Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Kristoff Cigars Shade Grown in Review "A Jar of Potpourri One Room Over"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Kristoff Shade Grown

WRAPPER: Honduran CT Shade
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Dominican

FORMAT: Robusto (5.5x54) pig-tail cap, unfinished foot
ORIGIN: Charles Fairmorn, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium

WEBSITE: kristoff.com

NOTES:
Caramel | Honey | Suede

Whispered complexities. The complexities be all like "hello?" & get this, they're down a well. Depths. Musty depths. Layers of soft nuance. Caramel candies in your grandma's suede pocketbook. Orange blossom honey. Finely ground white pepper kicker. A citrus lilt separates from honey in a musty manner. An un-egregious amount brackish. 

Undertones bulge w/ clotted cream, hazelnut paste. That accumulates on body & into plush-posh finish. Some floral bits, a jar of potpourri one room over. A dusty old-country spice rack. Pale grain under-belly in sunlit earth. A lovely aroma of (again) layered that + a cedar bit, softly. Softly. Subtly complex if you look for it...

... Simple malty mellow sweet creaminess if you don't. That aroma culminates in an inviting room-note, but dispatches unevenly & off a sometimes wobbled burn. A couple of re-touches are mandated. Packed a bit loosely & the shaft does soften on-down, as does cap/shoulder. Fugly ash. A bit of a hectic performance does subtract from a care-free palate.

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

::: very :::

Monday, June 29, 2020

Cigars to Smoke on the Fourth of July | A Handful of Recommended Sticks Made w/ USA Leaf

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Cigars to Smoke on the Fourth of July | A Handful of Recommended Sticks Made w/ USA Leaf. That's kind of a clumsy title, huh? Now imagine how much more clumsy it'd be, trying to carry it w/ out fingers. Blow yourself apart see if I care.

Red Meat Lovers Club by Dunbarton T&T
Dark chocolate | Black peppercorn | Fruity/floral
Read my full review HERE.

Debonaire Maduro
Peppercorn | Dark chocolate | Cappuccino
Read my full review HERE.

El Artista El Pulita 60 Aniversario
Cocoa butter | Milk chocolate | Cedar
Read my full review HERE.

Dapper Cigars Cubo Sumatra
Cayenne | Creme Brulee | Fruity/floral
Read my full review HERE.

Principle Cigars Frothy Monkey
Produce peppers | Dark chocolate | Red spices
Read my full review HERE.

NOW MAKE SHIT GO BOOM.


::: very :::

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio EP182 "Golden Pilgrimage"

Another YAHTZEE of a BONANZA of a (really big) shoe, gentlepersons.

On this EP of Kaplowitz Radio. we have appearances from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Tim Raney of Split Rail Coffee, & Noel Rojas of Rojas Cigars. All told baseball, terroir, the Cuban black market &&& MORE is/are discussed. Plus, some Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz, Tweets I Didn't Tweet, A classic dose of a Kaplowitz Radio presentation, & Shakespeare! yw 

The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Media.

available on:
& everywhere else

For more 411 on Kaplowitz Radio. go HERE.

REVIEWS:

Espinosa 601 Blue
Espinosa Habano
Espinosa La Zona
Espinosa Laranja H-town Lancero
Espinosa Laranja Reserva Escuro
Espinosa Murcielago (2017)
Espinosa Warzone

Split Rail Colombia Frutas Caturra
Split Rail Finca El Rincon
Split Rail Hana Asrat Tilhun
Split Rail La Gloria
Split Rail Kenya Kiaga Fair Trade

Friday, June 26, 2020

Kristoff Cigars JT Signature Series in Review "Illustrated a la Dr. Katz, Say?"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Kristoff Cigars JT
Signature Series

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian HVA Habano
BINDER: Sumatra
FILLER: Mexican San Andrés, Dominican Republic

FORMAT: Toro Extra box-press, pig-tail cap, unfinished foot
ORIGIN: Charles Fairmorn, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: kristoff.com

NOTES:
Cedar | Black peppercorn | Almonds

A fusty, not mottled delivery. The structure is held via a rather stoic cedar. Mossy there, fuzzy. Lush w/ surrounding vegetation. Black peppercorn (coarse round) & Almonds (blanched) play closely together. Close to pepper from up-under is a dusty spice rack. Situated similarly under almonds are roasted coffee beans, dark & oily. All this sitting within blurry borders but again, bordered nonetheless. Illustrated a la Dr. Katz, say?

Other undertones are predominantly surrounding a leathery earthen core. Rye, clotted cream, a bit of buckwheat honey mainly there to carry a rather intriguing malt note, funky in a good way. Sweet in an inherent manner. Savory in a vegetal way. Kindly peppered w/ pepper. Lacking some in sour/saltiness but not egregiously 'nuff-so to be stripped of being considered balanced. Somewhat lacking in complexity but compensated in deep nuances. No transitions. A country drive on a foggy day of a cigar.

Very smoky-smoke out-put yields a somewhat muted sweet-savory nose. A bit ashy. Tends to burn hot, requiring less pulls lest it burns too quick. This is in keeping w/ its somewhat sedate profile. Seems apropos. Germane. This word-of-the-day calendar is truly paying dividends. Draw is open, smoothly, not airily-so. Ash grows to moderate lengths. The whole thing just sorta feels nice in the hand... smooth, effortless. Harkening back to fancy previous words re the profile itself. Indubitably.

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

::: very :::

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (June 2020)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Kaplowitz Media.
CIGARS of the MONTH: JUNE 2020
[Names are links to full reviews]


Index of cigars of the month posts: https://bit.ly/3gfalEB

EDITOR'S NOTE: A helluva month culminating in a long/strong list of A-grade offerings. WIth September coming up soon-ish & sneakily, it's important to remember that only ONE (1) of these will move on to the next round in the KM Cigar of the Year unfurling. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

...

Plans have been announced for the 5th Anniversario Celebracion of Kaplowitz Media. during the month of September. The full Slate of events feature:
  • 9/1. Kappy Awards
  • 9/15. Kaplowitz Guide 2020
  • 9.26-30. Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year
More info to follow.
Here's all the info thus far (in podcast form): https://bit.ly/2BYU2Mp

::: very :::

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Rojas Cigars Bluebonnet in Review "A Thoughtfully Attainable & Enjoyable Go"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Rojas Cigars Bluebonnet

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Corojo
BINDER: Nicaraguan Corojo
FILLER: Nicaraguan Corojo

FORMAT: Lancero
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium

NOTES:
Sweet spices | Cocoa butter | Toasted cream

Cream holds up quite well against spices. Spices are a top-heavy clove, cinnamon yet still allowing for cardamom and pale ginger to show thru. The creaminess is a dairy thing, but also a lightly savory leather underneath a lending cocoa butter. The cocoa butter note is breezily busy, being there & on its lonesome w/ milk chocolate nethers. Pepper is front & then again backloaded in a black & green peppercorn manner w/ underlying cayenne, easily.

Undertones are that milk chocolate seeping down, layering into a bit of clay earthiness. Also: white peppercorn, a tick of orange pith, a loaded cup of diner joe brewed weakly, loaded w/ cream & sugar. Underbelly is earthen... clay, a bit of creamy hay. A hint of green apple. Lilts of savoriness via leather. Excellently nuanced & at the very least moderately complex. Superbly balanced. Smooth. weighty but not at all burdensome.

Finishes on long cushy legs of sweet spices. Clean if not crisp. Aroma is a bit muted for all the bigly smoke out-put. A pleasant room-note of sweet savoriness. Burn happens on an even-line, which does need a re-light at the end of 1/3. It just snuffs itself there. No further issues. Draw is smoothly-even with a hair's resistance. Packing does see a soft-spot at the shaft's 1/2. Via progression, this stick moves from spice-forward to plush creamy, neither one indelicately more-so than the other. A calming transition. Overall a thoughtfully attainable & enjoyable go.

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

::: very :::

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Kristoff Cigars Vengeance in Review "A Swashbuckler, This One. Swarthy"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (6.25x54) unfinished foot, pig-tail cap
ORIGIN: Charles Fairmorn, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-Full/Full

WEBSITE: kristoff.com

NOTES:
Black peppercorn | Baking spice | Wood

A profile that is steered by wood, therefore perceived as delivered rigidly, kindly-so. There is a constant cream, toasted & thick, though not the latter enough to stave off some gruffness. That wood is a charred wine cask oakiness & seasoned salty cedar, scorched. Baking spice is high-up near the front yet a bit dusty and non-descript; a bit disappointing since the rest of the blend is quite delineated and focused. Black pepper is a front-loaded thing, seeping but not lost into creaminess via progression. 

Undertones are a neat separation of wine & cask for more intimate look-sees at each in each's depths. Excellent layering of nuances, there. Dark chocolate shavings ride high albeit a bit waxily. More cream toasted more, more depths then. Underbelly is a compost pile, some manure, barnyard. Leathery-savory. Tick saline mineraly, responsibly-so. Quite complex in the wood notes, particularly. Some black walnut comes in there at the mid-point, too, a richening of chocolate. I'm realizing this cigar has an eye patch & peg leg, read on...

Neither elegant nor refined but quite complex & nuanced for its intent. That being large, in-charge, & if not in your face -- not at all opposed to being there. A bit of a swashbuckler, this one. Swarthy. A stick w/ an abundance of character & unafraid to impose it on a fellow. Burns well, but the line does mainly run un-egregiously jagged. Self-correcting then self-erring again & again. Draws toward snug but acceptably and evenly. Ash ain't a builder so if that's your fetish get those kicks elsewhere. Aroma comes off a lesser than moderate smoke out-put & is darkly sweet peppery woods. Leathery. The captain's chambers of a pirate ship, say.

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

::: very :::

Monday, June 22, 2020

Rojas Cigars Statement in Review "Speaks Softly and Carries a Big Stick"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Rojas Cigars Statement

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Lancero (738)
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Black pepper | Coffee

Heavy up-front, almost coolly refreshing on the back-end. Clean. Up-front & top is pepper-spicy cacao. Black peppercorn, a bit of green peppercorn, cinnamon, clove, smoked paprika. Then a tick eucalyptus. Cedary, toasted sweetly. Coffee is an Italian roast in a French press; greasy & savory. Umami is boosted with a sploosh of soy sauce. Voluptuous but shy of BBW; a Marilyn Monroe size 14. Silk. It's a silk dress.

Well-structured, rigidly-so but also dipped in leathery oils. A bit hidey, briskly. A refrained/refined weightiness, allowing nice complexities to be seen. Particularly complex in the bitter-sweet realm. Undertones are dark grains, molasses, toasted almonds. Underbelly is compost, rich not overly dense, sweet-bitter. An offering that speaks softly and carries a big stick, say. Deeply nuanced, tho fleetingly-so.

Gives copious smoke out-put, yielding a thinly elegant aroma which is predominantly a sweet meatiness. Smooth. Ash is a bit flaky. Draw, a bit snug at times. Cap/shoulder loosen a half-bit. Burn-line does require a readily-accepted retouch near the half. Some combustion/construction bugaboos but none egregious. Somehow a humorous stick, working a blue room with lesser-risque material. The difference between a penis reference & dick joke told to a drunk audience, then.

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

::: very :::

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP181 "Ragged Hand"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Another cavalcade of audio excellence brought to you by Kaplowitz Media. 

Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars pays a visit & I LOVE WATERWORLD. We also chat old school wrestling. 

Mike drops in to talk gifts for cigar smokers. I lament Jewish holidays for some reason. Also, I discuss Snickers Salad & Bologna Cake.

Then Jarrid Trudeau of Kristoff Cigars pops in to discuss Boston versus NYC pizza. We proceed to throw Chicago Deep Dish & the NY Yankees under several busses. All the busses.

A bonus classic disILLUSIONE dePROGRAM (unofficial & unauthorized Illusione Cigars programming) podcast is re-aired for your pleasure.

A real YAHTZEE of a BONANZA show. thx

links:
& everywhere else

For more 411 on Kaplowitz Radio. go HERE.

::: very :::

Friday, June 19, 2020

Red Meat Lovers Club by Dunbarton T&T Cigars in Review "A Deft Hand Closing into a Ham Fist"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Dunbarton T&T
Red Meat Lovers Club

WRAPPER: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Mexican San Andres Oscuro
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian

FORMAT: Toro Grande (656) pig-tail cap
ORIGIN: Nicaraguan American Cigars, S.A. (NACSA)
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.dunbartoncigars.com

NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Black peppercorn | Fruity/floral

There's a lot of cigar packed into this cigar. Good thing I like cigars. Blended to smoke w/ a steak; sweet 'nuff to enjoy as dessert. Rich but a tick of gruffness scrubs away some heaviness. Staves off cloying bits? We may never know. We do know it is sufficient of weight and smooths via progression. Dark chocolate is a rich bar of the stuff, silky. Black peppercorn braces & is in turn braced by toasted cedar wrapped in leather. Excellent structure.

Fruity floral bits are interesting & a tick of a surprise, really. Pleasantly. Fruity stuff is wild strawberries YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO and some lesser definable berry syrups. Floral stuff is of a tropical variety, dried. Potpourri? These bits add some neat width/depth, make for a deft hand closing into a ham fist.  Undertones are enveloping dark earth, dense but not smotheringly-so. Aspects of manure, compost, topsoil.

Finish is verry-berry. Chocolate & peppery too, & off a moderate length. Which is shorter than expected. A blend that keeps you on your toes as you sit in front of a high cholesterol full plate. Aroma is leather fruity/floral & quite lovely. A bit savory. Enticing. Burns as if German-engineered. Dead-even char. Big fat ash (see: full plate, supplant 2nd H w/ S for LOL yw). Superb draw. Roll stays firm, seams stay tight, cap/shoulder too. Blah blah blah.

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

::: very :::

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Rojas Cigars KSG in Review "Courting the Widow Tillane"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Rojas Cigars KSG*
*King of Small Gauge 

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Lancero (7.5x38) pig-tail cap
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis S.A. Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full

NOTES:
Red pepper | Chocolate | Latte

Brawlers need cuddles, too. I should 'splain. Not aggressive per se, but definitely an overt offering. A bit of inner conflict, as well. Fudgy chocolate dukes it out with red pepper & cayenne kicker. At times, they circle one another... indelicately & with plodding feet. The latte is the cuddle. A soft creamy blanket. A bear rug by a fireplace after the removal of sweet from science, bare-knuckle style. 

Scant notes but B I G ones. Unchanging ones, altho the cream does build pillowy and come the 2/3 onward, steers. Evens, calms (mainly). Undertones of black licorice, smoked meat. Underbelly of barnyard & manure. Manure & barnyard. A stall housing a one-trick pony, say? But it's a helluva trick. Clever Hans was a horse that performed arithmetic. The pony on-hand does calculus. 

Deep nuances do away with the need for complexity. There is a bit of charcoal to a roasted cedar note that comes on at the half. The finish is a tick skeletal, a toasty frame, meatlessly-so. Some draws are a some-hollow & a retouch is needed at the end of 1/3. Ash grows well given the vitola. Packing is a bit soft gate-to-wire but holds. Smoke out-put is wobbly, culminates in a sweet leather pepperiness. This cigar is Will courting the Widow Tillane at the end of The Quiet Man.

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Awarded Second Star | A Kaplowitz Guide Update

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

[For more about The Kaplowitz Guide & how its star rating system works, please visit: https://bit.ly/2SrDUZs]

A second Kaplowitz Media. Star is awarded to Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust.

This due to recent review opportunities & awarenesses including 
  1. A bottom shelf being most's top-shelf w/ Umbagog
  2. A top-shelf being the Good Lord's bottom shelf w/ Sin Compromiso
  3. Steve Saka's blending flexibility on display in the Sobremesa Brulee.
My original Dunbarton T&T Kaplowitz Guide entry can be read at: https://bit.ly/2NaToh6. It should be read. It is FABULOUS. thx 

::: very :::

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog in Review "An Immersive Experience"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Umbagog

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: NACSA, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.dunbartoncigars.com

NOTES:
Earth | Anise | Mocha

Quite umami, mouthwateringly-so. Worchestchire sauce, fully. Smoked meat, thinly. Earthen to its earthen core. Earthy af, dig? To recap: earthy, savory. Aspects of that are on-ahead anise & weightily lingering almost loitering mocha. <<< There are your primaries. Undertones are a green peppercorn, mesquite wood, separate from mocha Dutch Process cocoa. Spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, a clove hint.

Complex, yeah? Sure. You can't have a laundry list of flavor notes then say a thing lacks in complexity (fellow reviewers take note). Nuanced nicely into some roasted orange depths. Underbelly has a bit of dark sweet rye, molasses... pumpernickel. As far as delivery, even-keeled if not smooth & straight-forward, mainly. A sating blue-collar meal which would bust your desk jockey calorie count.

Operates flawlessly. Excellent pacing, even line, smooth draw, tight ash. Smoke out-put is hefty hefty hefty not wimpy wimpy wimpy. Leathery aroma, oily & rich. Sweetly-spiced. That's the long-legged finish too. An immersive experience, then. No nonsense but not of a glum manner. As easy-peasy as it is substantial, not breezy.

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

::: very :::

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso in Review "Here's What I Know"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust 
Sin Compromiso Seleccion No. 5

WRAPPER: San Andres Negro
BINDER: Ecuador Habano
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro, soft-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.dunbartoncigars.com

NOTES:
Chocolate | Espresso | Seared meat

A spicy-savoriness and inherent sweetnesses are a tandem core. A singular brigade constantly exploring different advancements, say. Deeply complex explorations of cacao & semi-sweet chocolate w/ varying weights of vanilla attachment. Espresso travels from dark oily bean to pulled shot with sweet crema, then back again, etc. Sinewy umami fleshes out & into a charred slab of meat. A cast-iron seared rib-eye. Worcestershire. Cracked black peppercorns. Cayenne. Sweetness exhibits as molasses, cane sugar, nuances of espresso & even of red spices.

Complex, yes. Deeply nuanced, certainly. Swirling delivery, yup -- though a well-rehearsed one, sans jarring dizziness. Intense intent. Focused and supremely structured by an array of charred woods: hickory, mesquite, cedar, oak. Oak shows a bit of wine cask. Darkly ripely fruitily fleetingly. A cigar that smokes as a chef's meal cooked for a fellow chef. Sating to the fullest & more so thoughtfully/knowledgeably prepared. "Here's what I know." A damn fine fucking smoke. A cigar's cigar.

Burns slowly, evenly, meditatively. A playwright well-schooled in dialog. Bantering w/ itself yet driving home its purpose. Ash grows well. Draw is even-keeled. Smoke out-put is bigly, yielding an aroma of standing over a steak-filled grill next to an espresso machine. Leathery. & for all this fancy drivel of a highfalutin nature -- for all the robust notes, it's somehow smooth. Clean. Crisp, even. Oh and I also taste fennel. 

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

::: very :::

Monday, June 15, 2020

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Brulee in Review "Well-embracing of its Heritage"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
Sobremesa Brulee

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian CT Shade
BINDER: Mexican San Andres
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A.
INTENSITY: Mild-medium

WEBSITE: www.dunbartoncigars.com

NOTES:
Honey | Clotted cream | Citrus

Big flavor, mild-mannered. Sweet & smooth, not cloyingly-so & also a bit peppery thru the nose. Honey is a carob seed varietal, steering the profile well. Clotted cream fleshes out the body richly. Citrus abates the cloy and is quite complex; w/  a white peppercorn & bell pepper accompaniment.

An ever-building nuttiness is up-front in the middlings. Cashew, pine nut. Black pepper flake is subtly there as well, a decent pepper-show for a milder smoke. Well-rounded edges, say. Chocolate milk. Granny Smith apple, Sweet creamy hay turns to a cedar of the same delivery at the 1/2. A bit monkey bread doughy. Malty af (honey) in the final act. Long story short, an offering well-embracing of its heritage.

Underbelly is beach sand w/ copses of vegetation here/there. Finish is a glazed pie crust. I do not know how to pleasantly say "creampie." Ah, yes... "cream pie." Much better. Deceptively long legs. A dash of salt at the end of that. A surprise tick of cayenne in the throat. Cardamom, I could go on. Won't. Complex top-to-bottom & in layers. Therefore nuanced, deeply.

Burns on an even line. Draws smooth as silk (this too, an apt notation of body). Ash grows well 'nuff to sate a long ash fetish. Big smoke out-put yields a patisserie aroma w/ hits of blonde java. I don't know how to say this pleasantly but if you know BBC doesn't always mean British media, this cigar is a BWC. I probably should edit that out. Won't. A naughty blend? Cheeky, to say the yeast (Monkey Bread reference).

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

::: very :::

Friday, June 12, 2020

Pura Soul Cigars Honduran in REDUX Review "& a Kiss the Cook Apron"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Pura Soul
Honduran

WRAPPER: Honduran
BINDER: Honduran
FILLER: Honduran

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: www.purasoulcigars.com

The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from Robusto (box-press) to Toro. The original review can be read at: https://bit.ly/3cVryQq This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.

NOTES:
Earth | Lemon cream | Cashew

Earthen, Totes McGoats. Richly vacant... imagine aerated chocolate feels. All notes are enveloped in the nooks & crannies of said earthiness. The citrusy creaminess, the blanched cashews. Further down into middlings, white peppercorn coarsely ground. Then that aerated chocolate hits flavors, a fungal lilt, & dandelion. In that particular order. Cocoa butter flows then ebbs in the 2/3. 

Underbelly is trail dirt with an angel food cake hint. A bit of damp if not dank clumped clay. Simple. Pleasant, albeit a bit coarse thru the nose... sans added flavor benefit. Balanced in a one-note fashion via even-keeled aspects of such. Complex in that way, say. Lacking in nuance, more just a rigid core dipped in something softer. Sits somewhat dryly on the palate.

Burn wobbles slightly thru-out, is hiccup-jagged at first -- not to the point of mandated retouches. Smokes a bit quickly. Draws well 'nuff, perhaps a tick hollow once or twice. Ash builds to decent lengths. Roll softens a bit. A smokeable thing in the same way as Bud Light is drinkable. Very much a cigar w/ a mortgage, 2.5 kids, & a Kiss the Cook apron for grilling in the yard. A yard it mows twice a week.

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

Thursday, June 11, 2020

AJ Fernandez Cigars Dias de Gloria in Review "Smokes a Bit Like a History Lesson"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

AJ Fernandez Cigars
Dias de Gloria

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (5.5x52)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: ajfcigars.com

NOTES:
Pink peppercorn | Cashew, salted | Cedar, sweet

Pink peppercorn? Sure. Look it up. For now, think peppery between black || red, softly & with a cashew lilt. That lilt amplifies the distinct cashew note it sidles up to. Nicely salted. The pepper is milder in flavor than its effect on body. We'll come back to that. A sweet cedar via natural inherently sweet tobacco underneath, drives & structures quite well. An ardent delineation of flavors. 

Back to the body, it does dry the palate some, a la a Dominican Olor, interestingly. This focuses some dusty sharpness in the peppery/woodsy realms. Stiffly rigid, but also met with a musty creaminess down below. [If you experience a musty creaminess down below, keep it to yourself & see a doctor.] Ultimately, this blend is a weird-ish mix of brisk if not brusk, & musty almost dusty. In short, it's the classic creamy blend AJ was going for, arrived at oddly. 

Other undertones are a diner cup of joe, a bit of white pepper, a vague nougat, a more vague lemony citrus. Predominantly sweet nethers. A bright morning prior to its fog burning off. Earthy in a very 'baccy then clay manner, as to underbelly. Some slight chicken coop there, too. A bit of cereal grain. Well-balanced and smokes a bit like a history lesson. Short sweet-sour finish. Not complex but not meaning to be. Nuanced 'nuff, though mottled there.

Burns nicely, neatly at a good pace and even line. Draws smooth. Builds ash admirably. No complaints. Aroma is a musty dusty thing. Leathery, with a kindly kick, & is that way on the retro-hale as well. My lone complaint is the dryness of the thing, which would be remedied by say a solid medium roasted Colombian cuppa. A history lesson is not complete sans a dryly delivered textbook -- add that to the tasting notes.

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

ADVentura Cigars The Conqueror Comandante in REDUX Review "Perfecting Your Sanskrit Pronunciations"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

ADVentura Cigars
by Henderson Ventura
The Conqueror Comandante

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
BINDER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto "Comandante"
ORIGIN: Tabacalera William Ventura, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.adventuracigars.com

The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from Robusto to Robusto of a conceivably different batch. The original (11/7/19) review can be read at: https://bit.ly/2BQy9it This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.

NOTES:
Mexican chocolate | Earth | Black pepper

Mexican chocolate seasoned for the tastes of a white woman in UGG boots. (Mild, say). Allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon -- hold the chilies. Some finely-ground black pepper. Very earthen with a slightly coarse texture, smoothly. Huh? Scuffed ballbearings sprinkled w/ talc. Dark. Ultimately creamy, toasted then roasted via progression. Cream is an aspect of earth... barnyard.

Undertones are over-ripe red/purple fruit syrups, coffee beans, anise seed, & dark grains. A cola hint. Underbelly is an enveloping of profile via earthiness & a creme brulee thing. Not a lot of flavor notes but quite flavorful & easily-so. Rather a lock-step delivery but never linear -- quite nuanced. Not complex but kindly attainable, sedate. Not boring by a longshot. 

Aroma is a supple leather leading out sweetnesses via plush savoriness. All told an accessible meditation held by a friendly guru not hung-up on perfecting your Sanskrit pronunciations. Draws smoothly albeit a tick moist. Burns very slowly, evenly, coolly. The oily ash collects at a snail's pace with a gorilla's strength. A juicy nightcap par excellence.

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

::: very :::

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Principle Cigars Toro Especial (Gold Band) in Review "Picture a Sour Candy Dropped in Play Sand"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Principle Cigars 
Toro Especial "Gold Band"

Offerings in this series all wear the same [gold] band but are of differing leaf per release. The leaves are remnants from the brand's Aviator Series blending sessions.

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Kelner Boutique Factory, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium

WEBSITE: www.principlecigars.com

NOTES:
Citrus | Table sugar | White pepper

Tangy. Hazily bright. Sandy. Citrus is way out-front & up-top in a mixed-citrus-ade thing coupled from behind (giggity) by simple table sugar. A hint of orange blossom honey. White peppercorn structures-some is delivered a tick erratically. Heavy on the dandelion in upper-middlings.

Other undertones are oats, cardboard, a tick of cocoa butter. Cream is a bit funky (in a good way). A few coffee beans, light roast. But predominantly & to the point of imbalance, tangy. Sour, say. Not in a glaring manner (see hazy, dusty). Picture a sour candy dropped in play sand. Underbelly is a healthy bit of savory suede over-top chicken coop over-top dry golden dirt.

Complex altho arrived at on the back of said imbalance & delivered a tad wobbly. Not very nuanced. Finishes sour//sweet. I use two forward slashes as an indication of distance. Aroma is a musty light savoriness w/ sweet spice lilt. < that's quite nice. Draws a bit rigid but evenly. Smoke out-put is moderate to +. Pacing is slow-sided and deliberate. Ash grows all day if ya let it. A responsibly bright offering with a bit more to offer than the usual that.

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

::: very :::

Monday, June 8, 2020

Artesano del Tobacco Viva la Vida Jester in Review "a·mal·ga·ma·tion"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Artesano del Tobaco
Viva la Vida Jester

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto Gordo (556)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full

WEBSITE: artesanodeltobacco.net

This Jester is the 6th vitola extension within the Viva la Vida line. That said, this review has not been labeled as a redux. This, due to its name "Jester" being such a large part of its display as to have it stand alone. You can read more of my thoughts on the Viva la Vida blend, check out: Artesano del Tobacco Cigars Viva la Vida & Artesano del Tobacco Cigars Viva la Vida in Redux. This is also the (co) Kaplowitz Media Cigar of the Year 2018-19.

NOTES:

Black pepper and cayenne, boldly-so; upfront but not dialing back a whole bunch. Spices: smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, clove. Slight ginger (particularly extending on/into lengthy+ finish.)  Powerfully purposeful. Peppery. Pepper. Thick black over-top a thinner red/cayenne and lingering bit. Body is a match for that front-loaded pepper-spice which features cumin & smoked paprika attachments. Meaning it is not an onslaught, but a smoothly fashioned 'flavor bomb' fresh off the light. As that dials back some, a Death by Chocolate myriad of notes dial-up to meet in the braced-by-cedar overtones. 

The rest is a bulging deep earthiness highlighted with glimpses of espresso, citrus, & tropical floral bits. Well-rounded and presented as an over-flowing plate of well-prepared dessert food. Decadent, really -- yet never a bombardment. Finishes quite cleanly given its height of flavor, in a spiced citrus manner w/ that sweet driving force chugging along. Underbelly is compost, barnyard, leather. Manure. Undertones are licorice, hibiscus, plums. There is bigness in the lower middlings which almost wrap around to the top & definitely do steer the profile -- dense Cuban coffee & dark chocolate. There is a roasted savory leathery, beefy & syrupy-sweet top to the undertones which steers the direction of this Viva la Vida. 

Ash builds till I roll it off at 1-1 1/2" at a time. Draws smoothly, evenly. Smoke out-put slows quickly 'tween puffs but each puff explodes into cumulus clouds which culminate into a heavy room-note of sweetly spiced well-aged dark tobacco. Performance is superb. Dead-even char. Languid pacing. Thick solid ash. The draw is a smooth & even gate-to-wire medium+ tension. Plentiful smoke out-put yields a dark almost somber leather & spice room-note. Final-third is a circling-back replay of the pepper-spice opening. Burns straight and at a moderate pace.

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

What was that? It read odd, eh? The above was an a·mal·ga·ma·tion of the previous reviews listed up-top. Each on-par paragraph shuffled together then cut. Why? I'M AN ARTIST. Also, to show consistency in blend across format of offering. The A- as opposed to A of previous is that it presents here a bit less refined & more knuckle-y.

::: very :::

Friday, June 5, 2020

ADVentura Cigars The Explorer in REDUX Review "Plush Rhymes w/ Lush & is Apt"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

ADVentura Cigars
by Henderson Ventura
The Explorer

WRAPPER: Mexican Habano
BINDER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
FILLER: Dominican, Ecuadorian

FORMAT: Short Robusto
ORIGIN: Tabacalera William Ventura, DR
STRENGTH: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.adventuracigars.com

The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from Short Robusto to Short Robusto of a conceivably different batch. The original (10/31/19) review can be read at: https://bit.ly/2XvMs4r This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.

NOTES:
Chocolate | Black Pepper | Wood

Bigly of the chocolates, yes? Yes. Dark & milk both. A bit of Mexican chocolate, too. Chocolatey af, see? The remaining of primaries act as a WonderBra, lifting & separating the Death by Chocolate which is this lush offering. Lifting is a black peppercorn with supporting spices all its own. Separating are planks of further-spiced cedar. Plush rhymes w/ lush & is apt. 

Middlings are those bolstering spices. Lettuce see... cinnamon, clove, paprika, cayenne... shared by the wood & pepper up-top. Creme brulee is here in the undertones, as well -- a bit burnt. Coffee, too. Robust yet neatly refined. A well-worked professional wrestling bout, say? Nuanced deeply & keenly complex. Aroma is a patisserie & bakery sharing a storefront. A next-door cafe. Dark grains & rich compost under-belly.

Finishes spicy-sweet on a set of gams that just won't quit. Burns even on-down, grows nice ash. No soft spots. Pulls smooth gate-to-wire. Noir. A bare bulb dangling over a card table. A cheap apartment over those shops? I like it here. Spiced rum. Cinnamon raisin bread in a toaster. This is fun. Serious fucking fun. Roasted orange in the final act.

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

::: very :::

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Principle Cigars Accomplice Connecticut in Review "Neither Cloying nor Puckering"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Principle Cigars
Accomplice Connecticut

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: Ecuadorian Corojo
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium

WEBSITE: www.principlecigars.com

NOTES:
Sweet citrus | White peppercorn | Pinewood

Bright & bouncy. Quite floral driven, daffodils & dandelions, say. Primaries are citrus via orangey lemonade. Braced by white peppercorn & its interplay w/ the sour undertones of aforementioned ades. Crisply delineated; structured by subtle sugary sweet pinewood. Salted butter rounds out the corners, which do retain a sunny almost-glare of an edge at times.

Undertones are predominantly savory both vegetal (oats) & animal (suede). Each lightly-so. Much citrus drips down here for some nice cleanly delivered depth. Floral here, too. A bit of orange blossom honey. Hint of cardamom. Nice sweet-sour balance thru-out, neither cloying nor puckering. Underbelly is dirt & chicken coop & tick of salt. Finish is of long-length, highlighting enveloping top-notes & underbelly.

Excellent smoke out-put yields a classic Connie room-note w/ a slight dusty-papery attachment. On the retro-hale is a goodly white pepper zetz, serving to keep the profile honest. Ash displays a bit dryly but gathers well & from an even burn-line. Draw shows an excellent tension, a hair stiffer than open. Zero soft-spots gate-to-wire. All told an excellently constructed textbook classical take on a Connecticut offering. 

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Kaplowitz To-day EP52

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Kaplowitz To-day EP52
Published on: June 02, 2020 at 6:03 PM

6.2.20... Even though I read one cigar & one coffee review (wrote both) it's really all about Judi Dench's Jowls. Remember! (King of the Road) Look for Kaplowitz Media wherever fine sites are searched.

A quick word first & then second...

As a rule, the Kaplowitz Media. bite-sized daily M-F Kaplowitz To-day podcast does NOT see its episodes posted in blog form. This post is a singular exception to that rule. Directly below, you'll find a player for listening to yesterday's To-day, today. It's quite good. Kaplowitz To-day.



To listen to other To-days as well as the rest of what Kaplowitz Radio. has to offer, including its titular flagship program Kaplowitz Radio., remember to subscribe wherever you listen to quality podcasts. Also, here are some links to where you can rn find Kaplowitz Radio. Kaplowitz Radio.

::: very :::

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Principle Cigars Frothy Monkey in Review "Museum Quality Curation"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Principle Cigars
Frothy Monkey

WRAPPER: Dominican
BINDER: Connecticut
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Petite Corona pigtail-cap
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic. Kelner Boutique Factory
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: frothymonkey.com

NOTES:
Produce peppers | Dark chocolate | Red spices

A chiseled physique, crisply robust. Jalapeno. Bell peppers roasting in a cast-iron skillet. Spices are crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, nutmeg. Between that array of predominantly polite pungency sits a small but meaningful bit of dark chocolate Dove candy bar. Velvety. Stewed meat pushes up toward those primaries from on-down.

Middlings are also loads of sweet dark earth. Cola, alfalfa grass, hickory. Hickory. Wood. It's there but doesn't structure. Curiously what does delineate is a quite interesting roasted orange note. It's out-front in a trailblazing manner, hacking thru savory vegetations & whatnot. Oh & that cola's carbonation is felt as 'lively.' I feel as though I should be wearing an English professor's tweed sportscoat. Suede elbow patches. The aroma is that of a gentleman's study.

Balanced & delivered beautifully & in an uncommon fashion. Moderately complex and deeply, deeply nuanced. Made to pair w/ coffee while brilliantly offering zero joe notes of its own. I'm ::: very ::: much becoming a fan of Principle Cigars. A portfolio of museum quality curation, say. As with all flavorful smokes, I "meh" at the mundane bit of construction/combustion... no qualms there. Noteworthy & thus noted is a long glistening ash.

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

::: very :::

Monday, June 1, 2020

Principle Cigars Accomplice Classic in Review "Each an Image in Sepia"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Principle Cigars 
Accomplice Classic

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Corojo
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Dominican
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: www.principlecigars.com

NOTES:
Produce peppers | Woods | Spiced cream

Here, we apparently speak of transitions. Peppers: bell > banana > jalapeno. Then black peppercorn. Moving in front of you as if on a toasting conveyor belt. In the same manner we get rich creaminess, while non-existent at the onset > appears then becomes spiced... cayenne & cardamom, mainly. Some cinnamon. Holding the structure rather high is a hickory-cedar blend, delineated nicely within/out.

Undertones are roasted notes of leather & oils, cinnamon-roast coffee beans, a bit of vanilla. Touch of milk chocolate. Chicory. The sweetnesses are on the far-end, extending into a long finish. Spices sidle up there, grow. Aroma is sweet w/ a tick of savoriness. Umami is seen in the underbelly... a chicken coop, a sunlit barnyard. Golden earth after a light rain, say? Can I live here? Lemon zest.

Angelfood cake & marzipan & it's easy to get carried away. Complex is a vast understatement. Nuanced quite deeply. Balanced supremely. Delivered exquisitely. Refined but retaining of character. Dashing & smart. [Some mundane chatter in comparison -- of construction/combustion -- flawless.] Fuji apples dipped in caramel. See? A bit like a county fair. A bit like a farmer's market. Each an image in sepia.

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

::: very :::