Kaplowitz Media: Coffees of the Month (June 2019)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

"Sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit, these men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem. If no one else can help. And if you can find them -- maybe you can hire the A-Team."

Gentlepersons below is a list as shallow and pedantic as Lois Griffin's meatloaf. It is a list of recent (again, 6/19) coffee offerings I humbly found to be worthy of A (- to +) review ratings.

>>>

THE A-TEAM/LIST

{Names are links to full reviews.}

Black Oak Wagon Wheel

Black Oak Duomo

La Colombe Louisiane
Sonofresco Cafe Feminino
Batdorf & Bronson Sumatra Mandheling

>>>

& there ya have it, Gentlepersons. The inaugural Coffees of the month post. May this thing have the legs of its Cigars of the Month https://bit.ly/2Sice6T brethren which has been going strong since October 2015. L'chaim! 

###

Caldwell Cigars Eastern Standard Dos Firmas | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

"LoFi & lovely"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Caldwell Cigar Co.

Eastern Standard Dos Firmas

WRAPPER: Connecticut Shade
BINDER: Nope
FILLER: Nah

FORMAT: Petite Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: caldwellcigars.com

>>>

NOTES:
White pepper early with red coming on late and finishing later-still. Peanut butter on a sesame seed bun with a cup of mead... a traditional Viking snack? Milk chocolate & cedar round up a busy but well-rehearsed set of overtones. Undertones: a cup of joe, heavy on cream & sugar and a more delicate bit via cup of chamomile w/ lemon wedge. White ginger. Licorice. Underbelly is a rich clay earthiness and bit a' chicken coop vibing.

Plenty more smoke out-put than the vitola might have ya assume. pumpkin spice room-note under sweet natty 'baccy. Burns on a thick mascara char-line, evenly-so. Rather fast-paced. No hard/soft spots on the shaft and seams hold tight. Draws smoothly and hits the palate like a fluffed pillow. 

READ: Caldwell Cigars Eastern Standard Dos Firmas (Caldwell Signature) - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Sonofresco Coffee Roasters Colombian | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Sonofresco Coffee Roasters

Colombia - Conventional

LOCATION: Burlington, WA
ORIGIN: Various-including Huila-Neiva
VARIETAL: Arabica. Caturra, Typica, Bourbon

ROAST: Dark
BREW METHOD: Pour over

WEBSITE: sonofresco.com

>>>

NOTES:

Noses like cinnamon raisin bread toasting one room over. Sips similarly & buttered, brightly-so. A bit of nougat. Slurps to a fruity floral butterscotch addition. Thinly spiced w/ nutmeg. Braced by a bit of hazelnut but could use a tick more backbone. Finishes quite cleanly, making it a very drinkable & smoothly-soft more-ish cup.

ALSO: Sonofresco manufactures & sells the roasters which roasted these beans, and sells the un-roasted green beans as well.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters Sumatra Mandheling | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Batdorf & Bronson

Sumatra Mandheling

LOCATION: Olympia, WA
ORIGIN: Sumatra, Indonesia
VARIETAL: Jember, Ateng, Garundang Arabica

ROAST: Medium-Dark
BREW METHOD: Pour over

WEBSITE: www.batdorfcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:

Boldly dense yet refined sip of a fresh earthen core with distinct criollo 'baccy sweetness. Slurps to the tune(s?) of chocolate & red-spiced cedar. Caramel. Velvety smooth body & softly-sweet lengthy savory vegetal (fungal?) tobaccoy again on finish. Clean. Noses malty-some. 

A very calm but not sedate cup. Balanced verily & almost as so complex. Excellent nuances of clean/clear delineation. Accessible due to its easiness of delivery but there's plenty there for the more astute to ponder/taste. Both more-ish & light snack-ish. Both plain & fancy. Complete.

FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Villiger Cigars La Vencedora | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Villiger Cigars

La Vencedora

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Churchill (750)
ORIGIN: Joya de Nicaragua factory, Esteli, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Med.-Full

WEBSITE: www.villigercigars.com

>>>

NOTES:
Performance issues. Ash shows hard clumps of leaf. Burn-line is uneven and many retouches are mandated. Blistering and bulging occur at the char. Seams loosen but at least don't fly open. The bad news? That's just the 1/3. The good news? It almost miraculously evens-out come midpoint.

This evening-out should not be confused with perfection -- it merely becomes smokeable. Burns at a lit fuse pace till a slowing down in the 3/3. Draws well tho damp, particularly post the nigh catastrophic opening act.

There is scorching of draw notes most likely from the myriad of retouches. There too is an artificial medicinal orange quality, particularly on the finish. Flavors are a tangy& dark mottling of coffee and chocolate. Some grains. Molasses. Black walnut. Barnyard.

READ: Villiger La Vencedora in Robusto - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

FINAL GRADE: B-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Cigars Red Knight | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Jas Sum Kral (JSK)

Red Knight

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Mexican San Andres & Jalapa Seco
FILLER: ???

FORMAT: Robusto, pig-tail & closed foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: jassumkral.com

>>>

NOTES:

Engaging notes of black cherry & cocoa buttery cedar. Smooth & tingly at the same time. Toasted and roasted, simultaneously. A certain citrusy tanginess to the pepper-spices of white/black/red/cayenne, cinnamon, paprika, chili powder. 

Undertones to the aforementioned overtones: brown sugar, cola, leather. Milk chocolate fills it up in the 2/3 & onward. Finish is a sweet tangy residual of draw notes on lengthy-legs and a definite Merlot at the far-end. Complex, nuanced, excellent.

Burns straight and grows solid ash from there. I break off the burnt offerings in thirds. Draw exhibits a perfect tension, evenly-so. Big smoke out-put both passive and active builds a fruity spicy leathery room-note.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

&: Am I familiar w/ this stick? Click this ((( link ))) then keep on scrolling to get an idea of it all. I took this opportunity to give the blend a look from the step-back of time, passing. Of age, aging. thx

###

Kaplowitz Media: Cigars of the Month (June 2019)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

"Sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit, these men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem. If no one else can help. And if you can find them -- maybe you can hire the A-Team."

Gentlepersons below is a list as shallow and pedantic as Lois Griffin's meatloaf. It is a list of recent (again, 6/19) cigar offerings I humbly found to be worthy of A (- to +) review ratings.

THE A-TEAM/LIST

{Names are links to full reviews.}

Guardian of the Farm

Doumitt Gold Oro Rechoncho

Caldwell The King is Dead

PDR 1878 Capa Sun Grown

Caldwell Cigars Savages

La Aurora 1985 Maduro

Caldwell Blind Man's Bluff CT

PS: whatcha think of this? Kaplowitz Radio 132.5 on Anchor.fm: https://bit.ly/2X5ebu3 it's a new-to-me platform and HEY, Snack Tray has a cameo. I discuss cleaning out your sinuses, get my mail, & I don't recall what else...  thx 

###

Kaplowitz Radio 132

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Me.

On not using A/C or heat.
On the mediums of radio/audio & blogging.
Chocolate?

&

I read from Kaplowitz Media (one cigar & one coffee review). I do a lousy Seinfeld.

&&

I offer up the inaugural Debonaire House Live from the Debonaire Athenaeum segment. I crossed the Darien Gap! On a stallion! Plus maybe more? ...

Debonaire House: www.debonairehouse.com

Also:

Caldwell Cigar Co.: caldwellcigars.com
Illusione Cigars: www.illusionecigars.com

&&&

This episode is dedicated Pablo. 

For a written transcript, learntowritereallyfast.

###

Sonofresco Kenya AA Nguvu | Coffee Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Sonofresco Coffee Roasters

Kenya AA Plus Nguvu

LOCATION: LA, Calif.
ORIGIN: Murang’a Kenya
VARIETAL: SL28, Ruiru 11 Arabica

ROAST: Med. Dark/Dark
BREW METHOD: Pour over

WEBSITE: sonofresco.com

>>>

NOTES:

Polished, exuberant notes. Fresh, heavy-bodied yet lively finish (sweetbitter then sweet, lengthy). Raspberry and lemongrass sip with raw sugar addition. Slurps to an additional chocolate touch & slight stiff leather quality. A spot of Earl Grey tea, indubitably.

There is a half-tick of an astringent thing built up toward the cup-bottom. A well-trained bull in a china shop refrained strength sans any noticeable subtlty -- yet somehow not at all ham-fisted. Bold. Quite complex and those complexities are easily seen & ready for their close-ups.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

ALSO: Sonofresco manufactures & sells the roasters which roasted these beans, and sells the un-roasted green beans as well.

###

Caldwell Cigars Blind Man's Bluff Connecticut | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Caldwell Cigar Co.

Blind Man's Bluff Connecticut

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: Honduran Criollo
FILLER: San Vincente, Honduran Criollo Ligero

FORMAT: Corona 5.75x44
ORIGIN: Agroindustrias LAEPE S.A., Honduras
STRENGTH: Light-Medium

WEBSITE: caldwellcigars.com

>>>

NOTES:
Sure there's a white pepper citrusy taste & tingle but its enveloped in heavy cream on both flavor & body. High up under that is cocoa butter & cloves. Then a white wine vibe. Underbelly is soft but robust leather, caramel/nougat sweetened golden dirt/earth. Bright, without losing any breeziness.

Burns on maybe a tick more than moderate pace but evenly and on a straight line. Draw is just a bit more resistant than open, smoothly-so. Pack density softens some but to no hinderance of performance. Ash builds well in a slightly sheathed stack of dimes. Lush & pleasant all around, much like my Great Uncle Leon.

READING LIST:

Caldwell Cigars Blind Man's Bluff Connecticut in Corona - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Regent Coffee Bourbon Barrel Aged Burundi Washed Processed Red Bourbon | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Regent Coffee

Bourbon Barrel Aged Burundi

LOCATION: California
ORIGIN: Burundi (Republic of)

VARIETAL: Arabica, Bourbon

ROAST: Medium

BREW METHOD: Pour over

WEBSITE: regentcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:
PB&J to the nose on the grind. Caramelized sugar on the sip with some canned fruits. Slurps are predominantly sour mash and brightly yeasty. Peaty. A bit+ cloudy. Very smooth. Finishes with mottled earthiness and something like blueberry preserves. I keep wanting to say chocolate malt. I almost did... I mean I did... but almost.

Complex but too overly excitable and lacking in some delineation (cloudy). Being less frenetic would have improved nuances and the cup. Still something quite enjoyable... easy via smoothness, balance, and by being not overly bright (much like myself). Complex but too, ultimately attainable. Somewhat like focusing on white noise amid a din... almost meditative in that way.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Toothpick 2.0 Maduro | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Jas Sum Kral (JSK)
Toothpick 2.0 Maduro

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres Maduro
BINDER: ???
FILLER: ???

FORMAT: Robusto 550
ORIGIN:Tabacalera de Aragon S.A, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: jassumkral.com

READ: Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Toothpick 2.0 Maduro | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Sonofresco Peru Organic Cafe Feminino | Coffee Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Sonofresco Coffee Roasters
Peru Organic Cafe Feminino

LOCATION: Burlington, Washington
ORIGIN: Selva Central Peru

ROAST: Dark
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: sonofresco.com

>>>

NOTES: 

Darkly flavorful & subtly complex. Just 'nuff brightness to let those complexities be seen. Sips to the tune of lively chocolate sweetness, almost effervescently-so & seasoned with chili peppers. 

On the slurp, some tropical floral bits weave in and out. A bit of a mahogany woodsiness. A leathery tobacco hint. Soft-bodied sweet milky vibe. All quite balanced and well-orchestrated. A lone knock is that it isn't much to the nose.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

ALSO: Sonofresco manufactures & sells the roasters which roasted these beans, and sells the un-roasted green beans as well.

###

Kaplowitz Radio 131

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Me. On Frank the dog and being burglarized. Also, some friends stopped by from PDR Cigars & Debonaire. Here's another topic: pairing a cigar & coffee for Bigfoot.

PDR Cigars: https://www.pdrcigars.com/ 

Debonaire: https://www.debonairerum.com/cigars/ 

Also s/o: 

Caldwell Cigar Co.: http://caldwellcigars.com/ 

DAV Cigars: https://www.davcigars.com/ 

Illusione Cigars: http://www.illusionecigars.com/

###

Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Cigars Red Knight | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Cigars
Red Knight

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Mexican San Andres & Jalapa Seco
FILLER: Undisclosed

FORMAT: Toro, pigtail cap, closed foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: jassumkral.com

>>>

NOTES:
Cherry lemonade. Cocoa butter.  Bright and nuanced notes braced by subdued undertones of cedar and butterscotch. Minimal pepper but nicely spiced via cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg. Underbelly is a clay earthiness with sweet creamy hay traces.

Draw is a bit hesitant and requires double-puffs which exaggerate a slight canoe threat. A pair of quick retouches repair that in first & third-thirds. Top-leaf crackles-some in the 3/3 but just a hair. Ash grows well and oily sans flaking.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

READ: Jas Sum Kral Red Knight - K A P L O W I T Z Scale Cigar Review ((( link )))

###

Black Oak Coffee Mokamba Natural | Review Redux by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Mokamba Natural

LOCATION: Ukiah, CA
ORIGIN: Ethiopian
ROAST: Light

PACKAGING: 12oz whole bean
PREPARATION: Cold Brew

WEBSITE: blackoakcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES: 

Fruity floral. Berries and dandelions. Quite bright and somewhat imbalanced toward a near sourness via a citrusy bit which amplifies aforementioned berries. This isn't a fault, necessarily, but it is a rather intense spotlight on Ethiopian characteristics.

Buttery caramel finish happens only after a bit of an astringent lilt. Actually drinks a bit like black tea with a spoonful of Smucker's blueberry swirled in.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

READ: Black Oak Coffee Mokamba Natural | Review (Pour Over) by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

EDITOR'S NOTE: Redux cigar reviews are typically done-so on the basis of further humidor time and/or different vitolas/formats. Coffee redux look-sees are/will be typically posted on the basis of different brewing methods.

###

La Colombe Coffee Roasters Louisiane | Review by Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?” 

La Colombe

Louisiane

LOCATION: Philadelphia
ORIGIN: Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda.

ROAST: Dark
PREPARATION: Pour-over

WEBSITE: www.lacolombe.com

>>>

NOTES: 

A cup which drinks like a Habano-covered cigar smokes: pepper-spice, smokily-so. Some woodsiness. Black walnut. Roasty-toasty firmly delineated notes delivered smoothly as Billy Dee Williams hawking malt liquor. 

Black pepper, green bell pepper, something almost chili packet seasoning. Finishes sweeter than it sips with a cocoa addition on moderately length'd legs. Ends quite cleanly given the profile's robust nature tastes a tick like summer pavement after a good rain.

FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Raw Iron Coffee Co. Heavy Metal | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Raw Iron Coffee

Heavy Metal

LOCATION: New Jersey
ORIGIN: Indonesia

ROAST: Medium
PREPARATION: Pour-over

>>>

NOTES:
Thin notes of smoky 'baccy and musty leather. Predominantly earthy but lacking in richness/roundness there. Raw wood/nutshell undertones make for an almost sharp mouthing experience.

The selling point here is caffeine content, hence the medium (at most) roast -- but at what point are you better off simply energy drink shopping? At no point, which is my point.

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Toothpick 2.0 Habano | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Jas Sum Kral (JSK)
Toothpick 2.0 Habano

WRAPPER: Habano
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Undisclosed

FORMAT: Robusto (mixed filler)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera de Aragon S.A, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: jassumkral.com

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

READ: Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Toothpick 2.0 Habano | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

s/o: Caldwell Cigar Co. ((( link )))

###

Kaplowitz Radio 130

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Me. On garage sales, HS graduations, pairing cigars & coffee (Aganorsa Leaf & Black Oak Coffee, respectively). & more, I believe.

Aganorsa Leaf: https://www.aganorsaleaf.com/ 

Black Oak Coffee: https://blackoakcoffee.com/ 

Black Oak Mokamba Natural Review: https://bit.ly/2Wf7yzV 

Aganorsa Leaf Ground N Pound Review: https://bit.ly/2XzRaeD 

Also s/o: 

Caldwell Cigar Co.: http://caldwellcigars.com/ 

DAV Cigars: https://www.davcigars.com/ 

Illusione Cigars: http://www.illusionecigars.com/ 

###

La Aurora Cigars 1985 Maduro | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

La Aurora
1985 Maduro

WRAPPER: Brazilian Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: www.laaurora.com

>>>

NOTES:
Cadbury Fruit & Nut Bar but replace almonds with cashews & their "Delicious dried grapes" w/ "raisins." Heavy on the upper compost undertones. Milk becomes dark chocolate fudge via heated progression or "smoking." Shot of espresso, too. Not complex per se but deeply nuanced in a kindly straight-forward manner. A typical Maduro, done nigh supremely well.

Draw is smooth & even & cool of temp w/ maybe the slightest of occasional hesitance. Burns on an even-line with one or two self-correcting hiccups along the way. Build is rustic to the eye with uneven seams but no mitt evidence of hard/soft spots. Ash doesn't make a convincing inch and is toward the side of flaky. All picking of nits aside, it's a care-free performance.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

La Aurora Cigars 1985 Maduro | Cigar Preview by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

###

Black Oak Coffee Wagon Wheel French Roast | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Black Oak Coffee

Wagon Wheel French Roast

LOCATION: Ukiah, CA
ORIGIN: Blend
ROAST: Dark

PACKAGING: 12oz whole bean
PREPARATION: Pour-over

WEBSITE: blackoakcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:

Noses a bit like the ash on a cigar. Smoky on the palate w/ a cocoa & molasses forward march. Undertones are a woody nuttiness. Clings long to the cheeks and tongue via a full-body but never shows more there than a smoky potting soil bittersweet note of some mottling. 

Very straightforward and rather simple but deep nuances stave off boredom. If dark boundary-pushing French roasts are your thing, meet your new thing. It very-well might be my new thing as well. 

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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A Cigar Gift Giving Guide | Kaplowitz Media Cigars Special Report

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”



A Cigar Gift Giving Guide | Kaplowitz Media Cigars Special Report

Wanna know how to pick out the perfect gift for the cigar smoker on your perfect gift giving list? A lot of you have asked. w/ Father's Day looming nigh, I delve and recommend.

Illusione swag ((( link )))

Kaplowitz Media merch ((( link )))

Be sure to subscribe to Kaplowitz Media on YouTube ((( link ))) for more stuff like this as well as reviews and tutorial type things. thx

###

Black Oak Coffee Duomo Espresso | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Duomo Espresso

LOCATION: Ukiah, CA
ORIGIN: Blend
ROAST: Medium-Dark

PACKAGING: 12oz whole bean
PREPARATION: Pour-over

WEBSITE: blackoakcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:

What's this? Am I sitting in a corner cafe in Milan? No. I'm just reading that on the packaging here. I confuse easily. But it's not wrong, really. Rich butterscotch on the slurp, slight licorice, too. Sips bittersweetly with dark chocolate and salted caramel notes. 

There's something reminiscent of a Latakia tobacco smokiness, 'nuff so that I would not be averse to lighting a pipe bowl of the stuff. Finish is clean given a robust savory body, bit of charred woodsiness there. Quite a darkly robust yet still lively complex thing, this.

FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Caldwell Cigars Savages | Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Caldwell Savages
WRAPPER: Habano
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Pyramid (660)
ORIGIN: DR
STRENGTH: Medium

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

WEBSITE: caldwellcigars.com

Caldwell Cigars Savages in Piramide - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

###

PDR Cigars 1878 Capa Madura | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

PDR
1878 Capa Madura

WRAPPER: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro
BINDER: Dominican Criollo 98
FILLER: Dominican Criollo 98 & Nicaraguan Criollo 98

FORMAT: Torpedo (6.5x52)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.pdrcigars.com

>>>

NOTES: Charred mesquite and warm brown sugar. Moderate black & red pepper kick. Semi-sweet chocolate. Leathery compost w/a charcoal lilt. Top to bottom, that. Out on a line, that. Simple straightforward yet pleasantly brawny.

Light in the hand by a tick and draw is a tick open. ack softens-some throughout. Average smoke out-ut sees an anise attachment not visible on draw. Ash builds well.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

###

Ash, Ashing, & Ashtray: Cigars How-to & Etiquette | Cigar Smoking 101 w/ Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz'd today?"



Ash, Ashing, & Ashtray: Cigars How-to & Etiquette | Cigar Smoking 101 w/ Kaplowitz

Check out the series playlist: https://bit.ly/2Y0nLdM or click on "Cigar Smoking 101" at the end of this post. thx

s/o >>>
DAV Cigars ((( link )))

Stinky Tray ((( link )))

DAV Cigars Habana Clasico in Robusto - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz ((( link )))

###

#KM:
Twitter
Facebook

Black Oak Coffee Mokamba Natural | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Black Oak Coffee Roasters

Mokamba Natural

LOCATION: Ukiah, CA
ORIGIN: Ethiopia
ROAST: Light

PACKAGING: 12oz whole bean
PREPARATION: Pour-over

WEBSITE: blackoakcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:
An Ethiopian's Ethiopian. Berry, berry (very, very) fruity af. A tick of roasted barley honey malt braces & balances against rich straw/blue berries. As the sip/slurp settles, about a 1/3rd stack of Rolo hits my tongue. Then comes a Rooibos sensation. Lively & brightly complex notes flit about on a buttery light-medium body.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

Visit: www.BlackOakCoffee.com
"A cup of coffee is practically a religious experience for us. We revere it, we crave it and we anticipate brewing and drinking it every day. Every coffee has a story, a history of soil, people and culture that make each one special. And it’s that combination that keeps us curious to learn about and eager to experience the next cup."

###

#KM:
Twitter
Facebook

Five Most Funnest Cigars to Smoke | A Kaplowitz Media Cigar Report

"Have You Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Fuck you, I can be silly.

THE LIST:

[Names are links to full review]

[Snippets are taken from said full review]

[Listed in no particular order]

MBombay Vintage Reserve Lancero 1973

"I am remembering the time I dated a young lady who'd just previously dated one Mr. Shaquille O'Neal. Yeah -- we went out couple times until I realized I wasn't a -- good fit. Thanks for stopping by www.kaplowitz.xyz. Your home on the world wide web, for this sorta thing."

JNV Barber Pole Salomon

"A well-performing Salomon of distinct Milky Way and cinnamon toast notes with a driving piquancy. Medium-full profiled and creamily so. An impressive yet jovial appearance."

>>>

Covadonga Grande Maduro

"Pace of burn picks up. Flavors are unchanged and I ain't complaining. When I have smoked Covadonga in the past, it has always been fun. This Grande Maduro is no different, gentlepersons. It begs loud company..."

Asylum 13 Authentic Corojo

"I lay out a schmatta handkerchief across my lap for feces and facial gestures, and schtick. Very fun smoke. Jovial but complex."

PDR Cigars 1878 Capa Sun Grown

(the actual impetus behind this list)
"Yellow flowers, dig? (Gardening humor.) Sweet & pleasantly complex. Smooth & easy, tho not simple. Fucking nice. Jovial, even."

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PDR Cigars 1878 Capa Sun Grown | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

PDR
Capa Sun Grown

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
BINDER: Dominican Criollo 98
FILLER: Dominican Criollo 98 & Nicaraguan Criollo 98

FORMAT: Gordo "Dbl Magnum" (660)

(Pig-tail cap, closed foot)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Mild-Medium

WEBSITE: www.pdrcigars.com

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NOTES: 

Like buttah. Also, hazelnut coffee, cream. Suuny 'baccy w/ a candied citrus attachment... Lemonheads. A bit of white pepper ground finely into end-of-draw then finish. Those overtones were fun -- now lettuce do undertones... high-up salted caramel. Some pale spices which don't delineate 'nuff to pick apart. Verily, a floral lilt. 

I see a pansy... no, I'm not looking in the mirror. I see a Black-eyed Susan... still not looking in the mirror. Yellow flowers, dig? (Gardening humor.) Sweet & pleasantly complex. Smooth & easy, tho not simple. Fucking nice. Jovial, even.

Smooth easy draw and razor-line burn co-star. Ash grows densely to an easy inch at a time. No hard/soft spots along the barrel. Smoke stays cool to smoke-hole.

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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La Aurora Cigars 1985 Maduro | Cigar Preview by Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



La Aurora
1985 Maduro

WRAPPER: Brazilian Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: www.laaurora.com.do

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