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 ::: 

Happy Columbus Day!

Kaplowitz Media. posting returns to schedule Friday the 16th. New posts are published every Monday and Friday (unless a US Federal holiday). Book-end your week-end (as I did this brief paragraph) with Kaplowitz Media.

::: very ::: 

HDA (Hemanos de Armas) Cigars Sentinel LE in Review

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Sentinel

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua (Rojas)
INTENSITY: Med./Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

Black Pepper | Black Licorice | Dark Chocolate

NOTES:
Dark chocolate mousse. Fluffy. A fluffy-smooth profile, really. Even with the front-loaded cracked b. pepper that trails off near-completely before the final third. Till then, there are some jazzy unplayed notes; after then, it's a tick empty. A singed airy salted caramel swirling, does its thing in keeping attns.

Between then, it's a smooth but interesting trip which includes vegetal umami notes of alfalfa grass and fungal tidings of mushroom bullion powder. Pumpernickel bread is pulled from the oven and left to cool on rich top-soil. Hits no notes in err. Does at times feel a bit like shadow boxing in the dark.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars DTT 10th Jubilee in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: DTT 10th Jubilee

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra Negra
BINDER: Mexican Claro
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: 5.63x48 pig-tail cap
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

Bright spices | Praline | Brushed Leather

NOTES:
Sumac & Coriander sounds like an over-priced 'Gastropub' that operates sans menu. Notes italicized above are laid atop a sand castle underbelly. The praline is of a French varietal with the added amuse-bouche amusement of subbing-out more typical nuts for macadamias. Brushed Leather is NOT suede.

Combustion starts on a stutter-step stride, smooths continuously throughout. As it does milk chocolate and a yeasty maltiness become apparent. As do wildflower and flinty nods. Nice 'nuff complexities; could use a tick more depth. Olfactory does important and good work in building harmony via filling blanks.

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

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

Should receive an honorary mention in the next Cigars of the Month listing.

::: very :::