Thursday, December 31, 2020

Valacari Cigars Nobility 2019 in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Valacari Cigars Nobility 2019 in Review 

WRAPPER: San Andres Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full

WEBSITE: www.valacari.com

NOTES:
Leather | Anise | Barnyard

Up-front pop of pepper-spice pungency. Black pepper, high & tight, ground fine.  Black licorice, fennel, anise. Countered & tethered to (in time) to a barnyard note w/ burgeoning saddle leather down-below. Tidings of plum, black cherry. Finishes a tick sharply on long bittersweet legs.

Cayenne thru the retro-hale rewards you w/ molasses & root beer thang. Root beer is a part of that anise-fennel gambit. Big, that. A different, interesting look @ pepper-spice, that. Moderately complex, nervously-so. Not great depth, but nigh flighty heights have layers. Balance tilts toward the profile's interest.

Draws exceptionally smooth. Built like an elegant tank. Char burns mainly even w/ dry ash barely making an inch. Aroma shows pungency but not over into an unkind manner. Smells how it tastes -- like serious business. An attache case handcuffed to a suited-up wrist. Speed dealer shades 'cause the sun's out.

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

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

Other Valacari reviews:
Valacari Invictus
Valacari NeoClassic

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars | Top Five Cigar Brands of the Year 2020

"Have you Kaplowitz'd this-year?"

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars | Top Five Cigar Brands of the Year 2020

1. Stolen Throne Cigars

2. Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

3. HVC

4. Illusione Cigars

5. Espinosa Cigars

Every year a seemingly infinity-amount of Cigar of the Year lists are released. Look at this list, chrissakes: Kaplowitz Media. Cigar of the Year 2019-20. 

What seems to be taken into considerably lesser-account are brands writ large. Not just a singular shining star within their portfolio. Take this-then to be kinda just a rating/ranking of the brands which handled a difficult year in excellent fashion. Dig?

REMEMBER, the above-listed company names are links to where you may read my reviews of their offerings. Also, I can only rate/rank companies whom I've reviewed the cigars of in 2020. It's an important component, that. & finally, SEND $$$.

A happy 2021 to all.

thx

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

ADVentura Cigars The Conqueror Emperor's Edition (LE) in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

ADVentura Cigars 
The Conqueror Emperor's Edition

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Lancero (740) pig-tail cap
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-full

WEBSITE: www.adventuracigars.com

NOTES:
Boozy fudge | Jerk seasoning | Leather

Deeply-dense yet jovial. Powerful but refined. Big-big notes of bourbon-laced dark fudge include a structuring charred barrel. Jerk seasoning tidings fit well the pirate-y motif, me hearties. See? I can be fun. Lots of brown sugar in that mix -- cloves, cinnamon, ginger, salt. It's the Scotch Bonnet chile peppers that seal the jerk deal.

Leather delivery. Savory. Drips its juices down thru its midsection. All Spice, dark grains, a driving compost. Further down, vanilla bean, molasses, and separate dark chocolate. Rich and well-rounded then even more-so via a toasted cream intro at 2/3. Balanced, nuanced, complex. Extraordinarily, deeply, sneakily (respectively).

Burn opens in a split-ash manner but corrects fast. Draws smooth w/ a resistance typical of the vitola. Even & smooth. Heavy veins on the top-leaf hurt the eye, but not the hand. Oily, dark. Burns on an even-line, slowly. Ash grows to an inch. Excellent savory-sweet smoke out-put w/ spicy kicker in the air. The Emporer sits ashore in luxurious chambers. The sea brings him fortunes. Apt. 

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

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

Other ADVentura reviews:

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Monday, December 28, 2020

Punch Cigars Clasico Elites in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Punch Clasico Elites

WRAPPER: Equadrian Sumatra
BINDER: Connecticut Broadleaf
FILLER: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican

FORMAT: Elites (5.25x45) Corona
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium-Full/Full

NOTES:
dk. Chocolate | Spice | Toffee

Chocolate-y, sophisticatedly-so. Dk.chocolate toffee & then-again in spiced mocha. Savory leather/beef; then again spicy: cumin, cinnamon, red/black pepper, chili-seasonings. Weighty-toasted cream. Cyclical, solid-complete.

TASTE: A-
DRAW: A
BURN: A-
BUILD:A-

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

Other Punch reviews:

Friday, December 25, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (December 2020)

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

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


kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars SPECIAL REPORT | Last Second Xmas Gift Giving Guide

"Have you Kaplowitz'd today?"

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars SPECIAL REPORT | Last Second Xmas Gift Giving Guide

It's Christmas Eve and you haven't gotten a gift for the cigar smoker on your list. Holy shit. Either you know the guy/gal so well that you know exactly what he/she would love & you're just major procrastinating, or more likely you've not a clue as to what what's their name wants.

I'm gonna help you with the latter. DO NOT BUY CIGARS. Unless you are certain as to their preference, just don't. Furthermore, do not buy any accessories which at all require display. Think humidors... then think you probably don't know what their decor warrants. Attire, similarly ditto.

But accessories are good. The bee's knees. Pocket accessories. Lighters & cutters, namely. How about a cigar book for a book lover who smokes? -- lateral gifts such as that. How about a gift card or cash because let's face it, thoughtless is as thoughtless does, jerkface. Now get out there & underwhelm that not-so special person.

Merry Christmas!

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Special Feature | Book Excerpt II

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Kaplowitz Media. Special Feature | Book Excerpt II

Which book? The book of Phil Zanghi III, of course. We've been teasing this, no? Yes. For some time now (on Kaplowitz Radio.) & below is an[other]* all-time tease. There is no official release date for the book (or an official title) but we do hope to present it in early 2021.

Simply, it's a collection of tales as told to me by Phil, regarding his life in tobacco & beyond.

Jalapa 1997

The cigar boom is in full swing. I'm living in downtown Jalapa on a corner. In front of me is a church. Diagonal is a city park. To my left is the largest tobacco co-operative in the area, their main offices. Again, I'm in the center of all this. On the other corner was a nice enough hacienda, three bedrooms upstairs, nothing fancy but really nice. A study downstairs, and a dedicated entry in front. Guy was a doctor from Miami. Very Spanish architecture, grey. Gated up like crazy. 

Anyways, we're moving tobacco transplants from Jalapa in floating trays, planting them in Jamastra -- trying to make hybrid plants. Me, Gabriel, and the rest of us are getting this all together. I need to hang back until the coming Monday to handle payroll. I had one-hundred large in cash money, an uzi, three grenades, a Glock. One afternoon, I see Gabe off with the transplants and I head back to my house. 

What I didn't know was that at that very moment someone in the co-op gets a hold of a Cigar Aficionado issue, sees that the sticks they're making for 10 cents an hour are going for like eight bucks per in the US. He asks for a 10 cent an hour raise. Union beefing starts. Guy decides to take the beef to the main site in Managua. On his way there, he hits a roadblock. They already radioed ahead to stop him. He tries for the getaway. Runs someone over in the process. They drag him from his car and fucking behead him. Right in the street. Behead him.

It's war. Jalapa is closed off. Martial law lockdown. All roads are blocked. I still have no clue, it's a Friday evening and I'm getting ready to pour a little something, smoke a little something. I do just that, then head to bed. I wake up in the middle of the night because the fan is off. The water's off. I decide to wait it out, still not knowing shit about what's going on. Then comes dawn, maybe six AM... all of a sudden, a little shitbox truck drives through town with a Blues Brothers speaker on top of it blaring in Spanish "We did not want to take this position. "YOU FORCED US INTO THIS POSITION." Insane rhetoric. "WE WILL BURN IT ALL TO THE FUCKING GROUND"

I step outside to see what's up and right next to me is a little store, a guy named Nino ran it, he'd give me ice cream when I'd buy whatever. He's waiting for me. Tells me to go back into the house. He follows me in.

He says, "It's fucked here. Can you get out?"
"I dunno, I have a four-wheeler."
"You're stuck. Lockdown here. You need anything, call me and I'll bring it."
"Serious?"
"Dead serious."

He tells me about what's going on. They're beheading people, they're going crazy. Nino is a knock on the wall away. It goes on two weeks total. He tells everyone I'm gone. No lights no water. I'm bathing at night in the rain and eating MREs during the day. Waiting. I stayed dressed the whole time, boots laid open to jam my feet into at night. Glock ready and always on me. All my cash on me too. People knew I was set to pay the payroll on Monday, I guess they assumed I never got it and fled. After a week, I'm going nuts. I gun up and ride my horse to the phone patch. 

Gabriel answers the phone on me in Honduras, says "What the fuck?" I say "You, what the fuck, you left me!" Apparently, just when Gabriel got across the border is when the shit hit the fan, we were cut off. Then we're cut off again. CLICK. Line goes dead. I look at the phone patch lady, she throws her hands up, shrugs. I guess I'm in it to win it now, I say to myself. They clamped down more, another seven days. Two weeks. Then they settle for 7.5 cents more an hour. All that. It's a punchline to a bad joke. Little did I know, I was protected all along. I didn't find out till later, but they loved me. All I did was pay a little better, give Christmas presents, and some rice and beans here and there. Sometimes cheese. 

7.5 cents an hour. Man.

* Read tease no. 1 HERE.

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars SPECIAL Listicle: Holiday Season Cigar Recommendations

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars SPECIAL Listicle: Holiday Season Cigar Recommendations. It's the holiday season. I feel these cigars would pair well w/ traditional holiday season activities. Why? Trust me, that's why. Here goes x6 & in no particular order:

Stolen Throne Cigars Call to Arms

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.

Read my full review HERE.

::: very :::

HVC Cigars Hot Cake Laguito No. 4 

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.

Read my full review HERE. 

::: very :::

Dunbarton T&T Cigars Mi Querida Triqui Traca

Wood. Hickory w/ a haunting thereafter seasoned cedar. Takes spices a draw or two to develop, then smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon nethers. Cayenne like a mofo via progression. A sweetness balances well; a thin molasses, cola thing. Coffee structures dryly, full city roasted beans. Focused near piercingly-so. Heighty but well-weighted, anchored.

Read my full review HERE.

::: very :::

ADVentura Cigars The Royal Return Kings Gold

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.

Read my full review HERE.

::: very :::

GTO Cigars La Cura Robusto

Undertones are led by a cayenne that occasionally excelsior!s upwards. Seems to steer the profile from wherever it sits. Earthen nods are savory things, meatily. Cumin & smoked paprika, too. Dash of cinnamon further down. Then a roasted orange in more toasted cream. Leather thickly-stiffly lays out under it all. A bit of molasses. Warmly balanced. Deeply nuanced.

Read my full review HERE.

::: very :::

Artesano del Tobacco Viva la Vida Jester

Black pepper and cayenne, boldly-so; upfront but not dialing back a whole bunch. Spices: smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, clove. Slight ginger (particularly extending on/into lengthy+ finish.)  Powerfully purposeful. Peppery. Pepper. Thick black over-top a thinner red/cayenne and lingering bit. Body is a match for that front-loaded pepper-spice which features cumin & smoked paprika attachments. 

Read my full review HERE.

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: merry:::

Monday, December 21, 2020

Partagas Cigars Black Label Crystal in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Partagas Cigars 
Black Label Crystal

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

FORMAT: Robusto (5.5x50)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Med. Full

NOTES:
Dark Chocolate | Coffee&Chicory | Black walnut

Weighty, not indelicately-so. Dark-dry notes of Cafe du Monde beans, dk. chocolate shavings, black walnuts. Rounded-out via creamy-cocoa, toasted. Sweaty spiced-leather lubricates. Diesel-y in spots.

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

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

Other Partagas reviews
Partagas 1845
Partagas Aniversario 170
Partagas No. 10

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Friday, December 18, 2020

Featured Company: DAV Cigars

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Featured company: DAV
Here, read some reviews...

Thursday, December 17, 2020

On TASTE: DRAW: BURN: BUILD: FINAL GRADE: | Another Kaplowitz Media. Cigars Think Piece

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

The first thing you need to know is TASTE: DRAW: BURN: BUILD: is/are in homage to one Mr. Laurence Davis. "Cigar aficionado and owner of Sautter Cigars." For they are his critical criterion. Secondly, you should know that it's a segment I've just recently added to my reviews.

So what of it? Well, let's delve.

TASTE: perhaps the most important & surely the most subjective category. Dicey af, huh? Well, I approach this as objectively as possible. Meaning I do NOT grade to my personal profile preference. Instead, I attempt to grade to the blender's intent. How I arrive at this is via understanding the contents of the cigar.

Depending on the parts of its parcel, I can see attempts at weight, pepper-spice, and strength fairly easily. Did it get there or was it a bland Nicaraguan? An aggressive Dominican? Failures in each case -- painting in broad strokes. Then there is complexity, nuance (depth), and King Balance.

DRAW: simply, if you can't take a pull, you can't taste a thing. However, if a draw is wide open, that ain't good, either. You want to sip at a fine cigar, a chef's stove-side spoonful tasting -- not stagger up to an all-you-can-eat trough, bloatedly expecting instant mashed potatoes w/ jarred gravy. Also, it's tension should be even-keeled thru-out.

BURN: is the line straight? Is the pacing true & its MPH languid? Those are great signs. How's the ash? Does it make the mandated inch or-so to denote excellence? Succinctly, BURN is in re everything from char-line to ash-tip. But also & beyond: Smoke out-put.

A moderate amt. of smoke is nice. Under/over-whelming are each unkind. Let's throw aroma in here, too. When you think of it, this is a ::: very ::: important spot along the way to determining a final grade. I mean, a cigar's primary objective is to burn. Then draw. Then taste yums. Hmmm. Because of this PO, I see no quality in cold draws. 

BUILD: Hard/soft spots? Squishiness via progression? Shoulder, cap, and seams assemblage, too. Cracking? All that. But what of the components of the build? Meaning complexion & texture of leaf. Fingers & eyes, here. I personally find veins make me feel like autistic folk feel about stiff tags in T-shirts.

FINAL GRADE: this is where it all comes together. BUT HOW? Well, it ain't some sorta sheer averaging out of the four segments above. There is a spectrum within each & a hierarchy of importance among all. Not to mention the utterly impossible intangibility of "character" which is a thing for another time altogether.

I think that's a fun way to end this dose of drivel.

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

GTO Cigars Mandinga! in Review

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

GTO Cigars 
Mandinga!*

WRAPPER: Dominican Maduro
BINDER: Dominican (Cuban seed)
FILLER: Dominican (Triple Ligero)

FORMAT: "Gran Toro" Gordo (660)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera GTO Dominicana
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

WEBSITE: www.gtodominicancigars.com

NOTES:
Mesquite | Chocolate | Dark fruits

Cushy-cornered roasty-toasty weighty profile. Excellent balance. Dark becomes death-by chocolate, its minty undertone steers olfactory-finish. Mesquite structure bears java spin-off. Lip-smacking dried-dark fruits. Lingers cleanly.

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

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

GTO Cigars La Cura Gran Perfecto in Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

GTO Cigars La Cura

WRAPPER: Dominican Broadleaf
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Gran Perfecto 550/60)
ORIGIN: Dominican
INTENSITY: Med. Full/Full

WEBSITE: www.gtodominicancigars.com

NOTES:
Chicory | Roasted orange | Coffee beans

Darkly toasted, richly. Italian-roasted coffee & chicory; braced by pungent spices. Roasted orange toes line 'tween enhancing/distracting. Black walnut, leathers linger-long. Substantial & brooding.

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

Other GTO reviews:

KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Monday, December 14, 2020

My Father Cigars La Promesa in Review "A Lemonhead Spit Out Into Play Sand"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

My Father Cigars La Promesa

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado Oscuro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium

WEBSITE: myfathercigars.com

NOTES:
Woodsy | Chocolate | Leather

Dusty & refrained nigh muted. Predominantly & up-front woodsy gambit. Balsa & cedar, a thankfully quick to dissipate cardboard. Musky musty therein. Dusty is onboard too, at play in the whispered spice leathery suede softening juxtaposition. Then cocoa. Chocolate. A Swiss Miss packet, replete w/ tiny marshmallows. Complex w/ mottled depths.

Underneath is a clean fresh herbaceousness mimicking mint. It seems at rest there under the sweeter aspects of profile and alongside a salted caramel. Spices: paprika, ginger... dig? Bit of a cashew butter influence on the body into finish. There at the end is a candied citrus bit. A Lemonhead spit out into play sand. Here in its nethers, the structure bends-some.

Greater delineation would make for a lovelier smoke, but this here is quite pretty. However, the burn-line ain't -- & is fairly wayward. Draws well+. Built well. A moderate smoke out-put culminates in a dusty sweet lightly savory room-note. Fusty. I smell-taste orange blossom honey, malted. I am bogged down at times in cereal grain.

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

Other My Father reviews:
My Father No. 5
My Father The Judge

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Friday, December 11, 2020

On the Importance of INTENSITY in Cigar Reviews | A Kaplowitz Media. Cigars Think Piece

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

On the Importance of INTENSITY in Cigar Reviews | A Kaplowitz Media.  Cigars Think Piece

Hi. My name is Kaplowitz Media. and I write cigar reviews. 

I began writing cigar reviews half a decade ago, which sounds more authoritative than five years ago. I began by writing quite lengthy reviews. I then shortened my format. Then, I began futzing w/ 25wd. micro-reviews (which I have since brought back under the moniker of Quick Reviews). 

Long story short, I settled on a few (3) short paragraphs for typical full-length write-ups. It seems like the sweet spot of reader retention and scratching my writing itch. Bearing in mind that the world at large and Cigar Aficionado reviews in small -- have nurtured the nature of shortened attn. spans. kkthx

I got to thinking last night: how short can we go? I get that way sometimes, a Zen-esque need to snuff my own candle and reach toward Nirvana. WRAPPER | BINDER | FILLER. ORIGIN | FORMAT. INTENSITY. all mandated. intensity... my flavor/body/strength take, averaged-out. 

FLAVOR = taste
BODY = how taste plays in mouth
STRENGTH = how experience hits you physically

Now add these:

TASTE:
DRAW: 
BURN: 
BUILD:

Carefully focus on the last 3. Not now but whenever. That leaves TASTE for now. In terms of my usage, that's a rating of how close the blender came to their profile mark. Now bring back INTENSITY. & realize that each level of intensity should exhibit certain characteristics. Here's what I mean on a power-scale of 1-10. 1 being the lowest and your mother being a whore. sry

1-3: creamy floral herbaceous
4-6: pepper spice leather
7-10: coffee chocolate meaty

The finest offerings exhibit themselves the best. Level 1? Better be complex af. Level 2? Better pull some from each surrounding level & be well-structured. Level 3? Allow lower levels to be seen. OR ELSE: Level 1? Bland. Level 2? Peters. Mottles. Level 3? Linear. 

Here's a review...

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian CT Shade
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua

FORMAT: Corona (644)
ORIGIN: [redacted]
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-med.

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

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

Perfection! (The review.) But who would read it? Furthermore, who would need it? Adept 'nuff smokers to decipher it, have no real use for it. n00bs are lost. Plus, there is no art. See, I have bullshitted myself into the belief that a reviewer's job is to make art from art -- ekphrasis.

Then, there is the reality that I am a professional taster & single mom. With all this unpacked then packed, I include...

NOTES:
Exotic spices | Tea leaves | Clotted cream

I mean it does give more info but also, it can be seen as redundant. Or as marketing fodder. & definitely not as entertaining. So I add (25) flowery words. See: professional taster & single mom. I need asses in seats to lure potential advertisers. Guys, call me. I'm doing the phone thing w/ my thumb & pinkie up to my face. Call me.

Softly-mellow dreamy,; yet not without elegance. Citrus underpinnings wrapped in suede. Softwood bracings -- pine. Top-notes of unerring/unwavering delivery. Somewhat hypnotic and really quite lovely-feminine.

But do you really know more each&every step of the way? 

Thanks for reading. Namaste.

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Thursday, December 10, 2020

ADVentura Cigars The Royal Return Queen's Pearls in Quick Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

ADVentura Cigars
The Royal Return
Queen's Pearls*

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian CT Shade
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua

FORMAT: Corona (644)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera William Ventura, DR
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-med.

WEBSITE: www.adventuracigars.com

NOTES: 
Exotic spices | Tea leaves | Clotted cream

Softly-mellow dreamy,; yet not without elegance. Citrus underpinnings wrapped in suede. Softwood bracings -- pine. Top-notes of unerring/unwavering delivery. Somewhat hypnotic and really quite lovely-feminine.

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

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

Other ADVentura Reviews:

Interview w/ brand owner:

KaplowitzMedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Featured Company: Rock-A-Feller Cigars

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Featured company: Rock-A-Feller
Here, read some reviews...

Rock-A-Feller Vintage Dominican Blue Churchill
Rock-A-Feller Vintage Dominican Blue Toro
Rock-A-Feller Vintage Nicaraguan Connecticut
Rock-A-Feller Vintage Nicaraguan Habano
Rock-A-Feller Vintage Nicaragua Maduro

Find out more about Rock-A-Feller Cigars HERE.

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Featured Company: GTO Cigars

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Featured company: GTO
Here, read some reviews...

Monday, December 7, 2020

Rocky Patel Cigars Vintage 1990 Deluxe Toro Tubo in Quick Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Rocky Patel Cigars 
Vintage 1990 Deluxe Toro Tubo

WRAPPER: Honduran Broadleaf
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650)
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium/Med. full

WEBSITE: www.rockypatel.com

NOTES:
Coffee beans | Spices | Charred oak

Italian-roasted coffee beans & charred oak; firm-to-rigid. Clove, cinnamon, anise, & black peppercorn. Dry not overly-so. Easy complexities, welcoming nuances. Deep & rich yet lively. 

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

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

Other Rocky Patel reviews:

Friday, December 4, 2020

Kaplowitz Media. Special Feature | Book Excerpt

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

Kaplowitz Media. Special Feature | Book Excerpt

Which book? The book of Phil Zanghi III, of course. We've been teasing this, no? Yes. For some time now (on Kaplowitz Radio.) & below is an all-time tease. There is no official release date for the book (or an official title) but we do hope to present it in early 2021.

Simply, it's a collection of tales as told to me by Phil, regarding his life in tobacco & beyond. 

Honduras, 1994

Tegucigalpa. Tegus to the locals. I didn't even know that much yet. Also the "Silver City" due to the mines, maybe I knew that. I get off the plane and grab my bags. One turnstile, one baggage claim. Small. Not dirty but sun-faded and weathered -- the whole place. It all looked like that sound from the Good the Bad & the Ugly. It's not an instrument, it's the human voice. That sound, fewer humans present. Gabriel picked me up in a Toyota HiLux. That's when he slid me a pistol.

The brightest blue skies, fluffiest whitest clouds, brilliant clarity. We drive thru the urban sprawl as it were, then the shanty towns which bled from there. Fewer & further between with the grinding of tires on busted up paving commenced. The sun is bright but not glaring, perhaps because it's muted the glare off every faded surface. Hillsides. Browner for a bit, as it's not quite the rainy season. Dry riverbeds. More winding curves. In & out of valleys. Ninety-minutes and we make a final drop into another valley.

I'm in Danli.

I grew up on Louis L'amour books. I'm in a box canyon, a hidden valley. A long flight in mileage & maybe even longer back in time. Any Spaghetti Western flick would have better been filmed here. "The City in the Hills," another moniker. It sits in a pocket there, magnetic poles creating steady days of inside your cigar humidor weather. Eden-like. Corn, cattle, tobacco, and coffee higher up the hills. I'm immediately comfortable in a way I'd never felt before. Secure, happy, & like I'd been there before. Familiar. Correct. Even as back "home" in the US, stuff isn't fantastic.

"I'm so happy right now," I tell Gabe.
"It's a special place." He says matter-of-factly.

Walking around after settling a bit, I take in the sun-bleached Spanish architecture. The gravel side-roads, the gravel alongside crowned blacktop streets. Dusty. It filters the colors into a golden almost sepia maybe fermented tobacco hue. The occasionally placed potted chrysanthemum bright shock of color. Some moves you make, some moves are made for you. Regardless, some moves are just right and proper & the how isn't a concern. The dusty clouds can be seen thru easily, to that purest of blue heavens.

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::: very :::

GTO Cigars Corona de GTO 10 Anos Anniversario Connecticut in Quick Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Corona de GTO 10 Anos Anniversario Connecticut*

WRAPPER: USA Connecticut
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera GTO Dominicana
STRENGTH: Mild-Medium

WEBSITE: www.gtodominicancigars.com

NOTES:
Cream | Citrus | Pinewood

Pignoli cookies. Lemon meringue. Softly well-braced via white peppercorn, blanched pale wood-nuttiness. Smoothly-supple. Balanced. A linear daydream, easy like a Sunday AM. Silky-bright/light layers.

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

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

Other GTO reviews:

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::: very :::

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Who What When Where Why w/ Marcel Knobel, ADVentura Cigars

"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"

It's been a bit of time since I've posted one of these Who What When Where Why interviews. You can find the others by searching for them somewhere to your right [Search by Keyword(s)]. Perhaps I'll make an index at some point, I probably should. 

edit: Fine. Check out an index of these interviews HERE.

Nevertheless, how these are made: I send the same five questions out to each interviewee, I get their answers back, I publish the results. There's nothing more to it. No follow-up questions, no guidance, no pulling of teeth, no curbing of enthusiasm. OK, at times some light editing for punctuation, say. 

::: very :::

Here's Marcel Knobel, ADVentura Cigars...

Who has mentored you & who have you mentored?

As someone who has never been afraid to exhaust all information and research when it comes to things of interest, I really did my homework on the cigar industry, agriculture, and the history of a good smoke. Once I was armed with information, I sought out the best group (in this case family) to align myself, and values of the tobacco agriculture and production. 

For me, the Ventura family represents the core of cigars and what enjoyment of them is all about. A multi-generational family that curates every one of the 157 steps to make an incredible cigar. So for me, William and Henderson Ventura have definitely enlightened my ‘Swiss precision’ to revel in what nature has planned otherwise. 

With this mindset, the possibilities are endless. And my hat’s off to them for sharing with me nuances that can only be learned and developed with experience, love, and respect for the craft.

As far as maximizing a partnership, I feel what I lack, Henderson Ventura has, and what he lacks, I bring to the table. One of my strengths, being Swiss and all, is incredible due diligence. I came from a marketing background and have been able to create a brand with a cohesive story between each line. 

That, with my intensive sommelier training, allows me to communicate flavor profiles with Henderson for him to try and blend. So as far as being mentored and mentoring goes, I feel a good partnership will always offer such exchanges. We are equally in favor of reciprocity.

What will you compromise & what won't you compromise?

As far as compromise goes... The Achilles heel for any and all marketing ideas is cost. There are so many things I would love to include, or expand on with packaging design, boxes, advertising, etc... and the cost for marketing design always remains a nebulous incalculable thing when it comes to return on investment. 

But, it is also a good learning experience with each new line on how to get creative and expand my skillset to stretch the 'dollar' in every way possible.

We will NOT nor will we EVER compromise on the quality of our cigars. This includes raw material selection, aging time, blending process, and production. As much as it pains me to be off on delivery times, I will always grow my patience if I can assure our quality standards are met.

When is it failure?

We never make mistakes, we only make discoveries. Ha! When you look at it this way, “failures” sting a bit less and change from lessons to learn, to lessons learned.

Where are you on your journey & where are you going?

In accordance with our ADV story, we are somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. With each passing day, we gain insight and adjust our tactics based on what the conditions are. We are continuing on the straight and narrow.

We find the only way to navigate the unsureness of the waters these days is to continue with best practices and maintain the boutique characteristics. This enables us a wider variety of raw material experimentation without the pressure of mass quantity production and allows a wider range of experience for our thankfully growing customer base.

Why do you succeed?

I’m a student for life and a team player. I live by the proverb 'If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.'

::: very :::

Visit ADVentura Cigars online HERE.

Read some ADVentura reviews:
ADVentura Royal Return Kings Gold
ADVentura Royal Return Queen's Pearls
ADVentura The Conqueror
ADVentura The Explorer
ADVentura The Navigator

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Ventura Cigar Co. Psyko Seven Natural in Quick Review

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Ventura Cigar Co. Psyko Seven

WRAPPER: Dominican Hybrid
BINDER: Mexican Sumatra
FILLER: Multi-country blend

FORMAT: Robusto (5.5x50)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic (Davidoff)
INTENSITY: Mild-medium

NOTES:
White pepper | Citrus | Ginger

Sturdy construction, rigidly-so. Citrusy white pepper zing, almost cushioning cocoa butter. Suede. Ginger. Some graham. Fairly narrow, un-evolving profile. Mainly pleasant. Lightish-bodied & somewhat effervescently.

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

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

Other Ventura reviews

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::: very :::

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Aging Room Cigars Quattro Nicaragua Maestro in Review "An Extra Pillow?"

“Have you Kaplowitz’d to-day?”

Aging Room Cigars 
Quattro Nicaragua Maestro

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER:  Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Box-pressed torpedo (652)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez de Nicaragua S.A.
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-full

NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Oak | Black walnut

Two experiences, one cigar. There's on-ahead black pepper flake driven dark chocolate, braced by charred oak barrels. There's a meandering black walnut delivery w/ hints of softer caramel, molasses, and dusty spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove hint. I expected a weightier decadence, all-'round. The draw's body registers via that second offering, in a less than rich manner. Finishes brilliantly in sync. 

Twixt is loose dark composted earth. Layered & nuanced but hidden-some. Top-notes drive a rig thru the night on an 8-lane hi-way & tight schedule. It's at odds with itself, this profile. But too, it's delightful if uneven juxtaposition. It's good ::: very ::: good. I want to hide in it and let it engulf me -- but am disappointed it won't allow that. Wants watched adoringly, not touched. Like dating a fashion model, I imagine.

Combusts better than damn near any other smoke. Draws perfectly. Built wonderfully. Performance par-excellence. Smoke out-put is again a tick lighter that expected but culminates in a savory leather manner that finds & funds evolving finish. In-betweens do flesh out in a Malbec fashion. Still, leaves me wanting more nuance, more explorable blankets on its bed. Or more elegance. An extra pillow? Icarus.

TASTE: A-
DRAW: A-
BURN: A
BUILD: A

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

Other Aging Room reviews
Aging Room Bin no. 1
Aging Room Quattro F55 Vibrato

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::
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