This week’s show is a very special show in which we will be discussing contenders for the #Kappys2020 Kappy Awards. The same Kappys that will be handed out on the first of September. This program will post the 30th of Aug. That’s right, this show will have the life expectancy of a fruit fly. Mike Weinstein, Brian Motola (Illusione Cigars), & Lee Marsh (Stolen Throne Cigars) are on-board to discuss. For more Kaplowitz Media. check out www.Kaplowitz.xyz or sit on it, Potsie.
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. EP.191 "Yet Unset"
lo-fi & lovely
This week’s show is a very special show in which we will be discussing contenders for the #Kappys2020 Kappy Awards. The same Kappys that will be handed out on the first of September. This program will post the 30th of Aug. That’s right, this show will have the life expectancy of a fruit fly. Mike Weinstein, Brian Motola (Illusione Cigars), & Lee Marsh (Stolen Throne Cigars) are on-board to discuss. For more Kaplowitz Media. check out www.Kaplowitz.xyz or sit on it, Potsie.
The BEST cigars & wine podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
This week’s show is a very special show in which we will be discussing contenders for the #Kappys2020 Kappy Awards. The same Kappys that will be handed out on the first of September. This program will post the 30th of Aug. That’s right, this show will have the life expectancy of a fruit fly. Mike Weinstein, Brian Motola (Illusione Cigars), & Lee Marsh (Stolen Throne Cigars) are on-board to discuss. For more Kaplowitz Media. check out www.Kaplowitz.xyz or sit on it, Potsie.
Friday, August 28, 2020
Kaplowitz Media. Cigars SPECIAL REPORT | Fifth Anniversary Celebration Schedule | #Kappys2020, Kaplowitz Guide, Cigar of the Year
"Have you Kaplowitz'd this-year?"
September brings around the 5th year of Kaplowitz Media. Cigars programming (blog/podcast). It is a month-long celebration & will go a little something like this. Hit it:
September brings around the 5th year of Kaplowitz Media. Cigars programming (blog/podcast). It is a month-long celebration & will go a little something like this. Hit it:
The big kick-off to the Kaplowitz Media. aniversario celebracion. Industry awards will be handed out. Categories will include & perhaps not be limited to: Brand & Factory of the Year, Blender of the Year, Best in Media, Cigar Critic of the Year. Also: Best in Presentation, Packaging, Art Design, Marketing, Advertising, Social Media, Gentleperson of the Year &&& a Lifetime Achievement Award. Oh, and a Booby Prize for funsies. It all publishes at once on the first. Bob's yer uncle. HERE are last year's results.
Find out who won what HERE.
Find out who won what HERE.
Listen to a full wrap-up HERE.
Then mid-month comes and with it the signed, sealed, & delivered Kaplowitz Guide for 2020. There have been & will continue to be UPDATES ALONG THE WAY, but this posting on the 15th is the gospel, pure & simple. A fundamentalist's delight. Plus, look for unexpected/unannounced via update last-minute stars being awarded... & stripped. OMfuckingG.
Get yo' 2020 Guide HERE.
Every cigar entered into every CIGARS OF THE MONTH list is entered into the race to be the best of 2019-20. This is presented via a single blog post which gets updated n accordance with this schedule:
- All Cigars of the Month listed (9/26)
- Best of each month announced (9/27)
- List is whittled down to ten (9/28)
- Ten-six announced (9/29)
- Five-one announced (9/30)
*** Do you now understand how big this is? Five (5) years of Kaplowitz Media. Cigars & it's you who are given the gift. Hot darn! However, if you feel the need to reciprocate via donation to keep Kaplowitz Media. going & G R O W I N G, you may do so via Paypal HERE. ***
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
::: very :::
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Illusione Cigars Cruzado in REDUX Review "Nice Footwork"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Illusione Cruzado
WRAPPER: Nicaragua Corojo 99 Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Churchill
ORIGIN: TABSA Esteli, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
WEBSITE: www.illusionecigars.com
Illusione Cruzado
WRAPPER: Nicaragua Corojo 99 Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Churchill
ORIGIN: TABSA Esteli, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
WEBSITE: www.illusionecigars.com
The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from the Robusto to the Churchill vitola. The original R review may be read HERE. This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.
NOTES:
Oak | Mocha | Spices
Crisply lip-smacking. Weighty & bright w/ excellent depths. Oaky af and complexly-so, a sweet citrus addition there, as well as a buttery-flaky pastry thing. Vegetal nuances in a lush savory manner. White & black peppercorns gear up via progression. A mocha latte. Leathery oils. Big & bold and also introspective somehow. Gregarious while polite. The finish is a palate dampening moderate+ legged primary extension.
Undertones are sweet-sour earthen notes... barnyard and grain (pumpernickel). Herbs & spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, fennel seed. Sweet: molasses & brown sugar. Warm and also a bit deadpan jaunty. A cola lilt. Slight vanilla bean. Complex all-round. Deep bolo-punch telegraphed subtleties. Superb balance and stoic structure. No-nonsense w/ a slight twinkle in one eye.
Burns on an even line gate-to-wire offering somewhat of a thin room-note of wood & leather sweetness. Excellent draw. No hard/soft spots; tight seams and flawless cap assemblage. Great pacing. Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee -- & does each at proper times via well-rehearsed transitions. Nice footwork. A cigar to sip in solitude. A personal favorite of yours truly.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
NOTES:
Oak | Mocha | Spices
Crisply lip-smacking. Weighty & bright w/ excellent depths. Oaky af and complexly-so, a sweet citrus addition there, as well as a buttery-flaky pastry thing. Vegetal nuances in a lush savory manner. White & black peppercorns gear up via progression. A mocha latte. Leathery oils. Big & bold and also introspective somehow. Gregarious while polite. The finish is a palate dampening moderate+ legged primary extension.
Undertones are sweet-sour earthen notes... barnyard and grain (pumpernickel). Herbs & spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, fennel seed. Sweet: molasses & brown sugar. Warm and also a bit deadpan jaunty. A cola lilt. Slight vanilla bean. Complex all-round. Deep bolo-punch telegraphed subtleties. Superb balance and stoic structure. No-nonsense w/ a slight twinkle in one eye.
Burns on an even line gate-to-wire offering somewhat of a thin room-note of wood & leather sweetness. Excellent draw. No hard/soft spots; tight seams and flawless cap assemblage. Great pacing. Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee -- & does each at proper times via well-rehearsed transitions. Nice footwork. A cigar to sip in solitude. A personal favorite of yours truly.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
::: very :::
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Stolen Throne Cigars Awarded One 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]
One Kaplowitz Media. Star is awarded to Stolen Throne Cigars.
[For more about The Kaplowitz Guide & how its star rating system works, please visit: https://bit.ly/2SrDUZs]
One Kaplowitz Media. Star is awarded to Stolen Throne Cigars.
Barely into its second-year & just into a second addition to its core line, Stolen Throne Cigars is either doing something meteorically special or I have a LOT of explaining to do. Instead of making those options mutually exclusive, I'll use the latter to pinpoint the former.
It's a beautiful thing, a planned & focused attack. In an industry filled with dreamers & passion, it's interesting to see how all that romance mixes so well w/ equal parts pragmaticism. Without getting too in-the-weeds, it's always good when dreaming big doesn't have to also bring home the bacon.
You know what else is interesting? How internet fame doesn't lead to retail humidors; how social media'd images of free sticks don't correlate to actual sales. & how's this for interesting: a blender (Lee Marsh) who has a dirty set of skills & filthy philosophy. "You know why you won't do what you need to do [to blend well]? Because you'll have to taste everything -- including what you don't like." That's his take on taste. That's his pluck.
Now I've written enough & much of it is inside baseball insulated innuendo. It's now up to you to try & catch up w/ Stolen Throne's high-heat Crook of the Crown (The reigning Kaplowitz Media co-Cigar of the Year) & their follow up attempt at a repeat, the Call to Arms drop-off-the-table curveball. Then thank me once you recuperate from your Flavortown staycation.
::: very :::
Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP190
lo-fi & lovely
On this ETC.: Cigars & Wines of the month. Coffee of the Year update. Cigar of the Year look-ahead. A phone-in rant from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. A classic episode of a Kaplowitz Radio. something. WOW. yw For more Kaplowitz Media., remember to walk right up to the biggest toughest inmate & punch him right in his stupid ugly face.
The BEST cigar cigars wine wines podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else
On this ETC.: Cigars & Wines of the month. Coffee of the Year update. Cigar of the Year look-ahead. A phone-in rant from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. A classic episode of a Kaplowitz Radio. something. WOW. yw For more Kaplowitz Media., remember to walk right up to the biggest toughest inmate & punch him right in his stupid ugly face.
& everywhere else
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (August 2020)
"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"
Index of cigars of the month posts: https://bit.ly/3gfalEB
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:
Kaplowitz Media.
CIGARS of the MONTH: AUGUST 2020
[Names are links to full reviews]
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
Insofar as the Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year process:
- All Cigars of the Month listed (9/26)
- Best of each month announced (9/27)
- List will be whittled down to ten (9/28)
- Ten-six announced (9/29)
- Five-one announced (9/30)
::: very :::
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. EP.190 "Secret Influence"
lo-fi & lovely
This week we have Mike Weinstein talking FDA and Yiddish theater, Darren Cioffe of Principle Cigars speaking to the setting sun and speed smoking, and Kevin Moss of Stolen Throne Cigars on bidets in Germany & selling cigars. Also, Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz & a new arts section wherein I read Idles lyrics & two Bukowski poems. For more Kaplowitz Media.
The BEST cigars & wine podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else
For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
This week we have Mike Weinstein talking FDA and Yiddish theater, Darren Cioffe of Principle Cigars speaking to the setting sun and speed smoking, and Kevin Moss of Stolen Throne Cigars on bidets in Germany & selling cigars. Also, Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz & a new arts section wherein I read Idles lyrics & two Bukowski poems. For more Kaplowitz Media.
The BEST cigars & wine podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else
For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Friday, August 21, 2020
Illusione Cigars Mj12 in Review "Six Out of Seven Heavens"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Illusione Cigars
Original Documents
Mj12 'Plan Mj' 1949
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Corojo
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Toro Gordo (656)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
WEBSITE: illusionecigars.com
NOTES:
Mocha | Leather | Spice
I'm no Kabbalist but picture the Tree of Life. Now picture it as a flavorscape. Now lettuce address this cigar. B I G stuff in the Keter. Heavy, rounded, balanced notes: mocha chocolate-coffee swirling, a supple yet thick leather, a dusty Southwest spice rack made of staunchly-structured cedar. Finishes on long legs of mainly shekhinah notes but I get ahead of myself.
See the shekhinah? It tastes like evolving happenings. Toasted caramel, roasted orange, kasha (buckwheat), chicory, potpourri. Now the tiferet --- it's the earthen core which borrows in orchestrated turns from all I've mentioned thus far. Dark but aerated like a chocolate bar w/ Russian lettering on its wrapper. Unfamiliar w/ Kaballistic imagery? Picture a snowman; mentioned head, ass, gut.
Both overt & subtle. Easy & demanding. Willing to go as deep as ya like. Nuanced to beat the band. Complex, soitenly. Transitional? Only a tick shy of Ms. Jenner but far less jarring & always circling-back. Balance could use a whisper more savory input. Still, it's lip-smacking & drool-inducing so whatta I know? Construction/combustion: six out of Seven Heavens. Details thereof: [redacted]. Boring in comparison to rest of text.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Toro Gordo (656)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
WEBSITE: illusionecigars.com
NOTES:
Mocha | Leather | Spice
I'm no Kabbalist but picture the Tree of Life. Now picture it as a flavorscape. Now lettuce address this cigar. B I G stuff in the Keter. Heavy, rounded, balanced notes: mocha chocolate-coffee swirling, a supple yet thick leather, a dusty Southwest spice rack made of staunchly-structured cedar. Finishes on long legs of mainly shekhinah notes but I get ahead of myself.
See the shekhinah? It tastes like evolving happenings. Toasted caramel, roasted orange, kasha (buckwheat), chicory, potpourri. Now the tiferet --- it's the earthen core which borrows in orchestrated turns from all I've mentioned thus far. Dark but aerated like a chocolate bar w/ Russian lettering on its wrapper. Unfamiliar w/ Kaballistic imagery? Picture a snowman; mentioned head, ass, gut.
Both overt & subtle. Easy & demanding. Willing to go as deep as ya like. Nuanced to beat the band. Complex, soitenly. Transitional? Only a tick shy of Ms. Jenner but far less jarring & always circling-back. Balance could use a whisper more savory input. Still, it's lip-smacking & drool-inducing so whatta I know? Construction/combustion: six out of Seven Heavens. Details thereof: [redacted]. Boring in comparison to rest of text.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Kaplowitz Media SPECIAL REPORT a Handful of Lancero Recommendations
"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"
Via Cigar Aficionado: "The standard Cuban measurement for a lancero is 7 1/2 inches long by 38 ring gauge, but those made outside of Cuba can be a bit shorter and somewhat fatter. Most cigars with the name are finished with a signature flag cap, the pigtail that can be anything from a mere stub to a strip of leaf approaching an inch in length. When rated by Cigar Aficionado, lanceros fall under the panetela category, which comprises thin cigars. All lanceros are panetelas, but only gran (or long) panetelas are lanceros."
Maraschino cherry | Cayenne | Cream
Via Cigar Aficionado: "The standard Cuban measurement for a lancero is 7 1/2 inches long by 38 ring gauge, but those made outside of Cuba can be a bit shorter and somewhat fatter. Most cigars with the name are finished with a signature flag cap, the pigtail that can be anything from a mere stub to a strip of leaf approaching an inch in length. When rated by Cigar Aficionado, lanceros fall under the panetela category, which comprises thin cigars. All lanceros are panetelas, but only gran (or long) panetelas are lanceros."
Via me: The Lancero. Perhaps the most polarizing of all cigar vitolas. Some hate them, some love them. See: "polarizing." More objectively, hardly anyone buys them. But I digress. Regardless, sometimes it's just fun to channel Burgess Meredith in his role as The Penguin. Wanna add to that fun? Enjoy these...
[listed in ABC'd order, names are links to my full reviews.]
Dark chocolate | Ripe fruits | Peppery meat
Dark chocolate | Espresso | Molasses
Illusione Cigars 888 Necessary & Sufficient Candela in Review "Old Issues of DRF"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Illusione 888 Candela Claro
Illusione 888 Candela Claro
Necessary & Sufficient
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Candela
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Churchill (6.25x48)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium
WEBSITE: illusionecigars.com
NOTES:
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Candela
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Churchill (6.25x48)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium
WEBSITE: illusionecigars.com
NOTES:
White peppercorn | Floral | Suede
White peppercorn, angular at first then folded into an inherent sweet creaminess. Sheepskin suede plays well & complexly with that kick-y cream. Then there's the ::: very ::: floral gambit. Dandelion (roots & all) and chamomile, mainly. Both making nice teas. There's a crisp (Granny Smith) apple-y dryness to the latter. Dry is there in a further fruity manner, as well. a riesling look-see. When I say dry, I do not mean arid.
A fairly juicy palate, actually. Briskly-so. Undertones of vanilla, lemongrass w/ its hint of ginger. Almost minty. Some cardamom, too. Underbelly is laid out on white sand. A tick of kaolin, in there, way down is a finely-ground black pepper. This envelopes the profile in distinctly separate pepperiness. Extraordinarily structured. Quite complex. Moderately nuanced. That black pepper is intro'd as part of a nifty mid-point transition parcel; offers nice structuring.
Combustion-wise, a pair of re-touches are mandated at either end of that halfway mark. Ash grows in airy clumps. A tartly-sweet aroma happens thinly about at first but lingers to culminate nicely and bear a bit of an oomph. As to construction, no hard/soft spots, excellent draw w/ a slight resistance. A thing to note is that the green top-leaf handles more durably than most double claros. Ebbing & flowing subtly thru-out are old issues of DRF tucked into the crooks of checker-patterned sportscoat sleeves.
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP189
lo-fi & lovely
IN THIS EPISODE: I read a Mental Floss article about cigar factory Lectores. Also a re-broadcast of something from the KR archives. thx
READING LIST:
The Lectores Who Read to Cuba's Cigar Rollers
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71485/lectores-who-read-cubas-cigar-rollers
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.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.
IN THIS EPISODE: I read a Mental Floss article about cigar factory Lectores. Also a re-broadcast of something from the KR archives. thx
READING LIST:
The Lectores Who Read to Cuba's Cigar Rollers
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71485/lectores-who-read-cubas-cigar-rollers
*
* *
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.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.
::: very :::
Monday, August 17, 2020
Espinosa Cigars 601 La Bomba Warhead VI in Review "Calm Thoughtful Aftermath"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Figurado (558)
ORIGIN: San Lotano (AJF) Ocotal, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
WEBSITE: www.espinosacigars.com
NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Spanish cedar | Cuban coffee
Here's the trick: once this Nica puro hits its full girth, VWOOSH it's as if opening an empty Spanish cedar lined humi. One that's been closed a while, & you're holding your face up-close. Prior to that & after, it's Broadleaf, baby. Fudgy-dense dark chocolate, Cuban style coffee (espresso w/ a caramelized sugar). Black peppercorn of a noteworthy height but dipped in heavily toasted creamy lushness.
Undertones of molasses, dark grain, thick hidey leather. Very well-structured by the cedar & pepper. Delineated & full. Heavy af but not cloying on the palate. Some in&out of blackberry & blackcurrant, ripe to the point of dripping into the body. Finishes as big as its draw -- inky & inherently sweet w/ lingering spicy kicker. Cumin & smoked paprika. A sweet & woody mace. In your face w/ a BOOM but also has deep depths & surprisingly elegant nuances.
The Perfecto nipple pulls a bit sluggish till its quickly burnt-thru. From there, the draw is a bit snug but even & sating. Char-line is dead-even. Pack holds firm & holds a shit-ton of 'baccy. Pacing is menacingly slow; deliberate & delightfully ominous. Voluminous smoke out-put allows the primary notes to sit heavy & long in the air. A bunker buster w/ calm thoughtful aftermath. If at all possible, have yours lit by a pin-up model. Then have her grill you a nice steak. Then tell me how you managed all that.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Figurado (558)
ORIGIN: San Lotano (AJF) Ocotal, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
WEBSITE: www.espinosacigars.com
NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Spanish cedar | Cuban coffee
Here's the trick: once this Nica puro hits its full girth, VWOOSH it's as if opening an empty Spanish cedar lined humi. One that's been closed a while, & you're holding your face up-close. Prior to that & after, it's Broadleaf, baby. Fudgy-dense dark chocolate, Cuban style coffee (espresso w/ a caramelized sugar). Black peppercorn of a noteworthy height but dipped in heavily toasted creamy lushness.
Undertones of molasses, dark grain, thick hidey leather. Very well-structured by the cedar & pepper. Delineated & full. Heavy af but not cloying on the palate. Some in&out of blackberry & blackcurrant, ripe to the point of dripping into the body. Finishes as big as its draw -- inky & inherently sweet w/ lingering spicy kicker. Cumin & smoked paprika. A sweet & woody mace. In your face w/ a BOOM but also has deep depths & surprisingly elegant nuances.
The Perfecto nipple pulls a bit sluggish till its quickly burnt-thru. From there, the draw is a bit snug but even & sating. Char-line is dead-even. Pack holds firm & holds a shit-ton of 'baccy. Pacing is menacingly slow; deliberate & delightfully ominous. Voluminous smoke out-put allows the primary notes to sit heavy & long in the air. A bunker buster w/ calm thoughtful aftermath. If at all possible, have yours lit by a pin-up model. Then have her grill you a nice steak. Then tell me how you managed all that.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. EP189 "Doom and Date"
lo-fi & lovely
This week on Kaplowitz Radio. we have visits from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Sue Shay of Bluebird Wine, Lee Marsh of Stolenthrone Cigars, & Mike Weinstein of the New Jersey Weinsteins. Four guests! BIG shoe. For more Kaplowitz Media, check out www.Kaplowitz.xyz or hang your head out your car window while going 80 down a side street.
This week on Kaplowitz Radio. we have visits from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Sue Shay of Bluebird Wine, Lee Marsh of Stolenthrone Cigars, & Mike Weinstein of the New Jersey Weinsteins. Four guests! BIG shoe. For more Kaplowitz Media, check out www.Kaplowitz.xyz or hang your head out your car window while going 80 down a side street.
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.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
& everywhere else
For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Friday, August 14, 2020
Dapper Cigar Co. Desvalido in Review "Total Dad Bod LOL"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Dapper Cigar Co. Desvalido
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: USA
FILLER: Nicaraguan & undisclosed
FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
NOTES:
Honey | Suede | Hazelnut coffee
Sweet & rich. Why are all the good ones taken? Structured well via a buttery cedar in a bend-not-break fashion. The sweetness comes on a buckwheat honey note, then on an additional instant (hazelnut) flavored coffee. Suede is a dusty fusty un-rhyming yet poultry-level savory thing. Some nifty floral bits spike up from the undertones hither/thither. Dandelion & chamomile. Very apple-y chamomile... a certain apple-woodiness.
Creamy midsection. Total dad bod lol. Orange blossom honey, cocoa butter, something like Cracker Jack. Something a lot like that, actually. Nuanced quite well & moderately complex particularly when its citrus tendencies form their own pith in the malty orange blossom glace. The balance is nice once a white peppercorn & light clove pepper-spice arrives at the end of 1/3. Surprising yet too, subtle intricacies. I wanna say "cute."
A split-ash requires a re-touch after worked thru in the 2/3. B I G smoky-smoke culminates in a sweet leathery albeit somewhat dank room-note. Heavy in the air, somewhat cloyingly. Heavier-so than on the palate. Other than that split, ash builds well. Draws a tick moist but evenly w/ a keen amm't of resistance. Sneaky strength in the 3/3 gives a nice buzz. All told a sweet meandering walk-about of a smoke, w/ excellent looks at malty-fusty-dusty-musty pastoral scenes. Foggy ones.
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Dapper Cigar Co. Desvalido
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: USA
FILLER: Nicaraguan & undisclosed
FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
NOTES:
Honey | Suede | Hazelnut coffee
Sweet & rich. Why are all the good ones taken? Structured well via a buttery cedar in a bend-not-break fashion. The sweetness comes on a buckwheat honey note, then on an additional instant (hazelnut) flavored coffee. Suede is a dusty fusty un-rhyming yet poultry-level savory thing. Some nifty floral bits spike up from the undertones hither/thither. Dandelion & chamomile. Very apple-y chamomile... a certain apple-woodiness.
Creamy midsection. Total dad bod lol. Orange blossom honey, cocoa butter, something like Cracker Jack. Something a lot like that, actually. Nuanced quite well & moderately complex particularly when its citrus tendencies form their own pith in the malty orange blossom glace. The balance is nice once a white peppercorn & light clove pepper-spice arrives at the end of 1/3. Surprising yet too, subtle intricacies. I wanna say "cute."
A split-ash requires a re-touch after worked thru in the 2/3. B I G smoky-smoke culminates in a sweet leathery albeit somewhat dank room-note. Heavy in the air, somewhat cloyingly. Heavier-so than on the palate. Other than that split, ash builds well. Draws a tick moist but evenly w/ a keen amm't of resistance. Sneaky strength in the 3/3 gives a nice buzz. All told a sweet meandering walk-about of a smoke, w/ excellent looks at malty-fusty-dusty-musty pastoral scenes. Foggy ones.
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
::: very :::
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Stolen Throne Cigars Call to Arms in REDUX Review "A New Classic, Then"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Stolen Throne
Call to Arms
WRAPPER: Sumatra
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Corona
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
WEBSITE
NOTES:
Spices | Cream | Honey
Stolen Throne
Call to Arms
WRAPPER: Sumatra
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Corona
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
WEBSITE
The reasoning behind this redux is a switch from the Robusto to Corona vitola. The original R review may be read HERE. This 2d will not reference that 1t. You should read it anyway. It is superbly written.
NOTES:
Spices | Cream | Honey
Clove leads nutmeg & cinnamon. White & red peppers. Creamy cream cream burgeoning buttery-sweetly but inherently & with maturity, un-cloyingly. Cocoa butter, milk chocolate. Honey, malty and a bit fusty & enveloped by graham flour, toasted, read: honey graham cracker. Leather, then added leathery oils. Hidey, meaty. Oh, my. Structured via a buttery cedar, rigidly richly-so. Robust, weighty but also sunny. Complex. Supremely focused.
Finishes on long legs, interestingly enough predominantly consisting of undertones carried by sweet spices. Separate orange blossom honey, dandelion & chamomile, cream again, peanut butter. All delineated, well-orchestrated. White peppercorn. A spotlight shone on each in each's turn. Underbelly is terra cotta clay earthiness; a touch of chicken coop & oat savoriness.
Transitional (the sweeping spotlight), complex af, & balanced to beat the band. A tour de force. "noun an impressive performance or achievement that has been accomplished or managed with great skill." - Oxford Languages. Performs impeccably. "adverb in accordance with the highest standards; faultlessly." -Oxford Languages. Aroma is leathery sweet spiciness w/ a tantalizing musty attachment. A classical smoking experience taken from the traditional to cutting-edge. A new classic, then.
T O P S HE L F.
"Top shelf may refer to: ... Top-shelf liquor, generally the most expensive brands of liquor served in a bar or nightclub. The upper section of netting on a Goal (ice hockey), between the crossbar and the horizontal backbar." -Wikipedia
"2 [from the placement of sexually explicit magazines for sale on high shelves out of the reach of children] British : containing pornographic material top-shelf magazines This year, retailers are going to come under increased pressure to clean up their acts." -Mirriam-Webster
FINAL GRADE: A+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP188
lo-fi & lovely
IN THIS EPISODE: A look at my rating system. A look back w/ a classic Kaplowitz Radio. rebroadcast. Plus a look forward to an upcoming special thing.
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
IN THIS EPISODE: A look at my rating system. A look back w/ a classic Kaplowitz Radio. rebroadcast. Plus a look forward to an upcoming special thing.
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
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Stolen Throne Cigars Call to Arms in Review "Legs to Cover Belmont"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Stolen Throne
Stolen Throne
Call to Arms
WRAPPER: Sumatra
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full
WEBSITE
NOTES:
Honey | Spices | Cream
Sweet & spicy like your aunt when she's drunk. Primary notes of spice array include: paprika, cinnamon, clove. with an out-on-ahead sweet gambit of malty orange blossom honey, cocoa butter, burgeoning then ballooning caramel. Braced with buttery cedar beams dipped in butterscotch pudding. Excellent structure & balance and far more complex than all I've simply stated. Creamy-dreamy.
Undertones reach up to influence the up-top with notes of fungal bits. (Your aunt sure is a fun-gal.) Cardamom gives off an apple pie vibe and the crust is there too, sugary, flaky. Suede. Chicken coop. Peanut butter. Berries. Chamomile & wildflowers. A certain cleansing citrus pith. Long sweet-spicy finish & ever-evolving. Could easily be a cacophony but instead stays jazzy. Excellent depth of nuance, brightly, densely.
Underbelly is clay terracotta earth with more honey -- a blueberry varietal of the stuff. Graham cracker crumbs. Performance-wise, I see zilch complaints. Even burn at even pacing. Fantastic ash growth. No hard/soft spots. Velvety draw. Voluminous smoke out-put yields a pastry in the oven vibe with curry simmering on the stovetop. A sophomore addition to a stable already housing a champion Quarter Horse (Crook of the Crown). This here is goddamned Thoroughbred w/ the legs to cover Belmont.
FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
WRAPPER: Sumatra
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full
WEBSITE
NOTES:
Honey | Spices | Cream
Sweet & spicy like your aunt when she's drunk. Primary notes of spice array include: paprika, cinnamon, clove. with an out-on-ahead sweet gambit of malty orange blossom honey, cocoa butter, burgeoning then ballooning caramel. Braced with buttery cedar beams dipped in butterscotch pudding. Excellent structure & balance and far more complex than all I've simply stated. Creamy-dreamy.
Undertones reach up to influence the up-top with notes of fungal bits. (Your aunt sure is a fun-gal.) Cardamom gives off an apple pie vibe and the crust is there too, sugary, flaky. Suede. Chicken coop. Peanut butter. Berries. Chamomile & wildflowers. A certain cleansing citrus pith. Long sweet-spicy finish & ever-evolving. Could easily be a cacophony but instead stays jazzy. Excellent depth of nuance, brightly, densely.
Underbelly is clay terracotta earth with more honey -- a blueberry varietal of the stuff. Graham cracker crumbs. Performance-wise, I see zilch complaints. Even burn at even pacing. Fantastic ash growth. No hard/soft spots. Velvety draw. Voluminous smoke out-put yields a pastry in the oven vibe with curry simmering on the stovetop. A sophomore addition to a stable already housing a champion Quarter Horse (Crook of the Crown). This here is goddamned Thoroughbred w/ the legs to cover Belmont.
FINAL GRADE: A
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. EP188 "Stormy Gusts"
lo-fi & lovely
On this ep, we have a visit from Sam Leccia, then a visit I paid to the guys over at Artesano del Tobacco (Viva la Vida) on their live Instagram show, also a new Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz, & a classic disILLUSIONE dePROGRAM w/ Dion Giolito from the Kaplowitz Radio vaults. Stay tuned thru to the end & catch my dramatic reading of Closing Time by Semisonic. For more Kaplowitz Radio., hit the road, Jack. Hit the road, Jack. But please come back. thx
READING LIST
(Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz)
Gold Feather Coffee Roasters Wheels Up Blend in REDUX Review "& Out the Door You Go!"
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/08/gold-feather-coffee-roasters-wheels-up.html
Oliva Cigars Serie V Belicoso in Review "Rather Classical"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/08/oliva-cigars-serie-v-belicoso-in-review.html
Charles Smith Wines Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2018 in Review "Tastes Like Uma Thurman's Yellow Jumpsuit"
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/charles-smith-wines-kung-fu-girl.html
On this ep, we have a visit from Sam Leccia, then a visit I paid to the guys over at Artesano del Tobacco (Viva la Vida) on their live Instagram show, also a new Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz, & a classic disILLUSIONE dePROGRAM w/ Dion Giolito from the Kaplowitz Radio vaults. Stay tuned thru to the end & catch my dramatic reading of Closing Time by Semisonic. For more Kaplowitz Radio., hit the road, Jack. Hit the road, Jack. But please come back. thx
READING LIST
(Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz)
Gold Feather Coffee Roasters Wheels Up Blend in REDUX Review "& Out the Door You Go!"
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/08/gold-feather-coffee-roasters-wheels-up.html
Oliva Cigars Serie V Belicoso in Review "Rather Classical"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/08/oliva-cigars-serie-v-belicoso-in-review.html
Charles Smith Wines Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2018 in Review "Tastes Like Uma Thurman's Yellow Jumpsuit"
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/charles-smith-wines-kung-fu-girl.html
Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com
Voice message: (541) 283-5978
::: very :::
Friday, August 7, 2020
San Andres Wrapper Cigars: A Handful of Recently Reviewed Recommended Offerings
"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"
San Andres tobacco. If it's good enough for the Mayans, it's good enough for me, I always say. The tale of this black leaf spreads: Peru >>> Central America >>> Mexico >>> the Caribbean &&& predominantly prior to Cuban leaf's emergence. But I'm no historian. I'm just trying to fill this space w/ something. Anything. What I am, however, is a professional taster...
San Andres tobacco. If it's good enough for the Mayans, it's good enough for me, I always say. The tale of this black leaf spreads: Peru >>> Central America >>> Mexico >>> the Caribbean &&& predominantly prior to Cuban leaf's emergence. But I'm no historian. I'm just trying to fill this space w/ something. Anything. What I am, however, is a professional taster...
Robustly weighty and at times uncompromising & straight-forward. Hopefully smooth and most likely carrying notes of chocolate & espresso. I tend to get S'mores components in the best of times; in the worst gruff earthy edges scorch my palate. Oh, and the darker the shade, the deeper the sweet (to the point of purple fruits). Lighter shades are spicier meat-A-balls. Nevertheless, here's an ABC'd list of SA draped recs:
ADVentura Cigars The Navigator
Cherries | Dark chocolate | Plum
My full review may be read HERE.
Cavalier Geneve Black Series (USA Exclusive)
My full review may be read HERE.
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso
Chocolate | Espresso | Seared meat
My full review may be read HERE.
Micallef Cigars Migdalia
My full review may be read HERE.
Rojas Cigars Statement
Dark chocolate | Black pepper | Coffee
My full review may be read HERE.
Cherries | Dark chocolate | Plum
My full review may be read HERE.
Cavalier Geneve Black Series (USA Exclusive)
My full review may be read HERE.
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso
Chocolate | Espresso | Seared meat
My full review may be read HERE.
Micallef Cigars Migdalia
My full review may be read HERE.
Rojas Cigars Statement
Dark chocolate | Black pepper | Coffee
My full review may be read HERE.
::: very :::
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Oliva Cigars Serie V Belicoso in Review "Rather Classical"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
Oliva Cigars
Oliva Cigars
Serie V Belicoso
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: 554 Belicoso
ORIGIN: Tabacalera Oliva de Estelí S.A., Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
NOTES:
Spices | Leather | Earth
One kindly-smooth kick in the pants after another, deliciously. A toasted buttery cedar offers superb structure, delineation, focus. A spicy meat-A-ball of smoked paprika, cumin, nutmeg. Molasses balances. Complex leather bridges the uppers/lowers. Hidey up-top, then oily on-down. Earthiness everywhere, dark but with rays of light piercing thru, highlighting nuances.
Rich but not broad or lethargic. Excellent. A French press java look-see, black & cayenne pepperiness; that pair flip-flops at mid-point, where peppers drive to the nub. There's a poultry-level savoriness, a milk chocolate in&out. Earthiness plays with barnyard, chicken coop, terra cotta. Finish lasts puff-to-puff, extending primary notes, adding butterscotch. Fantastic balance, complexities.
Pulls a tick snug the first couple times, then opens well & evenly. Char stays on an even line, ash grows well & good. Very nice pacing. Moderate smoke out-put leaves a rather classical spiced leather room-note in its wake. A bit of a muskiness there. The remainder of construction/combustion is sans complaint. Here's a complaint of sorts: a lack of character brought on by rigid adherence to perfecting standards. A certain je ne sais quoi ain't there.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: 554 Belicoso
ORIGIN: Tabacalera Oliva de Estelí S.A., Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
NOTES:
Spices | Leather | Earth
One kindly-smooth kick in the pants after another, deliciously. A toasted buttery cedar offers superb structure, delineation, focus. A spicy meat-A-ball of smoked paprika, cumin, nutmeg. Molasses balances. Complex leather bridges the uppers/lowers. Hidey up-top, then oily on-down. Earthiness everywhere, dark but with rays of light piercing thru, highlighting nuances.
Rich but not broad or lethargic. Excellent. A French press java look-see, black & cayenne pepperiness; that pair flip-flops at mid-point, where peppers drive to the nub. There's a poultry-level savoriness, a milk chocolate in&out. Earthiness plays with barnyard, chicken coop, terra cotta. Finish lasts puff-to-puff, extending primary notes, adding butterscotch. Fantastic balance, complexities.
Pulls a tick snug the first couple times, then opens well & evenly. Char stays on an even line, ash grows well & good. Very nice pacing. Moderate smoke out-put leaves a rather classical spiced leather room-note in its wake. A bit of a muskiness there. The remainder of construction/combustion is sans complaint. Here's a complaint of sorts: a lack of character brought on by rigid adherence to perfecting standards. A certain je ne sais quoi ain't there.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
::: very :::
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP187
lo-fi & lovely
Kaplowitz Media. has a certain je ne sais quoi. This episode of ETC. is all about a certain je ne sais quoi in the offerings I review.
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:
Kaplowitz Media. has a certain je ne sais quoi. This episode of ETC. is all about a certain je ne sais quoi in the offerings I review.
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
Monday, August 3, 2020
CAO Cigars Steel Horse Ape Hanger in Review "I Guess I'm More a Vespa Guy"
“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”
CAO Steel Horse Ape Hanger
WRAPPER: Connecticut Habano Grueso
BINDER: Brazilian Arapiraca
FILLER: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
FORMAT: 5.5x58
ORIGIN: STG Esteli, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium?
NOTES:
??? | ??? | ???
Thin & predominantly bland. Insofar as discernable flavor notes, HOLY SHIT DID I GET THE COVID?! (I taste barely any tastes.) The body is a bit sharp; the finish is of a fleeting length. Something like a mild hot sauce? Something like a faraway vanilla extract? Further-out anise/cola melange? Am I asking you or telling you? I wanna say Dr. Pepper.
Mainly earthen & mainly in the midsection, liquidy but not in a lip-smacking manner. Spitty. Hints of waxy dark chocolate shavings, dark non-descript fruits. Dried but wet. Left out on a wet sidewalk... mineral-y. At the 1/2 an espresso sets in well 'nuff then vacates. Then the real bland happens on-out. Leathery under-belly gate-to-wire, chugging along thinking it can but cannot on its lonesome.
Burns jaggedly-so. Draws damply. Nice smoke out-put but wispy/wimpy room-note of diesel & leather (in that order). Ash grows dark & fugly, missing an inch of length. The roll holds well, so there's that & that's nice. Palate abrasion comes in the 3/3. I guess I'm more a Vespa gent than an Ape Hanger dude. This thing really ruffled my silk scarf.
FINAL GRADE: C
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
WRAPPER: Connecticut Habano Grueso
BINDER: Brazilian Arapiraca
FILLER: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
FORMAT: 5.5x58
ORIGIN: STG Esteli, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium?
NOTES:
??? | ??? | ???
Thin & predominantly bland. Insofar as discernable flavor notes, HOLY SHIT DID I GET THE COVID?! (I taste barely any tastes.) The body is a bit sharp; the finish is of a fleeting length. Something like a mild hot sauce? Something like a faraway vanilla extract? Further-out anise/cola melange? Am I asking you or telling you? I wanna say Dr. Pepper.
Mainly earthen & mainly in the midsection, liquidy but not in a lip-smacking manner. Spitty. Hints of waxy dark chocolate shavings, dark non-descript fruits. Dried but wet. Left out on a wet sidewalk... mineral-y. At the 1/2 an espresso sets in well 'nuff then vacates. Then the real bland happens on-out. Leathery under-belly gate-to-wire, chugging along thinking it can but cannot on its lonesome.
Burns jaggedly-so. Draws damply. Nice smoke out-put but wispy/wimpy room-note of diesel & leather (in that order). Ash grows dark & fugly, missing an inch of length. The roll holds well, so there's that & that's nice. Palate abrasion comes in the 3/3. I guess I'm more a Vespa gent than an Ape Hanger dude. This thing really ruffled my silk scarf.
FINAL GRADE: C
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
::: very :::
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Kaplowitz Radio. EP187 “Sweets & Beauties”
lo-fi & lovely
Visits from Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars & Mike of New Jersey. A new Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz segment & a classic bit of something from the Kaplowitz Radio. vaults. yw
READING LIST
Villiger TAA Exclusive 2020
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/07/villiger-cigars-taa-exclusive-2020-in.html
Gold Feather Night Flight Blend
https://kmcoffee.blogspot.com/2020/07/gold-feather-coffee-roasters-night.html
Bennett Vineyards & Wine Company | Bennett's at 5th St. Market Tasting Room
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/07/bennett.html
PREMIUM CIGAR ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES “EXCLUSIVELY FOR PCA” INITIATIVE
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