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 ::: 

El Titan de Bronze Cigars Nicaragua in Review

BRAND: El Titan de Bronze
BLEND: Nicaragua

WRAPPER: Broadleaf
BINDER: Mexican
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (554)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Medium-full
SPICE: 2.5/5

NOTES:
Scorched Hickory | Cordial Cherries | Hazelnut Latte

Pretty straight-forward here. Add in a bit of black pepper and manure. All held rather tightly together on a frozen rope of a line drive back up the middle. Now add some black tea. A sturdy dependable smoke, a good hand. No fancy stuff, decent doses of solid stuff. Anise. Underplayed, not sedate.

Razor-thin burn-line; tick of a wave to it. Grows an excellent long sheath of white ash. Draws well. Big smoke out-put smells like oatmeal raisin cookies. Seams are a bit uneven and there's puckering around some veins. Add a slight vegetal saltiness. Subtle underneaths with overt near blatant up-tops.

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

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

::: very ::: 

El Rey del Mundo Cigars LE King of the World VSOP in Review

BRAND: El Rey del Mundo
BLEND: LE King of the World VSOP

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium/Medium-full
SPICE: 2.5/5

NOTES:
Chocolate & Peanuts | Berries & Grapes | Oak & Cedar

Positively jammy cold draw. Big fruit front calms into place surrounded by its ampersanded brethren. A clustered profile but while narrow, maintains delineations well. Tastes some like a small old still life painting of a bowl of fruit; framed in hardwood--needs a feather dusting. Apricots.

Then, buckwheat honey, black pepper, Leather & Suede. Any of these &s would make for great names of trendy downtown boutiques which all bewilder me as to how they make their monthly Nut & Rent. Trust fund kids, likely. I digress. A complex smoke with an atypical profile. Vive le difference.

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

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

::: very :::