Kaplowitz Media. Cigars Star Guide for Autumn 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars Star Guide
for Autumn 2026

TALLY of STAR RECIPIENTS
as of SUMMER 2026

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

SUMMER 2026 UPDATES

AJ Fernandez (+1)
Aurturo Fuente (+1)
Casa Carrillo (-1)
Illusione (-1)
JC Newman (+2)
Perdomo (+1)
Room101 (-1)
Tatuaje (-1)

COMPLETE KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.
STAR GUIDE for AUTUMN 2026

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

Some settling has occurred.

Cigars Star Guide Index 2026 (LINK)

A happy Autumn to all!

::: very ::: 

West Tampa Cigars Chef Rick in Review

BRAND: West Tampa Tobacco Co.
BLEND: Chef Rick

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

NOTES:

Apple Butter | Cinnamon & Honey Oatmeal | Goat Leather

TASTE: B+ sweet-forward savory-back solid simplicity.
DRAW: B+ some partially empty pulls.
BURN: B+ a bit airy ash; fast-hot accumulation.
BUILD: A- a bit loose perhaps, no issues however.

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

::: very ::: 

West Tampa Cigars Devil Crab in Review

BRAND: West Tampa Tobacco Co.
BLEND: Devil Crab

WRAPPER: Undisclosed
BINDER: Undisclosed
FILLER: Undisclosed

FORMAT: Double Perfecto (41/260) pig-tail
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

Black Bread | Goat Leather | Roasted Saccharin

NOTES:
Black bread, made with cocoa & coffee powders. Goat leather on account of texture and patina. The patina is made up, in part, of that roasted chemical sweetness. A wise man once defended Sweet'N Low thusly: "A couple of lab rats get cancer and everyone gets real cunty about it." I use the stuff regularly.

Orange marmalade gets schmeared on said bread after a slab of it gets left a half-bit too long in the toaster. Chicory, black pepper, and a hint of licorice blend in. A short-not-flat profile, and near-vastly wide. Portly seems appropriate given the format. Burns hot and fast. Some obtrusive veinage, too.

Although it does burn even and draw well right out of the gate, a thing not every cigar of this shape can lay claim to. Pacing does slow a tick upon progression. A crack happens in the top-leaf at mid-way, but gets smoked through cleanly. A no frills profile combined with frilly shape equals a fun little thing.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Stolen Throne Cigars Oath Taker in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: Oath Taker

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER/FILLER: Nicaraguan, Panamanian

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua (Rojas)
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full
SPICE: 4/5

Caramelized Lemons | Ginger | Barnyard

NOTES:
A bit of a sugary breakfast cereal happening alongside a Mexican hot cocoa, heavy on the cayenne. Well balanced and delivered via a smooth, sparring kick. Bit of a tight draw. Some wildflowers underneath. Hay and golden earth under that. A calm sense of half-muffled restraint.

Leaves a nice tingle on the smoke-hole. A bissell zetz. Quite crisp, taut not overly rigid. Good nuance with surprisingly well-lit depths considering the weight. Nearly effervescent, with a rather taunt seemingly long-held (aged) tension. Almost jittery but charmingly-so 'can't even.' Handsome.

At some point near the end, I might've also been describing myself as well.

::: very :::