Friday, July 31, 2020

Toro Cigars: A Handful of Recently Reviewed Recommended Offerings

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Bigger is better. That's what both she & Texas said. Personally, I find the Toro vitola as big as I'm on-board w/. Classically, this format is scheduled as an inch longer than a classic Robusto. Since, as ring gauges grow & grow in girth, 6x52[not 50] has become the norm for Toro offerings. For this list, I've decided to let the manufacturer call a Toro a Toro.

A final thought prior to the list: blends used to be imagined in the Corona vitola. Nowadays, Robusto is oft employed, at times even this Toro thing. Growth. Growth is good. ALWAYS. As long as there are no follow-up questions. OK, then. The recs, in ABC'd order...

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso
Chocolate | Espresso | Seared meat
The full review is HERE.

El Artista El Pulita 60 Aniversario
Cocoa butter | Milk chocolate | Cedar
The full review is HERE.

Indian Motorcycle Habano
Cedar | Spices | Chocolate
The full review is HERE.

Kristoff Vengeance
Black peppercorn | Baking spice | Wood
The full review is HERE.

Principle Accomplice Classic
Produce peppers | Woods | Spiced cream
The full review is HERE.

::: very :::

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP186

lo-fi & lovely


A bit about Kaplowitz Media. Wine. Something about poetry & readings. A nod to crosswords. For more Kaplowitz Radio. open a window & YELL YELL YELL out into the night streets.

The Kaplowitz Media. Google Voice # is (541) 283-5978. Please remember that whatever you share might end up unedited on a future Kaplowitz Radio. production. Also, emails can be sent to KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else
For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.

::: very :::

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Wine | King Estate Pinot Gris 2018 in Review "My Favorite Tom Petty Album"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

King Estate Pinot Gris 2018

APPELLATION: Willamette Valley
VINEYARD: King Estate (et al)

VARIETAL: Pinot Gris
WINERY: King Estate
ALCOHOL: 13.5%

NOTES:
Pear | Wildflowers | Elderberry

Juicy w/ an effervescent acidity & well-structured complexity. Crisp on the palate & to the eye. An aroma of quince freshly plucked; a hint of lime. Somewhat flowery, pale & wild stuffs. B I G notes of pear on the refreshing sip. More wildflowers than my favorite Tom Petty album. White peach, elderberry, tangerine. On the back-end is a mineral led lightly saline addition/evolution.

Here & there is sweet hay, white peppercorn, pale honey. Delicate but deliberate. Attainable. Well balanced, albeit on a slight tart wobble. Staunch 'nuff tannins. Darn near invigorating. Bright & hella-high but also tethered nicely. Would pair well w/ a bagel & lox, a BLT slathered in mayo, and not returning to work after lunch. Heck, we all Zoom in now, anyways. Gentle edges carry thru to a lengthy & quite elegant finish.

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

PLEASE NOTE that Kaplowitz Media. Wine is now a thing & can be found HERE

::: very :::

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Villiger Cigars TAA Exclusive 2020 in Review "Freshly Starched Doilies"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Villiger TAA Exclusive 2020

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

FORMAT: Toro (654) box-press
ORIGIN: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
(Ernesto Perez-Carrillo) Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE:
taa.memberclicks.net

NOTES:
Peppery | Citrus | Cedar

Peppery & bright. A fire-engine red helium balloon in glaring sky. White peppercorn & cayenne shouting ahead of all else. Then tangy-to-sharp citrus, grapefruit w/ half-spoonful table sugar. Slightly baby aspirin medicinal. Cedar dryly rigidly delineates. Nose-hair searing retro-hale which does drop sweetly to the palate, albeit simply-so.

Not a very wide arrange of undertones. Somewhat of a parched mid-section. Tries of butterscotch are fore-front there, to varying degrees of success. Some caramel. A stiff & pale perhaps cracked leather. Underbelly is a sandy thing w/ chicken coop bracing. Not particularly complex & lesser-so nuanced. Untethered. Sharply cornered. Lacking in weight. Skeletal, say. Some neat-O white grapes come on in 2/3 upper middlings.

The soft box-press holds well, & combustion/construction-wise, this thing is a sans complaint real beaut. Superb draw, tight assemblage of seams, cap, shoulder. Dead-even burn on nice pacing. No hard/soft spots. Excellent ash. Aroma-wise (off a moderate-full smoke out-put) picture it: a brightly-lit room full of antiques, a cedar chest prominently. Rays of light showing dusty airs. The whole place newly gone over with lemony furniture polish. Freshly starched doilies.

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

::: very :::

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP186 "Herein Lives Wisdom"

lo-fi & lovely



Good stuff. A very me-centric episode replete w/ a couple re-airings, one including my dramatic reading of The Gambler and the other of the 2019 Kaplowitz Media Cigar of the Year episode (In preparation for the 2020 rendition coming up in Sept.) New stuff? How about (not me) Phil Zanghi of Debonaire House? How about some (back to me) Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz? Hot dang & boy howdy. Oh, and another (new) Shakespeare reading!

The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees wine podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Media. available on:
& everywhere else

For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.

READING LIST:

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (July 2020)
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/kaplowitz-media-cigars-of-month-july.html

Kaplowitz Media. Coffees of the Month (July 2020)
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/kaplowitz-media-coffees-of-month-july.html

Charles Smith Wines The Velvet Devil Merlot 2017
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/kaplowitz-media-wine-charles-smith.html

Ventura Cigar Slaughterhouse
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/ventura-cigar-slaughterhouse-in-review.html

Nectar of Life Gourmet Organic Coffee French Roast
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/nectar-of-life-gourmet-organic-coffee.html

::: very :::

Friday, July 24, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (July 2020)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

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


HONORABLE MENTION


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

A note: this is posting a day early due to scheduling conflicts. The 25th falls on a Saturday this month, the day of Weekly Recapitulation posting. 

A reminder: each cigar entered into each of these monthly A-Grade lists is eligible for Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year running.

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 :::

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP185

lo-fi & lovely

Recorded & published Wednesday 7/22. I review a recent Cigar Authority podcast ep. Also, I tell ya how to leave me a voice message. thx



The Kaplowitz Media. Google Voice # is (541) 283-5978. Please remember that whatever you share might end up unedited on a future Kaplowitz Radio. production. Also, emails can be sent to KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Media. available on:
& everywhere else
For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.

::: very :::

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Wine | Charles Smith Wines The Velvet Devil Merlot 2017 in Review "What's it All Mean?"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

The Velvet Devil Merlot 2017

APPELLATION: Columbia Valley, Washington State
WINERY: Charles Smith Wines

VARIETAL: 89% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec
ALCOHOL: 13.5%

NOTES:
Black currant | Cedar | Smoky

Robust because bodacious seems laterally juvenile. Big & bold. Bombastic, say? Well-structured & Velvet Elvis smooth. Campy, see? Still -- fun not frivolous. Focused. The bouquet is of dark no darker fruitiness w/ smoky lilt. Bit of a black peppery kick to the boozy olfactory. Fruits go to the top of flavors led by black currant w/ black cherry attachment.

Woods... seasoned humidor Spanish cedar & something of a stiff tobacco stem/stalk. O A K as it lives & breaths. All easy grasps, wanting to be grasped. Wanting drunk & to go down easy. Undertones are just as concentrated as their overs, dryly-so. Vanilla bean, plum. Crisp. Lively... oh, fine... Bodacious. Cocoa, clove. I get the feeling of little to no finagling, scant fingerprints. All grapes.

Locked & loaded for bang rn, not l8r. Drink by today. Finishes quite sweetly, darkly, nice oomph, never limp. Then tightly tidy. A rockstar who cleans the motel room he trashed. Not complex but driven af. I almost forgot looks, kinda did. I drank it all. Close my eyes and my memory is of burgundy shag carpet. paneled walls. Paisley. What's it all mean? Who knows. A seriously fun pour, this. Altho also a bit of a faux dive, really.

ADDENDUM: pair with Hawaiian pizza.

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

::: very :::

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Robusto Cigars: A Handful of Recently Reviewed Recommended Offerings

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

"A short, fat cigar that has become the most popular cigar size in America. The size is generally 4 3/4 to 5 1/2 inches by 48 to 52 ring gauge." -Cigar Aficionado

"List posts are ubiquitous – and hugely popular – in the blogosphere. As bloggers, we love them because they’re fun and straight-forward to write, and they do well on social media. As readers, we love them because they’re easy to scan and to take one or two great points from. And both bloggers and readers love the fact that list posts are fun to comment on [comments are disabled] and link to." -Pro Blogger

THE LIST
(in alphabetical order)

Cavalier Geneve Black II
Mesquite wood | Spices | Espresso
Read the full review HERE.

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

Espinosa Warzone
Cedar | Toffee | Cocoa butter
Read the full review HERE.

Principle Aviator Series Envoi
Exotic spices | Granny Smith apple | Softwood
Read the full review HERE.

Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme
Lemongrass | Coconut | Pinewood
Read the full review HERE.

::: very :::

Ventura Cigar Slaughterhouse in Review "Manageable Haunches"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Ventura Cigar Slaughterhouse

WRAPPER: San Andres
BINDER: Mexican Sumatra
FILLER: Multi-country

FORMAT: Robusto (mixed filler)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium

NOTES:
Black pepper | Anise | Dark chocolate

Warm according to both notes & temp of smoke. Sweetly dark, darkly sweet. It's all one throbbing nigh volatile note. A core of earth we'll call topsoil w/ finely ground black pepper, anise, & dark chocolate shavings mostly. Undertones or lettuce say lesser-tones: cola, pumpernickel, vague red/purple fruits. Cherry shows itself now & again. Simple fair. I never mention price but when I do, as I will here, a bigger bang for your buck (or three) you won't find better than here.

Olfactory-wise, ever open a bag of Cafe Bustelo grounds? Also, a nice leather is intro'd alongside a molasses influence. That all gets to palate via progression. Each note is a tiny core inside that main one and well, that's structure of a sort. Delineation, say. Finish is hot & slightly heavy like I like my women. Short, too (same, women). I like a nice set of manageable haunches. I also value value. A pleasant smoke w/ neat nuances and surprisingly decent taste. 3/3 does asphalt-charcoal up a tick. Purge, repeat.

Construction/combustion-wise, this stogie burns straight 'nuff at passable pacing. Draws quite well. Ash won't grow (mixed fill). Cherry is neatly centered. Somewhat of a wispy-wimpy smoke out-put. I feel I should clarify; I need a woman who can gracefully wear a two-piece. Also insofar as clarification; I do not have a separate grading scale for this pricepoint & all it entails. Furthermore, I do not have plans for instituting said scale. It's a good smoke to smoke, given the price which again, I never mention.

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

::: very :::

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio EP185 "Beauteous Roof to Ruinate"


lo-fi & lovely

A real Kaplowitz Media. Cigars & friends episode. Ian Reith of Dapper Cigars & Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars come on each other… I mean come on together & the three of us flick feces all over one another as well as elsewhere. Then Mike Weinstein swings thru and we chat about actual topics; like Sam Leccia & my run as a pro wrestler. All that plus some Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz & a classic ep of the disILLUSIONE dePROGRAM podcast. For more Kaplowitz Radio., who's asking? Are you a cop? You have to tell me if you're a cop.



The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Media. available on:
& everywhere else

For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.
READING LIST:

Jas Sum Kral Cigars Red Knight in REDUX Review "Voluminous Cumulus"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/jas-sum-kral-cigars-red-knight-in-redux.html

Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars Maduro in REDUX Review "Plush & I Daresay Posh"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/indian-motorcycle-premium-cigars-maduro.html

Tostado Coffee Palenque in REDUX Review "Mild & Mesmerizing"
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/tostado-coffee-palenque-in-redux-review.html

Black Acres Coffee Rwanda in REDUX Review "Turtles All the Way Down"
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/black-acres-coffee-rwanda-in-redux.html

::: very :::

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Jas Sum Kral Cigars Red Knight in REDUX Review "Voluminous Cumulus"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Jas Sum Kral Red Knight

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Light Claro
BINDER: Mexican San Andres | Half Jalapa Seco
FILLER: Undisclosed

FORMAT: Lancero
ORIGIN: Tabacalera de Aragon S.A., Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full

WEBSITE: jassumkral.com

"Buc [Riste Ristevski] has announced effective today that all production will be handled by Tabacalera de Aragon S.A. in EstelĂ­, Nicaragua. Previously, the cigars were produced by Noel Rojas’ Tabacalera New Order of the Ages (NOA)." (Charlie Minato, Halfwheel 2018)

The reasoning behind this redux is covered above. The original New Order of the Ages (NOA) 2016 review can be read HERE. This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.

NOTES:
Maraschino cherry | Cayenne | Cream

Powerful of purpose, yet refined at the same time. B I G notes up-top, clear delineations, dense creaminess. Cayenne led peppery-mix showcasing predominantly produce not spice aisle pungencies. Maraschino is sometimes a black cherry & at those times (2/3 particularly) takes on a Dr. Pepper addition. Cream is a heavy whipping sort, mimicked by the voluminous cumulus cloud smoke out-put.

Dense of creaminess but also stoically structured via a hardwood with sweet Spanish cedar depths. Very inside-your-humidor. Leather oils sidle up to cream in the nuanced depths of the thing. A pack of Swiss Miss. Underbelly is thick & sunny light-colored earthiness w/ terra cotta lilt. Some savory toasted cereal grains. Excellent balance, complexities, neat transitions. 

Finishes on heavy-bright sweet citrusy pith legs, long. Aroma is somewhat muted -- a spicy/savory humi, Broski. Burns on a mainly even line which requires a re-touch to stay lit fully at the 1/2. Ash won't grow much but isn't dry/flaky & bear in mind: Lancero. Near-excellent draw which sponges up a tick in the 3/3. Packing stays true gate-to-wire. Honestly, a personal fave of an anytime blend.

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Wine | Erath Winery Pinot Noir 2017 in Review "I Miss Bob Eucker"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

APPELLATION: Oregon
VARIETAL: Pinot Noir

WINERY: Erath
ALCOHOL: 13%

WEBSITE: https://www.erath.com/

NOTES:
Oak | Bing cherry | Vanilla cream

A robustly juicy aroma & body. Driven by an earthiness in a savory lush vegetal manner. Somewhat fungal; a lot of woodsiness. Fruits, loud reds. Let's pretend I haven't begun drinking the stuff yet & am just gazing into it lovingly. Looks moderately thick with goldenrod >>> bronze rim. Nice clear depths. Moving from sniff to sip...

...those big out-ahead fruit notes are bing cherry & a bracing that closely cranberry. The vegetation is a pile of leaves, dry atop & composting underneath. Twigs. Oak twigs... why not? Oak everywhere, really. Lively-so. Excellent structuring to taste. As to body, a good bit lacking in tannins. A table wine to pair well w/ the fat boy salad choices (Cobb, Chef). Nice alcohol warmth in the chest, comfortably.

Blue-collar elegant night out comes to mind. 6pm at a Midwest Olive Garden. Undertones are a neat-O vanilla cream soda, some baking spices, cacao bean. More oak. I did say "Oak," yes? Yes. Warm & attainable with moderate complexities and soft nuances. Calmly reassuring even where its most vibrant (oak). Even where it's silly (vanilla cream soda). Does its screw cap roots proud. I miss Bob Eucker. Wait, he's STILL alive???

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

::: very :::

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Indian Motorcycle Premium Cigars Maduro in REDUX Review "Plush & I Daresay Posh"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Indian Motorcycle Maduro

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Central American

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: De Los Reyes, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Full

WEBSITE: www.debonairehouse.com

The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from Toro to Toro of a conceivably different batch. The original review can be read HERE. This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.

NOTES:
Earth | Fudge | Meaty

Ripe, as a decent Maduro should be. All surrounds & at times infiltrates/is infiltrated by an inherently sweet-savory earthen core. Fudge brownie chocolate, dense & rich, an umami-triggering stew w/ molasses underpinnings. An old-world goulash. Peppery, quite, but also quite smoothly. Smoked paprika, cumin, hint of cayenne. Well-rounded corners. Hefty-heft. Deep af and then deeper.  Caramel & butterscotch undertones.

Baking spices & dark grains arranged into porridge lead the middlings, backed by hidey leathers. Then braced by charred cedar bowls of creme brulee offerings. Some underneath sweetnesses are viscous red & purple fruit juices. A juicy blend, this. Sweet but never cloyingly-so. A dessert stick but also a meal. Espresso burgeons via progression. Plush & I daresay posh. An upholstered finish of sweat meat. An aroma of that cooking over a campfire.

Problems do arise via noticeably warm combustion; a tunnel threat & uneven burn. Construction-wise the draw is hesitant at times if not hollow. Still, a more satiating stick would be hard to find. A bit flirting w/ brackish additions in the 3/3. Huge smoke-out-put & culmination there-off, a heavy smoke. So not without issue but sans the need of constant correction. Not complex as far as profile per se, but almost amazingly nuanced. A fine smoke for an evening spent on a well-appointed patio, someone else minding the BBQ pit.

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

::: very :::

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP184 "No Love Toward Others"

lo-fi & lovely

Cigar reviews. Coffee reviews. A wine review. all read from & by Kaplowitz Media. Oh, and throw in some Shakespeare & linguistic fun bits! yw For more Kaplowitz Media. cook a metal fork in a microwave for 30 seconds & just wait...



The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Media.
available on:
& everywhere else

For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.

SHOW NOTES[links]

DEBONAIRE DAYBREAK
http://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2018/06/debonaire-cigars-daybreak-in-corona.html
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/05/debonaire-cigars-daybreak-in-redux.html

GORONGOSA ELEPHANTS NEVER FORGET
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/05/gorongosa-coffee-elephants-never-forget.html

Principle Cigars Aviator:
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/principle-cigars-aviator-series.html

Sweet Cheeks Winery Pinot Noir:
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/kaplowitz-media-wine-sweet-cheeks.html

Dark Horse Coffee Colombia:
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/dark-horse-coffee-roasters-los-canelos.html

ADVentura Navigator:
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/adventura-cigars-navigator-in-redux.html

Killer Beans Brazilian Bombshell:
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/killer-beans-coffee-brazilian-bombshell.html
::: very :::

Friday, July 10, 2020

Principle Cigars Aviator Series Vainqueur in Review "Cool Hand Luke's Lucille"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Principle Cigars
Aviator Series Vainqueur

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Corojo
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaragua, USA

FORMAT: Vainqueur (6.5x56)
ORIGIN: Kelner Boutique Factory, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Mild

WEBSITE: www.principlecigars.com

NOTES:
Granny Smith apple | Pinewood | Cashew butter

Tart in a quite pleasing way. Invigorating, clean. Crisp. A neat bit creamy balance via cashew butter, softly salted. Each delineated from the other by a lively pinewood w/ an inherent & whimsical sweetness. A spring day of a smoke. Undertones of sunflowers & sweet sunlit grass, pine nuts, a dry Reisling. Delicately delivered, purposefully structured on an underbelly of golden dirt after a sunshower. 

Well-rounded, balanced rather admirably albeit lacking-some in sticking to the ribs savoriness. Atho the intent here seems easy-breezy more that gluttonous. A light snack while swinging in a hammock. "Peel me a grape." (Mae West.) Keenly complex & nuanced well particularly given its crispness. A big, mild stick almost always flirts w/ boredom... almost. Not here. The aroma is a happy sweet tartness; thru the nose, a lemony white pepper ground smoothly can be felt.

Burns at a moderate & even pacing on a dead-even char-line. Ash grows well, but won't win any contests there, alas. Quite stoically built gate-to-wire. Superb draw. A pretty smoke, beautiful really. Look at it there, in its floral-patterned sundress. Getting up from the hammock here & there to drive the boys crazy as they toil away in the sun. [Cool Hand Luke's Lucille.]

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

::: very :::

Thursday, July 9, 2020

ADVentura Cigars The Navigator in REDUX Review "Maybe a Bing or Two"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

ADVentura
The Navigator

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres Maduro
BINDER: Indonesian Sumatra
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Ecuadorian

FORMAT: 5.5x50 "Pinzon"
ORIGIN: Tabacalera William Ventura, DR
INTENSITY: Medium/Med. Full

WEBSITE: www.adventuracigars.com

The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from Robusto to Robusto of a conceivably different batch. The original (11/26/19) review can be read at: https://bit.ly/3iGzpFV This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.

NOTES:
Cherries | Dark chocolate | Plum

::: very ::: cherry. Black & Tart varietals. Maybe a Bing or two. Tart & Black. A bit wobbly toward sour, particularly on the back-end. Almost a cranberry-ish puckering there. Other fruits...fruit... plum, ripe & juicy. Dark chocolate is a bit waxy-wispy but passes the test via an aiding Dutch Process cocoa. Primaries err a half-tick uncomfortably toward drying/sharp.

Undertones are supple leather, darkly & a toasted cream front. Behind that is a savory-sweet alfalfa fungal bit. In the place 'tween is a pull of espresso w/ quickly dissipating crema. Some toasted almond ebbs & flows, candied at times more than others. There are sharp corners in the profile, but they are cushioned -- albeit thinly-so. Definitely not a lackadaisical offering, a real go-getter.

Quite complex but only fleetingly nuanced. An orange pith addition to the finish whisks it clean. That finish is a rather interestingly pungent savoriness w/ heavy tart lilt. Aroma is sweeter & warmer than expected; a woodsy array w/ wine cask lead. Excellent smoke-out-put, calmly satiating. Decisive, as is the profile. Dead-even burn, superb ash growth, smooth draw. Combustion/construction are big selling points here.

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Wine | Sweet Cheeks Winery & Vineyard 2017 Pinot Noir in Review "Only Degenerates Gamble on Two-year-old Thoroughbreds"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Sweet Cheeks
2017 Pinot Noir

APPELLATION: Willamette Valley
VINEYARD:
Sweet Cheeks Vineyard, Davis Vineyard,
Chateau Bianca, Five Fourteen Vineyard

VARIETAL: Pinot Noir
WINERY: Sweet Cheeks
ALCOHOL: 12.3

WEBSITE: sweetcheekswinery.com

NOTES:
Black cherry | Raspberry | Exotic spice

Fruity, go figure. Dense silkiness, weightily. Bit of a wet blanket thud for slight lack of structure. An attainable rigid sweet wobble. Raspberry becomes pomegranate on its back-end. Then tannins arrive fully. Black cherry and exotic spice. Almost erratic, not erotic. No true-true delineation there. An underlying & stabilizing earthiness led by cocoa. Boozy. Indelicate, say. 

A quite-present alcohol dryness sinks into tongue-corners. A fruity-forward juicy then watery aroma, simply. Body, that (more soon*). A bossman emphasizing his words to an underling by poking his chest. Black. Cherry. Black. Cherry. See? *A full-ish body but too a bit vacant. Untethered. No nuances. Moderate complexities in earthiness, altho that's precisely where there is room for more.

Sweet without cloying. Fairly interesting. A bit aggressive or at the least overly eager. Bottled in 2018, drunk in 2020. Better drunk in 2025, perhaps fuller then, a bit more rounded & fleshy. "Eager," I believe that sums it well. This Pinot is why only degenerates gamble on two-year-old thoroughbreds. That said & in keeping with that which was said, this vintage does ultimately finish in the money, on-the-board, etc.

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

The skinny in re Kaplowitz Media. Wine HERE.

::: very :::

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

GTO Cigars Pain Killer Connecticut in Review "Americana, Amigo"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

GTO Pain Killer CT "Casserole"

WRAPPER: USA Connecticut
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro Gordo box-press
ORIGIN: Tabacalera GTO Dominicana
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: www.gtodominicancigars.com

NOTES:
Caramel | Leather | Cream

Classic. Rich, smooth. Rico Suave but performed at a State Fair in Kansas. Americana, amigo. Sweetened with notes of caramel reinforced by underneaths of table sugar & creamy hay. Leather is a work boot tan suede. Cream is just all over, lightly toasted, and growing thru-out. Never cloying, however, crisped by a tall glass of Arnold Palmer. 

Undertones beyond listed above are some wildflowers, John Cougar Mellencamp, a bit of diner loaded joe, & a creamy sweet-salted cedar which brings nifty structure. Some pale spices sprinkled into a bag of peanuts. Complex but shy of compelling. Easy. A homecooked bit of comfort food. Oh, yeah... casserole. Cream of Mushroom. Moderately nuanced, excellently balanced, & smokeable af. Vegetal savory & black peppercorn peppery thru the nose, sweet-savory room-note. 

Does burn a tick on the quick-side but maybe I'm grubbing. I had a neighbor in Indiana who put Fritos atop her casseroles. Draw is a bit open. Burn-line wobbles once or twice, self-corrects w/ a quickness. [Final-third sees a candied lemony up-tick] Ash collects a bit airily but makes an easy inch before I tap it off. Succinctly & truly, this is a stogie fit for a king. A thing to be well-versed in on your road to being a cigar lover.

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

::: very :::

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP183 "Sweets with Sweets"

lo-fi & lovely

Yet another SLAM DUNK of a HOME RUN show here. We got Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars, Mike of His Own Backyard, & a classic something from the audio archives: an interview w/ Lars Tetens of Lars Tetens. Holy smokes! yw For more Kaplowitz Media. start an innocuous conversation about the weather & just wait...



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

For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.

::: very :::

Friday, July 3, 2020

Kristoff Cigars Pistoff Kristoff in Review "I'm Not Crying, You're Crying"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Kristoff Cigars
Pistoff Kristoff

WRAPPER: San Andrean
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: 5.5 x 54 Robusto pig-tail'd cap & closed-foot
ORIGIN: Charles Fairmorn, Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Full

WEBSITE: kristoff.com

This is not labeled as a REDUX even tho I did take a somewhat look-see at this blend prior. That 2017 somewhat look-see can be seen HERE. I promise to do better. thx

NOTES:
Cayenne pepper | Patent leather | Black walnut

Anise seed & molasses ebb & flow in a pretty neat tandem. Always w/ the cayenne tho, this blend. Rather sharply-so. A punch in the gut, say. I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Patent leather gives a bit of structure but dryly & lacking in savoriness. Black walnut, shells only, lends to a sharp lack of fleshy heft. The whole is hoisted by an ashy mineral metallic bent.

Smoky to charcoaly, particularly in the middlings. Black peppercorn. Some salted scorched earth, still warm to the touch. There is a pleasant almost surprising purple floral lilt on the back-end. Dark grains, a bit of a boozy tendency, & spins. I know. Spins ain't so much a note. Imbalanced toward strength & spicy boom. A cigar with a chip on its shoulder and its tongue in an ashtray. Nuances are there but there is salty minerality. No real complexities that hang around fully, as the intent here is delivery on a hard line.

So that intent is met. If you like paying a prostitute extra to dig her stiletto heel into your change purse, get two of these. Simple & effective. Grows particularly nice ash of silver sheathing. Draws evenly. Burns straight. Floral draw votes are in the aroma, as well. Along with an ashtray and some highway paving. I'm not crying, you're crying. Finish is bitter-spicy & quite sparse, furnished like an interrogation room. Ends cleanly to its credit.

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

::: very :::

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Kristoff Cigars Connecticut in Review "As Bitters in a Cocktail"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Kristoff Connecticut

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian CT
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Dominican

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

WEBSITE: kristoff.com

NOTES:
Lemon pepper | Vanilla bean | Dandelion tea

Dusty & muted toward a melange. Gruffer than perhaps attempted, stubbly & needing a shave. Lemon pepper steers from behind a vanilla bean. Creamy but again see: stubbly. Cream is buttery sweet & quite nice but also bleeds due to delineation lacking. Dandelion tea is neat & acts as bitters in a cocktail. Directly underneath that is a tick-dank pantry pale spice. Clove, nutmeg. Sweet dashes are a mottled table sugar slight cocoa butter thing.

Structure tries to assemble via pale nuttiness but doesn't & also dries the palate in a cardboard lilt. Maybe both a shave & aftershave lotion is/are required. Undertones are fusty kaolin & terracotta out-front which also dig into the underbelly albeit superficially shallow. Rest of middlings are oats & grits. All stuffs are closer to equal than layered. Not a lot of depth or nuance. No real complexities save for the floral seasonings which are not readily apparent, say. No transitions. Chicken coop nethers, slightly.

Neither combustion nor construction is/are saviors. A bulging split happens under the band & an inch-down toward the foot. Burn wobbles, jags -- corrects then un-corrects itself on-down; repeat. Smoke out-put is varying levels of moderate+ but nothing beyond a muted sweet suede gathers in the room. Draws a bit hesitantly at times, requiring extra puffs, causing a rather quick burn. The finish is a fleeting sweet sandiness that ends in not the cleanest way. Unspectacular can still be pleasant simplicity. Not a lesser goal just a different one. Unfortunately, one not met here.

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

::: very :::

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio ETC. "Trailer"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"



What is ETC., the newest Kaplowitz Radio. bit of weekly programming? Press play to find out. For more Kaplowitz Media. sacrifice a chicken at 3am. Add potatoes & veg. Bake at 350° until fully cooked.

More Kaplowitz Radio info HERE.

Kaplowitz Radio. is available on Spotify, Google & Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, & more.

::: very :::