Thursday, February 13, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Hiatus 2020 User Guide

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

WARNING
Toward the end of this rather & perhaps needlessly lengthy programming note, I will be asking for donations to keep Kaplowitz Media. going & G R O W I N G. Methods of donating are via the following links: PayPal or CashApp thx & now...

LENGTH OF HIATUS
This yearly KM hiatus will span Feb. 14 - Feb. 29, 2020.

WHAT IT MEANS
During the above stated time, no new content will be posted. In other words, this post you are currently reading, which is published to this blog you are currently visiting, posted on Feb. 13, 2020 -- will be it for new content -- until March 1, 2020. I feel I've over-explained but also as if I've just begun to do so.

[PROGRAMMING CAVEATs]
During this time, new disILLUSIONE dePROGRAMMING will continue to be created/disseminated. Namely, one (1) podcast & one (1) vodcast. They will not, however, post to the main page here but instead to the disILLUSIONE dePROGRAMMING page. Also, to the Kaplowitz Radio. & Kaplowitz Television. pages. Dates of those drops are Feb 17 & 24, respectively. Pages can be seen as limbs of the tree which is this blog. You are currently reading from its trunk, & reference to said trunk was made also in the above segment entitled "WHAT IT MEANS." k

YouTube fun will also be (maybe) made during this hiatus, so subscribe to the Kaplowitz Media YouTube channel just in case. That content will (probably) be exclusive to there & may or may not be cigar-centric in nature. You can get there by clicking HERE. I recommend you do it. Also, follow Kaplowitz Media. on Twitter @KaplowitzMedia

WHAT (else) IS A GENTLEPERSON TO DO?
In the predominant absence of new KM content, I suppose you could always take a daily walk or two. Maybe pick up a hobby such as bocce ball, macrame, or crack cocaine. Maybe check out alternative & ultimately inferior cigar infotainment bits from other more dubious sources. Better yet, check out the KM archives. There are hundreds probably thousands of cigar reviews, podcasts, articles, & videos. I'm sure there are some you missed that you could now catch. Get lost a bit down the rabbit hole of this joint. #opportunity

Or just wait for March 1. Or -- & (I would say) DEFINITELY: contemplate what would happen if this KM hiatus was open-ended. If my return was not for-sure & secured. IF KAPLOWITZ MEDIA SIMPLY WENT AWAY. oh, my. What could you do, you may very well be wondering, to never see that sad day happen -- to safeguard against that big juicy bit of awfulness?

Donate. Kaplowitz Media is a full-time project & the main source of income for a single mom(me). YOU can help keep this going & help keep it G R O W I N G. How? via PayPal or CashApp

WHAT I WILL BE DOING
Resting my palate & throat. Solving crossword puzzles. Pounding the ground for advertisers: WANNA ADVERTISE W/ KAPLOWITZ MEDIA? I also have a book to write (Opening the Books: The Phil Zanghi Story). Naps to take. Teeth to grind. Ruminating to do... you get the gist. I mean it's only a couple weeks. We'll all be fine.

FINALLY
Another excellent way to help support Kaplowitz Media. is to like/share posts wherever you find #KM on social media.

::: very :::

Opening the Books: the Phil Zanghi Story | Episode 1

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Episode 1 of Opening the Books: the Phil Zanghi Story. Indian Motorcycle, Indian Cigars (Tabac Co.) & MORE.

More Opening the Books: The Phil Zanghi Story info: https://bit.ly/3buYdgm

::: very :::

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Villiger Cigars Do Brasil Claro in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Villiger Cigars 
Do Brasil Claro

WRAPPER: Brazilian
BINDER: Brazilian
FILLER: Brazilian

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Villiger do Brasil, Brazil
STRENGTH: Mild

WEBSITE: www.villigercigars.com

NOTES:
Cream | White chocolate | Mineral. Always a tricky notation, mineral... here, it's a flinty/saline meandering I find pleasant but some may take it as not. Very classically candela, this profile -- a double claro of a claro for sure. Excellent creaminess bulges & staves the greenness off of lesser such offerings. Undertones are table sugar, cafe au lait, cardamom addition to pepper, and a dandelion floral note.

Underbelly is white dirt with a slight & pale terra cotta edge. Near excellent complexity & balance, slightly 'near' due to a forward saltiness. Still quite smooth & plushly-so. Sweetness rides high but on the +-side of saline, it's cleaner than cloying. Finish exhibits an interesting white tea attachment to primaries on surprisingly long legs.

Rolled quite firmly. Draws w/ a good bit of resistance but does satiate smoke-hole well. Ash grows slowly & stacks well -- thick, oily. Excellent smoke out-put but does require frequent puffs to stay so. Culminates in a room-note of salted sweet cream, carried by a slight & tantalizing suede. The wrapper suffers then burns cleanly thru a crackling at the end of 1/3. A tick lesser than care-free but well-worth the quite minimal fussing involved.

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

::: very :::

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio EP164 Postshow "Maximus Hiatus"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?



Listen to the podcast ep "Xwords" HERE -- of which this is an addendum to.

Here, a bit more on the Diamond Crown Maximus Toro No. 4 & my upcoming & yearly hiatus.

POWERED BY ILLUSIONE: www.illusionecigars.com

More Kaplowitz Television info: https://bit.ly/2RUhWNB

::: very :::

Ohana Cigars m13 Maduro in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Ohana Cigars
m13 Maduro

WRAPPER: Habano Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: frtobacos.com

NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Raisins | Nutmeg. Softly robust cocoa notes are enhanced by those nutmeg-forward spices. A hint of cinnamon & slight clove attachments, there. That's backed by red/purple fruits;  predominately a raisin, but there are plums & prunes, as well. Syrupy but not in a cloying manner. Black pepper braces well & a sweet-spiced toasted cedar delineation is quite nice.

Underbelly envelopes, circling 'round top in an earthen manner. Compost & rich potting soil. Dense & very nuanced. A complex profile. Cuban coffee fleshes out the middlings alongside a heavy umami dose of savory meatiness. Robust & well-mannered. Heavily luxuriant. Supremely balanced. A bit of roasted salt meets the primaries on the long finish, aids to cleansing well. A very wide stance filled exceptionally well.

Smoke out-put is smoky af offering umami sweetness in its lingering footnote, w/ a smooth pepper-spice kicker. Burn-line is even, & grows oily clingy ash slowly, meditatively. Seams & cap assemblage hold flawlessly. Draws effortlessly gate-to-wire. An old favorite, well-worth tracking down & getting to know.

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

::: very :::

Monday, February 10, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio EP164 "Xwords"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Cigars(high-level) & (low-level)wordplay & Kaplowitz Media news!

More Kaplowitz Radio info: https://bit.ly/37c68MR

::: very :::

Opening the Books: the Phil Zanghi Story | Pilot Episode

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Here is an overview of a very big project Phil Zanghi & myself have embarked upon... telling his story.

More Opening the Books info: https://bit.ly/2OCygBG

::: very :::  

Saturday, February 8, 2020

ANNOUNCEMENT: Opening the Books, A New Kaplowitz Radio Podcast

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Announcing a new episodic Kaplowitz Radio audio adventure: Opening the Books: the story of Phil Zanghi, Debonaire House.

I'm writing a book. This is that journey.

::: very :::

Friday, February 7, 2020

GTO Cigars Torpedo Doble Capas in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

GTO Cigars
Torpedo *Doble Capas
(*Two Wrappers)

WRAPPER: Dominican Maduro | US Connecticut Shade
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: 650 box-pressed Torpedo barber-pole
ORIGIN: Tabacalera GTO Dominicana, DR
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: www.gtodominicancigars.com

NOTES:
Peanut butter | Cream | Pepper. Creamy core, lightly toasted & quite p/lushly received. Rich smooth mellow. Peanut butter is close to an inherent co-primary there. Lip-smacking. Pepper is a white peppercorn, smoothly -- & ground black still smoothly thru the nose. Undertones are a diner cup of loaded joe, salted caramel, and hint of cocoa butter -- particular to the lengthy finish. 

That finish is a sweet thing on a body of accumulated primaries and sweet seconds. Underbelly is creamy earth, bright but not glaringly, robustly. A half-tick dusty. Some chicken coop, some suede. Excellent complexities delivered subtly under the cover of sumptuous softness. Ditto to the nuance. Balance is excellent. The profile does flirt with cloying, but never fully transgresses there.

Very smoky-smoke both passive & active. In the aroma, peanuts turn to cashews & sweet savoriness gets a neat musty attachment. Burn-line wobbles a self-correcting 1/4-tick; as CT seems to burn slower than Maduro (barber-pole). Smokes a bit to the quick-side of moderate. Draw is open. Press rounds some by char but lasts on-down. A pleasantly care-free & EZ experience with depths that are apparent if sought after.

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

::: very :::

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Found Poetry | Cigar email Subject Lines

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Perhaps you follow Kaplowitz Media. on Twitter. (You should.) If & now that you do, you may too have noticed I've been having some fun with the staggering amount of email blasts (spam?) sent out by the good folks over at JR Cigars (not a sponsor).  Below are the subject lines of their 2/5 emailings.

Dearest customer, we've got some good news: $10 off Baccarat + 10 free cigars

Prime Time Price Drop: $10 off Romeo Anejados + free humidor

Happy Hour Herf: 20 top smokes only $39.95

12 hours of savings: 20 Rocky cigars only $69.95

This week, you're royalty: $20 off El Rey del Mundo + 5 free cigars

Dearest customer, we've got some good news: $10 off Baccarat + 10 free cigars (I know, it's a double, but maybe useful. Dunno.)

Here's one from today (2/6) via Ezra Zion/Nomad because those just tend to crack me up. Those being the people at Ezra Zion (also not a sponsor)...

*NEW CIGAR ALERT!* MELTED VANILLA ICE CREAM is Now Available!

It's amazing what you can accomplish with some leftovers and an inkjet printer. I digress back to JR; WTactualF is going on there? Dunno. But I did sign up for it (as I did the EZ/Nomad) and am staying firmly aboard because creative & comedic fodder like this doesn't grow on trees. I should also add that the above six (6) emails from JR constitute a below avg. out-put highlighted by one brilliant nine (9) email day.

Before I get poetic, "what is found poetry?" you might be asking. Take it away, Wikipedia: "Found poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them (a literary equivalent of a collage) by making changes in spacing and lines, or by adding or deleting text, thus imparting new meaning."

*
*        *

FLEETING

Good news, Romeo
you're royalty! (El Rey del Mundo!)

but

This week. 12 hours. 5 happy hours.
a dearest prime NOW on top?
then, a melted vanilla ice cream.

drop

__________________

You see, it is a warning. No. Advice; that I found in these ridiculous emails (w/ 5mins. of searching) that all is fleeting. The good, the bad. Just ask Buddha about impermanence. Then, once you've found him, kill him, of course.

I'll let you be after one final poem.

PROPOSAL

Drop Rocky
good free ice cream
available now (if you do)...

My Dearest, I melt.

__________________

A home-wrecking poem, that. Leave him, I can provide better. This brazen bidder has assured himself of a positive result, as he's already melted in anticipation! Poor, poor Rocky. "All's fair in love & war." - John Lyly, Euphues.

This was fun. RIGHT?

::: very :::

JC Newman Cigars Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

JC Newman Cigar Co.
Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown #60

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian SG
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro #60 (650)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera A. Fuente, DR
STRENGTH: Medium

WEBSITE: www.jcnewman.com

NOTES:
Earth | Citrus | Suede

White peppercorn kicker. Earthiness is pale & dusty, a tick terra cotta. Citrus is fusty lemon wedges. Suede is a distance below the others of the triad, a bit scratchy dryly-so. All that sorta dips down from primaries to secondaries, to under-belly. Some herbal qualities lilt in & out sporadically. There's a certain sweetness thru-out, simply & inherently.

One-dimensional; a mainly pleasant dimension. A bit abrading, particularly for only a medium profile. Sandy body on into finish of a moderate length. Sweet/sour earth, there. Nuanced some, complex proper, none. Even-keeled & unadorned, though a bit gruffer than what's typically pleasant. Thru the nose, speaking of gruff -- is pepper & lemon pledge on a dusty desk. Aroma? Rather a muted that w/ a bit of suede.

Slow-smoker. Straight-burner. Ash-stacker. Heart-breaker. Dream-maker. Love-taker. Don't you mess around with me. You're a heart-breaker, dream-maker, a love-taker. Don't you mess around, no no no. Where was I? Oh yes, bored. I am at bored. Nice smoke out-put. All aspects of roll hold admirably.

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio EP163 Postshow "The Office"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



SUPPORT Kaplowitz Media.: link
LISTEN (EP163): link

RE(re)BUTTAL FODDER: link

POWERED BY ILLUSIONE: www.illusionecigars.com

More Kaplowitz Television info: https://bit.ly/2RUhWNB

::: very :::

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Cuevas Reserva Maduro by Casa Cuevas in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Cuevas Reserva Maduro
by Casa Cuevas 

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (552)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Medium Full

NOTES:
Black pepper | Anise | Smoked paprika. Dark chocolate is an attachment to all those notes. Spiced cedar braces atop the dark middlings of cumin, cayenne, leather. Coffee beans secure vertical delineations. Underbelly is barnyard, topsoil.  There are hints of dried purple fruits on the lengthy finish, joining there w/ toppers & chocolate. A bit of toasted grain. A cola note ebbs & flows thru the profile. A 1/2-tick sharply textured in the opening act only, then oiled by leathers.

Rather a crisp delivery w/ clean end. Some intriguing inter-play w/ dark chocolate, particularly in the primaries & again w/ grains. Nuanced in an airy not dense manner. Lack of compression gives the opportunity to see from many an angle. A handful of candied almonds near the 3/3 start is a nice closing to a pleasantly transitional stick.

Burns hot, fast, & audibly(at times). Ash splits. Then it calms in the 2nd half. Oddly feels quite light & firmly-rolled at the same time. An imperfect burn-line, altho requiring 0 touch-ups. Seams hold, cap/shoulder, as well. Excellent draw gate-to-wire. A muted smokiness passively becomes voluminous when puffed. Culminates in a sweet toasted earth room-note. The smoke is a hair irritating to my sensitive, intelligent, dare I say "sexy" eyes.

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

::: very :::

Monday, February 3, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio EP163 "Limericks"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



Mike joins me & we talk limericks, cigars, & I try to do a crossword puzzle. Thanks for listening.

More Kaplowitz Radio info: https://bit.ly/37c68MR

::: very :::