Saturday, August 31, 2019

Kaplowitz Media: Coffees | Teas of the Month (August 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, 8/19) coffee & tea offerings I humbly found to be worthy of A (- to +) review ratings.

>>>

THE A-TEAM/LIST
{Names are links to full reviews.}

[coffee]


Friday, August 30, 2019

Driven Coffee Roasters Colombia Excelso | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Driven Coffee Roasters
Colombia Excelso

ORIGIN: Huila-Acevedo, Colombia
VARIETAL: 80% Caturra 20% Colombia

PROCESS: Fully washed and Sun-Dried
ROAST: Medium
BREW METHOD: Mud coffee

WEBSITE: www.drivencoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:
Smells like dark chocolate and fresh green notes. Tastes nutty (almond | walnut) in a peppery carbony-smoky way-y. Toasted vaguely chocolate cream is well underneath but grows & outlasts into aftertaste/finish.

Toasted vegetal herbaceousness is on the slurp. On cooling, the slurp sees a bit more brightness intro'd in a berry the citrus fashion. Interesting cup.

An interesting cup, indeed, altho not always super pleasant. Challenging. Particularly in its green & citrus notes. Balanced well 'nuff, though wobbles toward sour via progression. Nicely nuanced.

Almost fatiguing in its complexities, transitions. For all the flavors (chicory?) and sinewy robustness this coffee brings to the table, it leaves it clean to the point of bright-crisp. (Anise?).

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

###

Protocol Cigars Sir Robert Peel Maduro | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"


Cubariqueno Protocol Cigars
Sir Robert Peel Maduro

WRAPPER: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro, Box-pressed
ORIGIN: La Zona Factory, Esteli, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: https://cubariqueno.com

>>>

NOTES:
Cumin & clove. Cinnamon & nutmeg. Those spices are backed by a black peppercorn kicker, braced by a somewhat sharp mesquite. Stiff leather leads the undertones beneath those top-notes. Then a bone dry cappuccino. There's then a bit of a vacuum twixt all that and a savory compost underbelly.

Moderate nuances and less than that complexities. A very purposeful march of a somewhat souring delivery. Too many notes have sharp corners but that's almost addressed at the 1/2 when a toasted cream enters. Finish is a bittersweet melange doused in soy sauce and on long legs. A bit of a salty mineral lilt happens between finish & next pull.

Burns a tick off-center causing a wavy line which needs a singular re-direct at the end of 1/3. Pacing of burn seems a half-bit quicker than moderate. Ash builds well. Pressed corners round about a 1/4" off char. The selling point of this performance is a smooth even draw. Big smoke out-put smells like the finish tastes.

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

###

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Trailhead Coffee Roasters Santa Rosa Guatemala Honey Process | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Trailhead Coffee Roasters
Honey Process Finca de Cortinas
Santa Rosa Guatemala

LOCATION: PDX
ORIGIN: Santa Rosa, Guatemala
VARIETAL: Bourbon, Caturra, Pache

PROCESS: Honey Process
ROAST: Light-Medium
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: www.trailheadcoffeeroasters.com

>>>

NOTES:
Brick red highlights & cloudiness sinking to the bottom of my mason jar/glass. Evens to a matte finish of good clarity. Heavy vanilla bean note up-front in nice balance. A bit of black tea astringency then. 

Finishes in a dew heavy juicy tropical floral. Slurping complexities up-top are a cocoa accompaniment with its own caramel lilt. A good bit of appropriate spices hit the tea. Some toasted nuttiness ebbs & flows. Quite heavily nuanced. Very earthen after finish before next sip.

"Oh, this is an A," I said to myself alone in my living room & upon the first sip. Sometimes the best offering lends to the shortest review. Advice? Experience this cup for yourself.

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

###

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Verdant Tea Bai Ji Guan Wuyi Oolong 2017 | Review by Kaplowitz

“LoFi & lovely”


Verdant Tea
Bai Ji Guan Wuyi Oolong 2017

ORIGIN: Wuyisha, Fujian, China
TYPE: Oolong

FORMAT: Loose
METHOD: Grandpa style

WEBSITE: verdanttea.com

>>>

NOTES:
Pretty. Leafy leaves unfurl and get vibrant green with reddish highlights in my mason jar. Liquor has a tint of that on a crisp golden canvass. While dry, the leaves nose mineral earthy with a bit of smoked tobacco. Wet is a richer deeper that. Earthier.

Very brisk until it isn't. Mineral forward sips with an underneath that briny lilt, seen on the slurp, more usual to Japanese Green tea than Chinese Oolong. Herbaceous top to bottom, sip to slurp. White to yellow floral bits sweet lightly toasted vegetal goodness. I did mention mineral, yes? Bigly.

Aroma shows all that vegetation sweetly, with mineral cleanliness. Body-wise this is a smooth operator of a brew. Minimal if any astringency and quite pillowy. While the nose is clean, there is a slight cloying of a burgeoning salty sweetness as cuppa cools. This smooths to buttery rather quickly, then back, then repeat.

Complex and lively-so. As transitional a tea as you can imagine. If you aren't a mineral fan, avoid. Finishes long and lip-smackingly of body. Maybe a tick of drying astringency would have been nice. Still, nice. It's a spectrum --- but what isn't?

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

###

Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Aganorsa Leaf
Connecticut

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto box-press
ORIGIN: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A., Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Mild-Medium

WEBSITE: www.aganorsaleaf.com

>>>

NOTES:
Growing up, I appreciated my dad's cigars even more than I appreciated his Juggs magazines. Maybe that's hindsight. Nevertheless: overtones of creamy sweet citrus. Let's say grapefruit. Cedar. Let's say the cream toasts lightly via progression.

This is inherent in a natty 'baccy core. Outliers &/or undertones are white pepper (very-so thru the nose), diner joe, cashew. Further adrift is a hay golden earthiness with clay hints. 

Well-balanced w/ subtle complexities & cushioned nuances. Finishes sweetly with a pale kick. Straight-forward and classic, never boring or tedious. Bright and whimsical-some. Burns on a somewhat quicker than moderate pace on a care-free even-line.

Great amounts of smoke both passively & actively build into a black & white television room-note of a sweet tangy aroma. Mild box press holds admirably, as does ash. Draws smooth gate-to-wire. Would pair well with an early afternoon viewing of WE tv.

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

###

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

La Sonrisa Cigars Victory | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


La Sonrisa
Victory

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: Indonesian Sumatro
FILLER: Nicaraguan (Condego, Jalapa)

FORMAT: Corto Gorda (454)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
BLENDER: Silvio David Martinez
STRENGTH: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: lasonrisacigars.com

NOTES:
The cold draw is reminiscent of an autumn campfire. Yeah, I don't know why I write certain things either. A short and persuasive stick which plops you right in off the turnip truck. Overtones are black pepper (+ cayenne in the 3/3), hickory, toasted almond. Undertones are coffee and cocoa, neither of which are beyond generic takes, but they serve nicely. Underbelly rides high and deep with a cloud of dust atop cereal grain, dirt, sweet hay.

Finishes with a flurry of red spices not seen on the draw, which linger on the cheeks & tongue twixt pulls. Texture of smoke is a tick+ prickly, somewhat drying. The profile is well rounded and well toasted, but the first is achieved via simple strokes. A pleasant and attainable thing, which at the same times kicks just a bit too much to fully carry that mantle.

Burns on a straight line. Draws quite well. The ash would build for maybe the whole smoke if ya let it. The excellence of construction is not in doubt here. Smoke out-put is thick, culminating in a leathery sweet-spice room-note with leather additions which would have been great on the draw.

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

###

KLLR Coffee Colombia | Review by Kaplowitz

"Wabi-Sabi"


KLLR Coffee 
Colombia

LOCATION: OKC
ORIGIN: Inza, Colombia
VARIETAL: Caturra, Timor hybrids (Variedad Colombia, Tabi)

PROCESS: Washed
ROAST: Medium
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: kllrcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:
Bright & nuanced. Balanced. Acidic (apricot & berry) and darkly spiced toasted oak. Fruity & savory. Sips, all those. Slurps add a grape vibe, some leather underpinnings (particularly to the finish) and a tick of pepper. Very delineated thin notes delivered with almost surgical precision. The aforementioned leathery finish is long and fruity as well + some spiced black tea.

Eyeballs as crisp & clean as it tastes with a nice reddish under-hue. Very berry nosing w/ a tick of dark chocolate & almonds which gets added to the slurp when I go looking for it there. Complex and even transitionally-so in cigar parlance. It's a pretty woman w/ delicate features and strong haunches. I feel, at times, we forget how good a good Colombian can be.

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

Monday, August 26, 2019

San Juan Island Tea Farm Organic Assam West Jalinga Black Tea | Review by Kaplowitz

#leafyAF


San Juan Island Tea Farm Organic
Assam West Jalinga Black Tea

ORIGIN: W. Jalinga Estate, South Assam, India
TYPE: Black tea (Assam)

FORMAT: Loose leaf
METHOD: Infuser

WEBSITE: www.sanjuanislandtea.com

>>>

NOTES:
Eyeballs in a sparkling-clear manner; a nice rich amber-hued liquor. Nose is a quite bit of honey w/  refreshing spice bracing. Sips in the same manner; malty & peppery. Fresh & briskly-so. Purposeful. Excellent tannic dry quality on the slurp. A bit of citrus rind is added there.

Fantastic body, clean and sweet-spicy citrus. A superbly balanced and well-rounded cup. Quite nuanced. Finish sees the orange turn lemony. Lacking in complexities somewhat & by design -- straightforward.

Attainable and pleasant w/ a nice kindly kick. A can't miss tea for fill-in-the-blank occasions; short of seeking the exotic. Quite familiar.

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

###

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Kaplowitz Media: Cigars of the Month (August 2019)

"Wabi-Sabi"


"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, 8/19) cigar offerings I humbly found to be worthy of A (- to +) review ratings.

>>>

THE A-TEAM/LIST
{Names are links to full reviews.}


>>>

Please note this is the penultimate crop of Grade A smokes which will be eligible for the 2018-19 Kaplowitz Media Cigar of the Year. For more info re: that check out https://bit.ly/2yZt5Uh "Programming Note: Kaplowitz Media Cigar of the Year 2018-19 & More -- Coming in September." Also, check-in on the News. page for KM updates on this and more: https://bit.ly/30tn3ao

###

Friday, August 23, 2019

Protocol Cigars Sir Robert Peel Natural | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

"LoFi & lovely."


Cubariqueno Protocol Cigars
Sir Robert Peel Natural

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro, Box-pressed
ORIGIN: La Zona Factory, Esteli, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: https://cubariqueno.com

>>>

NOTES:
Copper pennies & pistachio nuts. Thems different than the norm. Natural sweet creamy 'baccy forward. Overtones are a sweet tangy cedar with tangerines and those copper pennies as accompaniment. White peppercorn. A bit of clove. Undertones? Sure: milk chocolate, pistachio nuts then cashew, boiled peanuts, pinewood. Underbelly is a bit of a grassy vibe in bright earthiness. Sweet creaminess comes on greater in each 1/3.

Tangy minerals & lots of nutty wood. Sweet. Creamy but more acidic than smooth. Crisp & clean & curiously also cloying. These two aspects tangle regularly, knocking the profile a bit out of balance. Smoke out-put is big both passively & actively, culminates in a rather simple but pleasant room-note quite reminiscent of a mellow cigar aroma. Burns on an even line gate-to-wire. Draw is just a half-tick more than open. Ash builds admirably. Box-press slightly+ rounds by char & a half-inch down from it.

Complexities don't hit until the mid-point when pale candied fruits link the citrus & earthen notes. Still, it remains attainable. Some interesting transitions. Not much in terms of nuance as nothing here quite sticks to the ribs. Mainly a pleasant and just entertaining 'nuff smoker which is easy to enjoy sans needing to devote much of your attention to.

Ending a sentence with a proposition is perfectly fine in informal situations; such as the one we now find ourselves in.

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

###

Driven Coffee Roasters Guatemala Antigua | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Driven Coffee Roasters
Guatemala Antigua

LOCATION: Minneapolis
ORIGIN: Guatemala (Antigua)
VARIETAL: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai​

PROCESS: Washed/European (drying) Method
ROAST: Medium
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: www.drivencoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:
Sweet & spicey & lemony crisp. Although to the eye, a fog rolls into my mason jar. Noses to the tune of dense peppery earthiness & is more than a bit reminiscent of the cedar inside of my cigar humidor. Sips of dark chocolate, buckwheat honey, and mulling spice. Hearty and robust in sweet flavors and body, tho not in a cloying manner.

Finishes all cherry cordial on long legs, but cleanly-so via a late lemon pith. Slurps add a black tobacco and white dirt (Kaolin) mineral note. Very nicely balanced cup, full of deeply nuanced flavors. Not startlingly complex but more than 'nuff for here. 

As the said cup cools, the mineral bits get some added saltiness which works well with an also coming on leathery savoriness. Not as ham-fisted as bold, all told -- quite expressive, tho.

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

###

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Toscano Cigars Stilnovo | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Manifatture Sigaro Toscano Cigars
Stilnovo (long format)

WRAPPER: American fire-cured Kentucky
BINDER: Italian (Val di Chiana) fire-cured Kentucky
FILLER: Italian (Val di Chiana) fire-cured Kentucky

FORMAT: 6.5x40
ORIGIN: Lucca Italy
STRENGTH: Full

WEBSITE: miamicigar.com

>>>

NOTES:
[This offering was smoked whole, not 'ammezzato' (half).]

Gruff but smooth; stubble over a greasy face. So eye-talian! Overtones of shoe leather roasting over an open fire. Black pepper over a hint of its own cocoa undertone. Licorice. Full undertones: a red-purple ripe fruitiness which is difficult to pull out completely. Also, the rather generic campfire hardwood from up-top becomes a more nuanced & rich hickory/mesquite down below. 

The finish is a robust but not off-putting black pepper w/ surprising dose of red wine on a set of legs Sophia Loren would be proud of. The ending is a charcoal laced affair. As far as KFC dark fullness is concerned, this one has the most pleasant texture I can recall. Complexities, too.

Burns on a fugly but straight un-molded line which requires a complete re-light at the 1/2. Ash dumps freely -- WATCH IT!!! Draw wiggles around in the tight but not terribly-so spectrum. Smoke out-put is muted as is (surprisingly) the room-note. There is a certain fresh herbaceousness to it. Would pair well with the moon hitting you in the eye like a big pizza pie. That's amore. I dig it.

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

###

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Townshend's Tea Company No. 10 Sticky Rice Pu-Erh | Review by Kaplowitz

“LoFi & lovely”


Townshend's Tea Company
No. 10 Sticky Rice Pu-Erh

ORIGIN: Yunnan, China
TYPE: (Shou) Pu'erh (scented w/ Nuomixiang)

FORMAT: Bird's nest
METHOD: Infuser

WEBSITE: www.townshendstea.com

>>>

NOTES:
The small cakes are more flaky than dense. Darkly complected. A shock of goldenrod is here and there, lesser-so shocks of a lively green. Smells like Nuomixiang, the rice-scented herb employed here. Read: the cakes smell like rice (or a caricature thereof). A lot & a lot of it; triggers me salivating in vegetal savory anticipation.

Once brewed, it sits dark & sharp in my mason jar w/ a burgundy under-hue.  Noses there to the tune of a diluted cake note. Go figure. There's some dark roasted tea there, too. Go figure. Earthy, bigly-so. Fantastically aromatic. 'Rice' over tea. Sips somewhere twixt black tea & beef broth. Doubles-down on the Nuomixiang, which tastes like rice w/ cheerios smashed in.

[A more balanced look at the black tea would be nice.*] Overall, heavy, substantial. Somewhat fungal. Fleeting bit of pepper-spicy stiffness. Barnyard, compost, black dirt. Slurping lets some light shine in and a tick of a watery vibe. Just a half-hint of astringency which keeps a burgeoning sweetness from cloying. Molasses, maybe.

The finish is pats of butter pillowiness, long and also slightly tingles the corner of my tongue. For some reason making me wanna say "black walnut." Underneath that note which maybe isn't there, is/are purple fruit preserves. I'm most likely just imagining I taste soy sauce. Anise. Hard-hitting. Deeply nuanced. A lot to take in.

*Subsequent brewings (2) show the black tea itself to ring a tick hollow. Perhaps why it doesn't hold up against the nuomixiang at the first brew above.

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

###

La Sonrisa Cigars Wally No. 3 | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

"LoFi & lovely."


La Sonrisa
Wally No. 3

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Habana Criolla
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
BLENDER: Silvio David Martinez

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: lasonrisacigars.com

>>>

NOTES:
Tangy, sweet; richly balanced. Chocolate orange cheesecake. Try this recipe from Ghirardelli: https://bit.ly/2YoNEZn | some white pepper and ginger in the pepper-spice category. Undertones are a loaded cup of diner joe (cream & sugar), something like a pancake batter, and a separate tangy bit of citrus pith coming up from the underbelly of bright earth.

The finish is lengthy & adds an herbaceous component to help up the complexities. Body lasts through said finish all tingly & crisp. Clean. Excellent smoke out-put culminates in a rather muted citrus natty 'baccy. Nuanced, well-rounded, and again, balanced. Although grains/vegetals are somewhat lacking in savoriness. 

Burns on a tick of a wobble which requires a re-direct at each third. Draws smoothly & readily. Seams loosen a hair at char but not egregiously-so. Some softening of pack occurs there as well, but minimally-so. Ash clings on throughout each third, in an oily and dense sheath. All told, a pleasant surprise of an offering.

Making matters better is the Reno bit of camp that is the band artwork; which could just as easily appear on the back of a deck of casino playing cards. I like using semi-colons to prove I went to college; I sometimes misuse them because it was a state school.

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

###

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Verdant Tea 1990 Aged Tieguanyin | Review by Kaplowitz

“LoFi & lovely”


Verdant Tea
1990 Aged Tieguanyin
Oolong Tea from Master Zhang

ORIGIN: Daping Village, Anxi, Fujian, China
TYPE: Oolong

FORMAT: Loose
METHOD: Grandpa style

WEBSITE: verdanttea.com

>>>

NOTES:
The 'pouch-note' of this Dragonfly style leaf is a muted roasted thing of raisiny musky earthiness. The leaves sorta look that way, too. Brewed & in my trusty mason jar, it appears and noses as a rich reddish amber liquor; with an aroma akin to its leaf. A bit of currant. Sits shiny-clear. 

Sips to the tune of a matte finished salted caramel. A hint of cocoa. Deeply vegetal savory notes. Slurps with a warm dusty light spiciness (which rises as the cup cools) & an additional mineral complexity to earthiness. Almost extraordinarily herbaceous, particularly on its finish. Lush leafy trees and shrubs. A walk through a dewy morning forest. Ornate in its deep simplicity.

For all its musky earthiness and its round notes almost void of astringency, it finishes quite clean. Smooth as silk across-the-board, including the calm mood it imparts, which lingers well past its legs.

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

###

KLLR Coffee Single Origin Washed Ethiopian | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


KLLR Coffee Roasters
Single Origin Washed Ethiopian

LOCATION: OKC
ORIGIN: Guji, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
VARIETAL: Heirloom

PROCESS: Washed (Uraga wet mill)
ROAST: Light-Medium
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: kllrcoffee.com

>>>

NOTES: 
Eyes to a peachy tint & peach fuzz haziness. Noses like a fruit bowl kept in a Spanish cedar humidor. Most notable is the Oolong tannic experience on the corners of my tongue and the sweet earth which attaches itself there. The rest is crisp & clean to the point of pleasantly sharp. Sips its nosing & its eyeballing notes. 

A good slurp gets more of the same + a distinct candied edible flower entrant. Maybe even a bit of the white frosting or icing -- dependant upon your geographic-based linguistics. Complex, bright & neither to the point of unsettling the balance. Delicate. Attainable if you try a tick.

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

###

Monday, August 19, 2019

Kaplowitz Radio EP140 | Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz 2.1 "Carport"

"LoFi & lovely."



PLAYLIST:

SHOW CIGAR: GTO Pain Killer Maduro
SHOW TEA: Townshend's Tea No. 46 Iron Goddess of Mercy


Kaplowitz Radio is sponsored by:

Caldwell Cigar Co.: caldwellcigars.com
Gran Habano Cigars: www.ghcigars.com
GTO Cigars: www.gtodominicancigars.com
Illusione Cigars: www.illusionecigars.com

"Live from the Debonaire Athenaeum"
is brought to you by Debonaire House:
www.debonairehouse.com

Kaplowitz Radio is available on:

Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/2LXlopr
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lsn7mg
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2X70n24
& on/at many other spots/locales.

RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dea670/podcast/rss

Friday, August 16, 2019

Jas Sum Kral Cigars (JSK) Nuggs Habano | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Jas Sum Kral Cigars (JSK)
Nuggs Habano 20mg CBD

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan (Jalapa, EstelĂ­)

FORMAT: Petite Robusto (448)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera de Aragon, Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: jassumkral.com

>>>

NOTES:
Smoothly tangy. Dull knife under a pillow cushion texture. Bitter orange. Peaty. White pepper & leather. Undertones to them overtones are pinewood, quite vegetal pale nuttiness. Milk chocolate, something like bright hops. Some grassiness. Coffee w/ cream & sugar comes in at the half and steers the remaining experience from its upper middlings locale.

Underbelly is chicken coop and dirt w/ mineral tendencies. The retro-hale smell/taste is reminiscent of someone smoking a joint in the house next door. I think they're snacking on SweeTarts. Overall quite a tangy vegetal experience braced by white pepper of which two deliveries are made; one up-front and another near mid-point. There's something of a burnt quality to many notes, particularly up-top.

Burns on an even line. The pacing seems a bit erratic, speeding up then slowing. Ash grows well & draw is smooth and even. Moderate smoke out-put sans much of a room-note. Sans too, of any hard/soft spots in packing.

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

###

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Trailhead Coffee Roasters Verde | Review by Kaplowitz

"LoFi & lovely."


Trailhead Coffee Roasters
Verde Mexico Cafe Femenino

LOCATION: PDX
ORIGIN: Mexico
VARIETAL: Bourbon, Typica

PROCESS: Washed
ROAST: Medium
BREW METHOD: Mud coffee

WEBSITE: www.trailheadcoffeeroasters.com

>>>

NOTES: 
Crackling acidity. Pleasant tannic quality, Bone China body. Bright, light, & alright. Mellow sips of Dutch-process cocoa and fresh-cut lumber. Slurps to a peach fuzz addition. Understated, top to bottom. Sophisticated. Much like myself. Much like myself.

Cheerfully calm cup a' joe. The finish has longer legs than I'd expect from a lighter offering. Good complexities there twixt overtones, earthen underbelly, and all or most points 'tween. Sits pretty in my mason jar coffee mug all crisp & clean & sheen.

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

###

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Aganorsa Leaf Signature Selection Belicoso | Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Aganorsa Leaf
Signature Selection Belicoso

WRAPPER: Nicaragua Rosado Claro Corojo ’99
BINDER: Nicaragua Corojo ’99
FILLER: Nicaragua Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’99

FORMAT: Belicoso (6.25x52)
ORIGIN: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa (TABSA) Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: www.aganorsaleaf.com

>>>

NOTES:
Both a bit brash and a bit flat. Like a power-lifter with a backache. That's mainly overcome prior to the end of the opening act. The brashness, I mean. Still a pleasant smoke with a proper pepper kick but lacking in wow.

White & black pepper drive the overtones of oak and shortbread cookies. Some cashew bits. Pecan. Don't the Keebler Elves do a thing a la that? Buttery & tingly mouth-feel. Red pepper through the retro-hale. Undertones of coffee, cinnamon, & a salted caramel note. Mellow but also a bit sharp. Some citrus pith hits the finish which is mainly a wood earthiness. Bright. Underbelly is that finish.

I feel as though my opening thoughts are harsh. It's a perfectly fine smoker but is lacking what the French would call "A certain subway fare." Performs well, w/ dings of a slightly curved burn & a bit restricted draw. Ash holds well, cap assemblage stays true as do seams. No hard/soft spots.

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

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Guerrilla Coffee Soldado | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Guerrilla Coffee
Soldado

LOCATION: Blossburg PA
ORIGIN: Honduran
VARIETAL: Arabica: Catuai

PROCESS: Wet/washed
ROAST: Medium
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: guerrillacoffee.com

>>>

NOTES:
Stiff oily delivery. Salacious! Wooden savory notes; oak & leather sip -- clean & crisp. Bright but balanced well. Slurps to the tune of rather delicate hibiscus bits, less delicate nuttiness: Black walnut | almond, a bit of a savory fungal vibe. Toasty earthen underbelly. Rich, thinly.

Complex on not too ornately long of a flavor list. Each note goes a long way and each plays well in the other's underneaths. Too, remains delineated. Nuanced. Finishes with a salted bit of blueberry pie; holds that a good bit. (Noses more floral | fruity than it sips | slurps.)

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

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Monday, August 12, 2019

Kaplowitz Radio EP139 | Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz 2.0 "Herbaceousness"

"Wabi-Sabi."



PLAYLIST:

GTO Mandinga!
Frontline Blue Line
Dapper El Borracho Maduro
Founders Sons of Liberty
Rough Shift Rookie Roast
San Juan Island Jasmine Green Tea

SHOW CIGAR: Dapper Cigar Co. Cubo Sumatra
SHOW COFFEE: KLLR Coffee Colombia


Kaplowitz Radio is sponsored by:

Caldwell Cigar Co.: caldwellcigars.com
Gran Habano Cigars: www.ghcigars.com
GTO Cigars: www.gtodominicancigars.com
Illusione Cigars: www.illusionecigars.com

"Live from the Debonaire Athenaeum"
is brought to you by Debonaire House:
www.debonairehouse.com

Kaplowitz Radio is available on:

Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/2LXlopr
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lsn7mg
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2X70n24
& on/at many other spots/locales.

RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dea670/podcast/rss


Friday, August 9, 2019

Rough Shift Roasters Rookie Roast | Coffee Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Rough Shift Roasters
Rookie Roast

LOCATION: Ocala, Florida
ORIGIN: Colombia
VARIETAL: Arabica

PROCESS: ?
ROAST: Light
BREW METHOD: Pour-over

WEBSITE: roughshiftroasters.com

>>>

NOTES:
Woodsy & sweet. Lively & bright. Eyeballs crisp-to-sharp with a golden under-hue. Noses big full of sweet herbal nuttiness. There's a lot of the nosing on the sip: balsa & pinewood, pignoli cookies yeastiness, an airy inherent citrus sweetness which is difficult to pinpoint but seems patisserie more so than confectionery.

Undertones are rather like un-played jazz notes. A smattering of terra cotta, a bit of stiff white pepper. The body is an Oolong tea astringency which coats the tongue. The finish is of moderate length and complex floral herbaceousness. A delicate and jaunty type of thing, this. Complex and lesser-so nuanced. Brisk and quite enjoyable. 

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

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Founders Coffee Company Sons of Liberty | Review by Kaplowitz

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”


Founders Coffee Co.
Sons of Liberty

LOCATION: New Jersey
ORIGIN: Mexico
VARIETAL: ???

PROCESS: ???
ROAST: Dark
BREW METHOD: Mud coffee

WEBSITE: www.founderscoffee.us

>>>

NOTES:
Noses a bit grainy, eyeballs dense & glossy.  Lithe, charred notes. Dark chocolate, oak, & tick of pepper on the sip. Slurp offers up 'baccy stalk mild smokiness, a little raisin, a little prune. Very clean, crisp. With some cooling of cup, a cherry note sidles up to the slurp then sip.

Astringently dry & delicately-so. The finish is gone quick but gives a licorice nutty flash. Bright but shadowy. I don't know what that means either. Complex af given its fleeting nature of notes. Lots of meaningful flighty untethered nuances.

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

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Thursday, August 8, 2019

Dapper Cigar Co. El Borracho Maduro - Cigar Review Redux by Kaplowitz

"LoFi & lovely."


Dapper Cigar Co.
El Borracho Maduro

WRAPPER: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Edmundo (5.5 x 52) Box Pressed
ORIGIN: Nicaragua America Cigars, S.A. (NACSA)
STRENGTH: Full

WEBSITE: dappercigars.com

>>>

NOTES:
So mature is this profile that it has long ago spoken to Henry Winkler about a reverse mortgage. Viscous plum sweetness inherent in a natural 'baccy & braced by black pepper. Dark chocolate shavings. Undertones are top-to-bottom: clove, leather & its oils, Teriyaki beef jerky, smoked paprika, black walnut. Underbelly is compost, manure and all kinds of gross shit which taste wonderful in cigars. There is a slight throatiness, some sharp corners in the 3/3.

Finishes with a slightly salty mineral lilt which aids in cleaning up after a long-legged sweet-savory finish. Smoke out-put is moderate+ and culminates in a room-note of a peppery iteration of finish. Burns evenly and at a lovely pace. Stacks ash all silvery & admirably. Draws evenly throughout with just the proper tick of resistance.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: https://bit.ly/2ZJxFSd

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

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