Saturday, September 26, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year 2019-20

"Have you Kaplowitz'd this-year?"

KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.
CIGAR OF THE YEAR 2019-2020

Gentlepersons, it is now the 5th time to name the Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year. You can take a look back at the other years HERE. What more perfect a way to wrap up the month-long Fifth Aniversario Celebracion of KM. than this right here? As a reminder, the process...

STEPS TOWARD NAMING THE 2019-20 CIGAR OF THE YEAR
  1. All Cigars of the Month listed (9/26)
  2. Best of each month announced (9/27)
  3. List will be whittled down to ten (9/28)
  4. Ten-six announced (9/29)
  5. Five-one announced (9/30)
These edits to this post occur daily in accordance w/ the above schedule. What time exactly? Wake up & check-in. Not updated? Have breakfast, check-back. See? Please note that each name listed is a link to its full review. Finally, no other posts will publish here on Kaplowitz Media. Cigars during this time. The wine & coffee sites, however, will each continue unaffected. 

So now & w/ out any further ado, adon't, or a'maybe...

1. ALL CIGARS of the MONTH HONOREES

OCTOBER 2019

Diamond Crown Black Diamond by JC Newman
La Sonrisa Cigars El Profesor
Left Hand Cigar Co. Left-Hander
Micallef Cigars Leyanda No.2

NOVEMBER 2019

ADVentura The Explorer
Illusione Singulare 2019 Seven Horns

DECEMBER 2019

Cavalier Geneve Black II
Cavalier Geneve White Series
O.M. Essential Blend No. 1
Regina Avus et Avia
Villiger La Libertad

JANUARY 2020

Chaffiot Collection Original Connecticut
Illusione Epernay 10th Anniversary D'Aosta

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020

Tatuaje Cabaiguan
Espinosa Laranja Escuro
Pura Soul Kings Treasure
San Lotano Dominicano
Villiger Do Brasil Maduro

APRIL 2020

El Artista El Pulita 60 Aniversario

MAY 2020

Cavalier Geneve Black II
Cavalier Geneve White Series
DAV Prima Natural
Debonaire Habano
Indian Motorcycle Habano

JUNE 2020

ADVentura The Conqueror
ADVentura The Explorer
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Brulee
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso
Kristoff Vengeance
Principal Cigars Accomplice Classic
Principle Cigars Frothy Monkey
Red Meat Lovers Club (DT&T)
Viva la Vida Jester

JULY 2020

Jas Sum Kral (JSK) Red Knight
Principle Aviator Series Vainqueur

AUGUST 2020

Espinosa Cigars 601 La Bomba Warhead VI
Illusione Cigars Mj12
Oliva Cigars Serie V Belicoso
Stolen Throne Cigars Call to Arms Corona
Stolen Throne Cigars Call to Arms Robusto

SEPTEMBER 2020

All Saints Dedicacion
All Saints Solamente
HVC Edicion Especial 2015
HVC Hot Cake Laguito No. 4
Illusione Cruzado

2. BEST OF EACH MONTH

OCTOBER 2019: 

NOVEMBER 2019: 

DECEMBER 2019:


FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020:

APRIL 2020:

MAY 2020:

JUNE 2020:

JULY 2020:

AUGUST 2020:

SEPTEMBER 2020:

3. TOP 10 IN ABC'd ORDER

Principle Aviator Series Vainqueur

4. NUMBERS 10-6 ANNOUNCED

Friday, September 25, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (September 2020)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

A reminder: each cigar entered into each of these monthly A-Grade lists is eligible for Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year running. THIS IS THE FINAL GROUP GAINING ENTRY INTO THE 2019-20 RUNNING WHICH BEGINS TOMORROW. sorry I yelled. quite excited. thx

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



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

A(nother) reminder: each cigar entered into each of these monthly A-Grade lists is eligible for Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year running. THIS IS THE FINAL GROUP GAINING ENTRY INTO THE 2019-20 RUNNING WHICH BEGINS TOMORROW. sorry I yelled. quite excited. thx

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 :::

Thursday, September 24, 2020

HVC Cigars Edicion Especial 2015 in Review "Tasty All the Live-long"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

HVC Cigars Edicion Especial 2015

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: TABSA, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full/Full

WEBSITE: www.hvccigars.com

NOTES:
Molasses | Cuban coffee | Chocolate

Oh, & the spices. Cinnamon, clove, smoked paprika. Cumin. All thems. Black peppercorn smoothly, & cayenne kicker to keep it all honest. A little chin music to keep you off the plate. Rich, heavy, full, robust. Molasses steers. Cuban coffee bulges. Chicory structures and toasted sweet cedar lends to delineation. The chocolate, we'll get to that.

All that, pushed up by an excelsior-led leathery midsection. Beefy in weight & flavor. Stew, then. Then a separate but equal pepper-spice. Dark chocolate becomes Death by Chocolate at the 1/3's end then big, bigger. Plum, blackberry. Undertones of umami-riddled earthiness. Barnyard, manure. Yum. Fantastic balance. Supremely well-rounded. Complex via chocolatey transition & deeply-deep nuanced depths. Finish is fudgy dessert savoriness on long, long legs.

While the seams are tight & cap assemblage holds admirably, as well as no hard/soft spots being visible -- performance does dip a tick or two. A fluctuating draw tension, at times stiffened at times hesitant, hampers-some. Burn-line is a self-correcting erratic thing. Ash is just fugly-flaky. There's a point where molasses & choc. merge and lessen each's effect (3/3). Nevertheless, tasty all the live-long w/ an on-par aroma.

TASTE: A
DRAW: B
BURN: B+
BUILD: A-

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

Social media: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP194

 lo-fi & lovely



Courtesy of Illusione Cigars, this week's ETC is a fun one, for sure. I hype the days-away Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year naming. Then I quick-review a GTO Cigars offering. Then you get to relive a classic bit of audio from the Kaplowitz Radio. archives; a vintage disILLUSIONE dePROGRAM podcast. yw

The best tasting podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:

& everywhere else

::: very :::

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

ADVentura Cigars The Royal Return Kings Gold in Review "Weighty but not Plodding"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

ADVentura Cigars 
The Royal Return
Kings Gold

WRAPPER: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Mexican San Andres
FILLER: Dominican Republic, USA, Nicaragua

FORMAT: Toro (664)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera William Ventura, DR
INTENSITY: Medium/Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.adventuracigars.com

NOTES:
Chocolate soda | Coffee | Cedar

Bittersweet w/ a hint of meat. Sinewy. Juicy. Well-structured via seasoned cedar. Nice coffee look, excellent crema, a stovetop espresso say. A chocolate soda replete with creaminess & maraschino cherry topper. Cedar carries a tick of butterscotch. Spices are Midwest kitchen. A nice black pepper kick, softly. Not super complex but well-nuanced.

Undertones are driven by supple leather, a bit wetly-so. Mainly earthen in the midsection. Buckwheat, barnyard. [Chocolate] Babka flits in along the way. Finishes sweet-bitter style on moderate stiff legs. Smells a bit like American scones being served up at a cafe. Balanced nicely & well-rounded sans edges. Weighty but not plodding.

Burns a tick & self-correctingly-so jagged -- no big whoop. Combusts all told well, with nice smoke out-put and excellent languid pacing. Stong oily ash. Packing softens some during progression and not always evenly; nothing egregious nor hampening to draw. Fans of the fuller-side of the Caldwell portfolio should greatly appreciate this offering. 

HERE is a great chocolate soda recipe.

TASTE: B+
DRAW: B+
BURN: B
BUILD: B

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

Social media: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Kaplowitz Media. Wine SPECIAL CROSS-OVER: Meadowcroft Wines All She Wrote Dessert Wine NV in Review + Three Cigar Pairing Recommendations

This is also being published (simultaneously) at Kaplowitz Media. Wine. If you wanna see more of that go HERE. 

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

CATEGORY: Dessert
ALCOHOL: 18.5%
WEBSITE: www.meadowcroftwines.com

NOTES:
Dr. Pepper | Cherry Cordial | Australian Black Licorice

It's Port, baby! & a damn fine one. It's a Dr. Pepper soda syrup 2.5-gallon bag in box... w/ booze. But it's also so much more than the sum of its parts & its parts are prunes, raisins, a bit of rasp/blackberry, caramel, cinnamon & clove. A spoonful of Bosco. Vanilla bean.

Burgundy [Port] complexed & inky-dense w/ polished finish. Laces the glass like lacing glasses is going outta style. Noses to notes of booze & the American Songbook. Old Hollywood. Sweet & a bit bitter on the back-end. Nuanced af on the palate & superbly balanced as defined w/in the realm of dessert wines. Guava, a bit of apricot as I sip.

Spices & savoriness (a smoky leather) offset the sweetness which never gets to cloying. The finish lingers a tick less than I'd like but the most likely aids the cleanliness. Quite complex, insofar as clarity & quantity of notes, all under an excellent tannic structure. Black cherry & toasted oak rise at it blooms. Australian Black Licorice. Cherry meets chocolate & let's say it's Cordial. 

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

Time has somewhat/how forgotten that nothing in adult beverages pairs better with a cigar than a snootful of Port. Really & all told, only coffee is a safer bet there but that's for the AM rise & grind. In case you need proof, here are three (3) cigars to try alongside this Meadowcroft (or any) offering. [In ABC'd order]

Espinosa Laranja Reserva Escuro
Dark Chocolate | Baking spices | Cuban coffee
Full review HERE.

Illusione Garagiste
Chocolate | Cinnamon toast | Merlot
Full review HERE.

Stolen Throne Crook of the Crown
Mulled wine | Carob | Red spices
Full review HERE.

Social media: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP194 "Summer's Lease"

lo-fi & lovely



I recap & review the 2020 Kaplowitz Guide. Also, I share some cigar coffee wine news via various articles. Then some Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz. Finally, an art section including dramatic readings of the song Do Anything You Wanna Do from Eddie & the Hot Rods then a poem from John Ashbery, Anticipated Stranger. Not necessarily in that order. Want more reason to tune in? Sorry, that’s all I got. So let’s get to it. Oh, also some Shakespeare, natch.

The best tasting podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. CIGARS | WINE | COFFEE reviews/views & is available on:
& everywhere else

KAPLOWITZ READS KAPLOWITZ

Gracianna Wine 2017 Mercedes Riverblock Estate Pinot Noir in Review "Just Prior/Alongside"
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/gracianna-wine-2017-mercedes-riverblock.html

All Saints Cigars Dedicacion in Review "Creamy. Dreamy."
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/09/all-saints-cigars-dedicacion-in-review.html

Rock-A-Feller Dominican Blue in Review "Pick to Critical Bits"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/09/rock-feller-dominican-blue-in-review.html

Portlandia Vintners Pinot Noir 2018 in Review "Wanna See my Doilies?"
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/portlandia-vintners-pinot-noir-2018-in.html

Kaplowitz Media. 2020 Kaplowitz Guide

Friday, September 18, 2020

Rock-A-Feller Dominican Blue Toro in Review "Pick to Critical Bits"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group
(VRCG) Dominican Blue 

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Sumatran
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (pig-tail)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera L&V S.R.L. Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium/Medium

WEBSITE: www.vrcgcigars.com

NOTES:
Earth | Cocoa butter | Leather 

Smokeable comfort food, other than being a bit drying to the palate. Predominately earthen w/ nice nuances there and aerated via rays of brightness. Cocoa butter permeates them rays, smoothly, simply. Cashew tries. Leather is oily & as much body as flavor. White peppercorn/citrus pith sidles up in-between primaries &...

Undertones: hay, a cardboard intrusion (dryness). Mainly buttery-sweet on account of more cocoa butter, a carob thing, butterscotch & honey. The underbelly is earthen; terra cotta & clay. A bit of separate suede, hidey if not gamey. Wants, all told, to be smoother than it ultimately is.  Balanced but also a bit flat, broad. Not very complex. Still, a decent thing to smoke, just not to fawn-over & pick to critical bits.

Burns on a sluggish pacing w/ lagging top-leaf at times. Builds nice ash, however. Draws easy but too, a tick hollow. Aroma is a muted sweetness. Two soft-spots happen, one before lighting, another after. Seams aren't tight but do not loosen via progression. Rougher edges ease at the 1/2 but just sit broader on the tongue there-out. 

TL;DR:
TASTE: B-
DRAW: B
BURN: B
BUILD: B

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

Social media: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Thursday, September 17, 2020

All Saints Cigars Dedicacion in Review "Creamy. Dreamy."

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

All Saints Cigars 
Dedicacion Berkey

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Berkey (5.5x50) Box-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.allsaintscigars.com

NOTES:
Blackstrap molasses | Coffee | Hickory

A big, gregarious thing. Blackstrap molasses drives and flirts w/ cloying at times. Coffee is a dark roast via French press, aptly-so, as it's squeezed a tick. Hickory is the main component of a woodsy gambit which shows a toasted cedar & boozy oak barrel. Nicely delineated. Once a finely-ground black pepper comes in, we get some nice balance. Leather & fennel seed round it out well. Undertones mainly-all happen under that woodpile.

Butterscotch, a papaya lilt. Nutmeg, hint of clove. Milk chocolate happens on its own (out from under wood) & at the 1/2. A toffee sidles up there. While the notes are all rather toasted and darkly-so, the underbelly is surprisingly bright by contrast. Chicken coop, some clay earth. Terra cotta. A nice complexity, that & complexities are well displayed, all told. Graham flour. Almond extract forward macaroons

Burns on an even-line, at maybe the quickish side of moderate pacing. Draws smooth as silk. Seams & packing hold fine. Big smoke out-put on the puff, mutes quickly when passive. Still, an excellent sweet-savory room-note culminates. Clouds are dense and oily, a sentiment found on the body, too. Finishes there in a similar sweet-savory manner on long legs. Creamy. Dreamy.

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, September 16, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP193

 lo-fi & lovely




What am I about to be on about here? Well, this Sunday’s Kaplowitz Radio EP194 will be all about recapping the 2020 Kaplowitz Guide post among other things… but that doesn't answer the question. I just wanted to sneak that in. 

How about this: Kaplowitz Media Coffee is kicking back on after a short & unannounced hiatus while I got Kaplowitz Media. Wine underway. So that’s nice. I have samples on the way & will be stoked as soon as caffeinated properly. Chuffed, even.

Also here: a classic something from the Kaplowitz Radio. archives. 

The BEST tasting podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. 2020 Kaplowitz Guide

"Have you Kaplowitz'd this-year?"
KAPLOWITZ GUIDE 2020
Then mid-month [September] 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

Please note prior to a perusal of the following that said following is NOT the culmination of a full year's work. That will come in 2021 on this date. Also, these yearly guides as well as the updates which they consist of do not expire. A star on 2020 carries into 2021, say. Please direct further questions to kaplowitzmedia@mail.com, & as always, allow me ample time to not respond. 

with that, here's this...

2020 KAPLOWITZ STARS (UPDATES)
[links]


ADJUSTMENTS

+
Maya Selva Cigars (1)
Tatuaje Cigars (2)

-
n/a

2020 TALLY 

Crowned Heads (1)
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (2)
Espinosa Cigar (1)
Illusione Cigars (2)
Maya Selva Cigars (1)
Stolen Throne Cigars (1)
Tatuaje Cigars (2)


TOTAL TALLY

n/a

RISING STARS

ADVentura Cigars
Artesano del Tobacco
Cavalier Geneve
HVC Cigars
Warped Cigars

Rising stars are brands on deck to receive stars. Reasons? I've yet to sample enough or they've yet to expand their portfolio enough. Important to remember is I cannot 'star' what I have not smoked in a professional (written review) capacity. Also & similarly, I cannot smoke what has not been created. I've tried. Again, cannot.

NOTE(s): ADJUSTMENTS (including newly minted RISING STARS) will be followed by full write-ups ASAP-ish. TOTAL TALLY is the redundant heading under which all previous years will be tallied in forthcoming years. 

::: very :::

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP193 "Intro x10"

lo-fi & lovely



No new show this week due to wildfires. thx Instead, please listen to the intros from shows 183-192. In reverse order. Really. For more Kaplowitz Media., don't just stand there -- help me hose down the roof of my house, dammit. www.Kaplowitz.xyz REMEMBER: if any of these intros tease you into wanting to hear their full episodes, they can all be found rather easily, yes?

The BEST cigars & wine podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else

For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.
Support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.

Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Friday, September 11, 2020

HVC Cigars Hot Cake Laguito No. 4 in Review "Well Guided Experience"

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

HVC Hot Cakes
Laguito No. 4

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Rothschild 4.5x52
ORIGIN: TABSA, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full

WEBSITE: www.hvccigars.com

NOTES:
Chocolate | Spices | Cuban coffee

Rothschild is my favorite under-used vitola. This one features a quite round & nicely weighted profile. Easy & warm. Sweet & smooth. Chocolatey backed by red spices. Savory leather. A dark molasses then an added buckwheat honey. A Cuban coffee lilt. Calm & purposeful. Braced by a supple well-aged cedar note. A bit of black peppercorn on the tongue-tip.

Excellent delineation up-top. In the underneath, the structure gives a bit more, allowing for some mingling of notes while still enforcing boundaries. A potpourri note, some dark grains, a hint of red pepper. Quite nuanced. Stoically complex. Well-mannered to the point of being courteous. A (re)fine(d) look-see at San Andres top-leaf. A bit of toasted cream, a bit of graham. Sedate.

Burns on a dead-even line and from that grows hella dense ash. All that on lovely pacing which only adds to its meditative effect. A ::: very ::: well-guided experience. Becomes more savory, sweeter via progression, but not cloying. A roasted orange comes at the 1/2. Draws superbly well. Rolled w/ tight seams & zilch softening. Cool as a cuke smoke. Butterscotch. Oh, my.

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 :::

Thursday, September 10, 2020

All Saints Cigars Solamente in Review "A Deeper Appreciation"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

All Saints Solamente

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: 558
ORIGIN: TAVICUSA, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.allsaintscigars.com

NOTES:
Woods | Spice | Leather

Charred nicely & nicely toasted. Warm & structured well. Balanced quite well. Big pop of complex wood-play. Cedar then oak. The former is bitter-sweet spicy rich, the latter excellently complex. Oakiness is quite lively up-top then has its own charred wine cask undertones. Spices are red and welcoming, albeit somewhat nondescript. Very leathery, thick & stiff.

Secondary notes are superbly delineated bits of chicory coffee, chocolate, roasted chestnut, a tick of orange pith. Although delineated as said, does feel a bit compressed in a hyper-focused sense, not a knock. Very deliberate. Steadfast. Does dull a bit via progression till a rising white peppercorn comes thru w/ a nice dash of salt. Unspectacular maybe, but elegantly displayed w/ just the right touch of a rustic vibe. 

Finishes on a savory-rich body & long-legged display of undertone intricacies. Well-trained. The burn-line behaves admirably well, too. Ash grows solid. Draws silky-smooth. Construction/combustion operates flawlessly, all told. A classic cigar w/ enough subtleties to entertain a deeper appreciation. A cigar that begs a Petite Sirah accompaniment or New Orleans style coffee.

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, September 9, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP192

lo-fi & lovely


Listen as I hype the next part of the September-long Kaplowitz Media. Cigars 5th Anniversary celebration… The 2020 Kaplowitz Guide. Then hang around for a rebroadcast from the Kaplowitz Radio. audio vaults; a recap of 2019 Kappy Awards. Find out all about the month's festivities HERE.

The BEST cigar cigars wine wines podcast on the www today is Kaplowitz Radio. available on:
& everywhere else

READING LIST

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars SPECIAL REPORT | Fifth Anniversary Celebration Schedule | #Kappys2020, Kaplowitz Guide, Cigar of the Year 

Crowned Heads Cigars Awarded One Star | A Kaplowitz Guide Update

The Kappy Awards (Index)

*
*        *

For the 411 on Kaplowitz Radio, go HERE.
Help support Kaplowitz Media. via PayPal HERE.

Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Crowned Heads 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 Crowned Heads Cigars.

Jon Huber & Mike Conder met at CAO then started Crowned Heads (2011). That's about it for the history part of this Guide Update. Why the Kaplowitz Star? Consistently excellent blends with a branded focus in terms of flavor profile & marketing/branding. Huber, the front(er) man of the two, considers himself a "shy extrovert," as told to then by Tobacco Business. This meaning he is socially more self-confident when creating.

That's neat. Also neat is the haberdashery level amount/quality of Crown Heads swag which exists. Even neater is the marrying of song & smoke, most notably Johnny Cash. In a very real sense, CH has become a lifestyle brand & one with the good-goods to back the hype. This, particularly if your palate gravitates to the more purposeful & robust. The spicier of the meat-a-balls, most notably in their My Father factory-made offerings.

As to portfolio recs, begin with the richly delicious La Imperiosa, the prior-limited 2014 Las Calaveras blend. Then give the no holds barred charred flavor & nicotine punch Jericho Hill a spin, but remember: in Soviet Russia Jericho Hill spin you! Last but not least, track down the delectable Tennesee Waltz, a rare A+ grade recipient & 2015-16 Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year.

::: very :::

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. EP.192 "Heaven Knows"

lo-fi & lovely



A complete wrap up of The Kappy Awards #Kappys2020. Also, some Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz, and an Art Segment featuring dramatic readings of House Plants by Squid and All Nearness Pauses by ee Cummings. All me, flying solo. While my house is being painted. What could possibly go wrong? For more Kaplowitz Media., shut up and paint, god damn it. (+ bonus content from the Kaplowitz Radio. archives.)

READING LIST

Tabanero Cigars Maceda Torpedo in Review "A SunnyD Sort"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/09/tabanero-cigars-maceda-torpedo-in.html

Gracianna Wine 2016 Zinfandel in Review "A Bit Later in the Evening”
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/gracianna-wine-2016-zinfandel-in-review.html


Squid - Houseplants
https://genius.com/Squid-houseplants-lyrics

ee Cummings - All Nearness Pauses
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=25957

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

::: very :::

Friday, September 4, 2020

Tabanero Cigars Maceda Torpedo in Review "A SunnyD Sort"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Tabanero Cigars
Maceda Torpedo

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian sun-grown
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Colombian

FORMAT: Torpedo 6.5x54
ORIGIN: Ybor City, USA
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: tabanerocigars.com

NOTES:
Citrus | White pepper | Pecan

Bright & toasty. Tart-some. A bit less than weighty. Untethered. Primaries are somewhat artificial citrus; a SunnyD (Tangy Original) sort, a candied pecan, White peppercorn. More than the typical confusion 'tween citrus & pepper. A raw pale cedar. Straight ahead & unchanging. A bit dry. A bit & a half dry. A tick spastic in its depths, erratic. Structured both rigidly & not quite 'nuff.

Undertones of dried floral meanderings, predominantly. A thin-stiff lemony cream, scant cocoa butter. On the finish, the tartness ebbs and in flows low-fat chocolate milk. Both ebbing & flowing thru-out is a non-descript spice rack. Decent all-round but also a tick slim with some sharp edges amplified by/on an arid palate. Complexities are there but oft unkind. Imbalanced toward/by said tartness.

Make sure to clip further down than usual, or the flow is restricted to wispy af. Burn-line is wobbly-jagged and two re-directs are mandated. Seams hold, however, & no hard/soft spots are seen. Also, no softening occurs. Stays cool. A room-note of woodsy-citrus eventually collects, a bit gruffly-so. Some vanilla bean there, eventually sneaking onto tongue from schnoz.

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

Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Illusione Cigars 888 Necessary & Sufficient Maduro in Review "Leaving Nothing for the Wanting"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Illusione Cigars 888 Maduro
Necessary & Sufficient

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andreas
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Churchill
ORIGIN: TABSA Esteli, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: www.illusionecigars.com

NOTES:
Ripe fruits | Cinnamon raisin toast | Mexican chocolate

All dark ripe fruits, red spices, and inherent sweetnesses. Decent backbone, structure. That latest mention via a fresh even lively oak. Good weight, nice rays of light showing off nuances. Deeper. Fruits are low hanging plums, mulberries, figs. Juicy. Firmed up by a slab of toasted cinnamon raisin bread. Gooey'd back up again by Mexican hot chocolate. 

Complex in terms of notes & deliveries. Speaking of delivery, I haven't got mail in days. Undertones of wine cask, & wait... I haven't dissected spices: nutmeg & cinnamon. More undertones: vanilla bean, a glossy toasted fluff of meringue. Traces of red to cayenne pepper. Well-formed & balanced. Rich not cloying. Olfactory savoriness, leathery oils. Beautiful if not captivating.

Burns on an even-line that grows a somewhat chunky dry ash. Pulls a bit snug out of the gate but loosens nicely & well-before the wire. At the onset, smoke is a tick wispy. Once opened there's a rewarding Devil's food cake addition. Excellent pacing, good construction all-told. Whets the appetite & cleanses the plate & lives up to its nom de tobacco, leaving nothing in particular for the wanting.

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

Twitter: @kaplowitzmedia
email: KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

HBD Dad

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Kaplowitz Radio. ETC. for EP191

lo-fi & lovely




What happened on EP191? Well, it was predominantly a preview slash brainstorming sesh in regards to the then-upcoming #Kappys2020 w guests Lee Marsh, Hector Alfonso, and Mike Weinstein. Well, those Kappy Awards are in the review now (Check them out HERE) and will be fully addressed in summation on this coming Sundays Kaplowitz Radio EP192

What’s up here? So no addendum. What then? Dunno. How about a Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz segment (I actually ran out of time to do that in EP191) and then a classic something from the KR audio vaults, a new-classic disILLUSIONE dePROGRAM.

READING LIST:
Illusione Cigars Cruzado in REDUX Review "Nice Footwork"
https://kaplowitz.blogspot.com/2020/08/illusione-cigars-cruzado-in-redux.html

Machine Breaker Wine We The People Pinot Noir 2014 in Review "Wait, What?"
https://kmwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/machine-breaker-we-people-pinot-noir.html

The BEST cigar cigars wine wines 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

::: very :::
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)