this year? Find out and wonder why.

12/19: Top-Rated Miscellaneous Review of 2025
Which Kaplowitz Media. misc. reviews garnered the most views this year? Find out and wonder why. If I recall correctly, the field of entrants includes coffees, drugstore aftershaves, and possibly more.

12/22: The 2025 Kaplowitz Media Cigar Awards (Kappys)
The Kappys return to hand out kudos to the best of the premium cigar industry. 

12/26: Cigars of the Month for December
Speaking of fields of entrants, this is the final group included in the running for KM.cotY*.

12/29: *Kaplowitz Media. 2025 Cigar of the Year
The list drops all at once. Top ten. Which cigar will win? I've no clue. Haven't given it a lick of thought yet.

'Tis the season!

::: merry ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars Red Meat Lovers Fritanga in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton T&T
BLEND: Red Meat Lovers Fritanga

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Mexican San Andres
FILLER: Nicaragua, US (Pennsylvania)

FORMAT: Toro (652) Prensado
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:
Raw Sugar | Jamaican Jerk Seasoning | Espresso

The espresso is poured into a charred cedar cup, stirred with leather spoon. The raw sugar is in there, and in everysavorywhere, a curiously sweet-smoothing vibe in such murky inky umami depths. In the 2nd-3rd, it dominates thru a slight lull. Surrounding the whole thing is that Jamaican Jerk. It stays on your fingers while you snack on black licorice. Comes served on toasted pumpernickel. Perhaps this reads like a near impenetrable block of text, perhaps this smokes that way, but very much worth patiently breaking through.

Use the lull.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars Sobremesa Solita Red in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton T&T
BLEND: Sobremesa Solita Red

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Mexican San Andres
FILLER: Nicaraguan, American (PA)

FORMAT: Corona Gorda/Grand Corona (6.25x46)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-full
SPICE: 3/5

NOTES:
Spiced Rum | Mexican Hot Chocolate | Savory Cedar

Spiced rum. Something of a pineapple upside-down remembrance. Layers and overlaps. Mexican hot chocolate and an Almond Joy. Meaty-savory cedar and oily French press coffee. A late entry into the Kaplowitz Media. CotY 2025 race? Salted caramel.

The pigtail cap cracks at the clip, and remains scarred. Wrapper peels a tick. Nevertheless, all thankfully holds, fades into memories more recessed than even cake. All this, in spite of my greedy pulls. Some wiggling about of draw tension, all within purely acceptable confines. Muted foot smoke, aroma.

Excellent ash on slightly wavy burn. I kinda taste Apple Jacks, but its been years. Golden Grahams? Maybe longer. Complex, nuanced, transitional. All those words have differing definitions, no time to explain. Malty golden earthiness. French toast? Vanilla extract, cinnamon and sugar sprinkling.

TASTE: A
DRAW: A-
BURN: A-
BUILD: A-

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

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars Mi Querida Gorila Gordo in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton T&T
BLEND: Mi Querida Gorila Gordo

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Gordo (660) 109 Bullet Head
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 2.5/5

NOTES:
Root Beer Barrel hard candies, rolled in brewer's yeast. Then, how Black Baccara roses might taste (for all I know) in moist, heavily fertilized top-soil. Back-end shows a slight metallic, quite cleansing addition. 'Tween is a slice of toasted dark rye with caraway seeds, spread thinly with a tart orange marmalade. Allspice and clove hints. Green peppercorn. Capers and a lavender latte?

Softly contoured Belicoso. Softly contoured palate. Huddled quite-closely in on itself. Pre-dawn fog. Consistent, balanced. A lot of not each enough at times; but far more meditative than boring. That, mainly in light of some surprising notes. The most interesting fellow in a crowded room, lingering in a corner by himself. Slowly rehearsing his avant-garde poetry set as the act before wraps up.

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

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

::: very :::