Diesel Cigars Crucible in Review

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Diesel Crucible 

The Forged Cigar Co. 

“Elixir Trilogy"

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Honduran
FILLER: Nicaraguan

BLENDER: AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews
MANUFACTURER: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez

FORMAT: Toro (652) soft-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full

NOTES:

LEATHER | Spiced earth | Dark chocolate

Oh, so leathery--olfactory & palate-wise. Leather. Not oily, but like a boot. Boot leather. Overwhelmingly-so unbalanced always and at times, harshly. Then earth... potting soil, say. Some baking spices and a surprisingly subtle (in a not-subtle profile) black pepper. Finally, a waxy dark chocolate that devolves into bitter baking chocolate. All that, on a line and rather throatily.

There is a version of depth, however. The sort of depth that's born from punching a dent in a steel door, then punching the dent. Repeatedly. I already covered one transition (cocoa) there is a second unkind movement--toward asphalt at the second-third's end, and on-out. Just before then a black walnut almosts real hard. Oh and at the start of the 2/3, a try at espresso gets pummeled. 3/3 N-I-C-O-T-I-N-E.

Burns slow & cool in a plodding fashion. Nice enough burn-line. Dark ash grows to desirable lengths only at times; it's just as prone to dryly flake. The draw tends to be hesitant throughout and at one time just poofs out at the mid-way mark. Smoke out-put is helter-skelter but when it chugs, the aroma is a more supple than on the draw leather w/ a neat sweetness that's nowhere in the smoke-hole. The thing trudges, stomping here & there.

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

::: very :::

On "Put/Stick That in Your Pipe and Smoke it," as Well as on Charles Dickens: Pipe Smoker?

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"Put/Stick That in Your Pipe and Smoke it" 

informal—used to tell someone that he or she must accept what one says is true even though he or she might not like it or agree with it 

"It's a stupid movie." "Oh really? Well it was just nominated for an Oscar, so put/stick that in your pipe and smoke it!"

- Merriam-Webster.com 

It all goes back to Charles Dickens but then again not really. I'll explain... an incomplete glimpse of the idiom at hand reads as "— Put that in his pipe —" in The Pickwick Papers (1836) as part of "a lengthened string of similar broken sentences..." So not really because a) it is incomplete, & b) in its incompleteness, it is used in such a way as to read familiarly; so it certainly does go back at least a good deal more.

Still, this is the first it appears on the big written permanent record. So it circulated/stewed some good amount of time it would seem. Perhaps in certain circles wherein smoking pipe tobacco was quite common. While photographic evidence of Dickens getting his 'baccy on doesn't exist according to my Google searches, it is safe to say he indulged. 

THE TIMES IN WHICH HE LIVED

(Sometimes I like to yell between paragraphs.) There are many references to pipe-smoking in his stories, as the case above is one of ::: very ::: many. This happens so often that drawings of Dickens sometimes include him smoking a pipe--unfortunately, these seem to have been done after his crossing of the rainbow bridge... 

With scant evidence at hand, let's continue along our merry way, unimpeded by fact (or lack thereof). This ain't some sort of trial, it's far more some sort of trail. For much of the time in which he lived and worked, smoking was relegated to cigars, pipes, and chew; pipes being the most common, cigarettes not having fully happened yet. In-abouts his mid-life crisis, he saw the coming of both briar pipes and flue-cured tobaccos. 

Interesting to note is that the phase we have gathered here today on account of, is not a briar sort of a thing, per se. and is most likely a phrase carried-over from the previous generation's clay pipe usage in which you truly could smoke about anything that'd stick in your bowl. In the annoying world of briar pipery there are nagging ghosting and rotational concerns. I kid & digress. 

Also, Chuck's adult life was squarely-so placed within the confines of the Victorian Era in which smoking was banned in all public places--a good reason for lack of pics, smoking in solitude in your flat. Plus, Instagram wouldn't come around for some long while after. I'm probably still kidding but am also factually correct. Another & final fact--if you wanted to recreate a Dickens of a smoke session--he probably smoked Oriental blends.

"Reposing in the sunlight, with the fragrance of his eastern pipe about him, and the dreamy smoke vanishing into the air, so rich and soft with summer odours, he reckoned up his advantages as an idle winner might count his gains." - Hard Times, 1854

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

Blackbird Cigars Unkind in Review

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Blackbird Cigars Unkind (formerly Raven) in Review

WRAPPER: Brazilian
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian

FORMAT: Robusto (covered foot)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-full

NOTES:

Mesquite | Black peppercorn | Medicinal cherry

Denis Leary called NyQuil AA's 13th step. The addition of 'cherry flavored' to the "green death" flavor he cited in that bit is nicely displayed here on the cigar's finish. A boozy, medicinal cherry. Mesquite dryly drives the profile, delineates it quite well, ultimately showcasing a skeleton lacking in flesh. Black pepper is gruff, a dark chocolate attachment waxily eases it some.

I wait for spices to form depths like the kid whose dad ran out for milk & never came back. Piquant, hollow. A toasted caramel only almost separates the chocolate in the 3/3. Then tar, asphalt. Burnt almonds try a tick prior to that. Ultimately, it's just abrasive and empty-fleeting. The linear mesquite note does hold on a frozen rope of a line-drive thru-out but is pestered along its way*.

The burn-line needs re-direction a couple/few times and even-so--never perfects nearly. The char is wavy, jagged, and thick. Ash is dry and flaky... at one point mid-way, it does make a near-inch. The draw is all over the place; hesitant & stiff. Smoke out-put follows that suit in an eye-tearing manner. All told, static. static as in lacking in movement as well as in *disrupted communications. 

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

::: very :::

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (June 2021)

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Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month (June 2021)

[Names are links to full reviews]

Bocock Brothers World Traveler Maduro

DAV Cigars Series 1918

BONUS

A-Grade Pipe Tobaccos

Cornell & Diehl Pirate Kake

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

Los Tejanos by OSOK x Rojas Cigars in Review

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Los Tejanos by OSOK x Rojas Cigars in Review

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Tabacalera Flor de San Luis, Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-Full

NOTES:

NOLA Coffee* | Semi-sweet chocolate | Hickory

Offers an over-all sensation of adding wet leaves to a campfire late at (crisp) night. The back-end is a long-legged mash bill. Hefty smoke texture, but a bit jagged-rough around its edges in both body & flavor. Black peppercorn and muted chili powder offer a nice spice-stiffness. Semi-sweet chocolate & N'awlins chicory coffee round out the primaries. Straight-forward, toasted well.

There's a minerality--a flintiness, on the aroma. In the 2/3 this finds its way to the mid-palate & dryly-so. Graphite. Nuances are deeply entrenched in a simple compact heap left out in the sun. Forest floor--after the treeline has been clear-cut. Vaguely fungal. I once dated a vaguely fun gal. Several times. An uncomplex smoke w/ mature, inherent sweetness, darkly-so. 

Burns quickly but evenly. Ash grows on a lilt but makes a flaky inch. Draw wobbles loosely. The smoke out-put is quite nice, smells of a leather I'd like to taste more of. Pack softens-some about a 1/2" ahead of a razor-thin char. Burn-line is imperfectly even. Hickory saunters in for a neater delineation in the second-half. Still, a simple, almost familiar profile. A profile more frame than painting, more beam than building.

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

*"New Orleans coffee (a.k.a. “Cafe Noir”) has a distinctive chocolate-caramel flavor, intensely dark color, thick consistency, and lower-than-usual caffeine content thanks to its secret ingredient, chicory. Chicory is a coffee-like substance made from the dried, roasted roots of a bitter perennial herb." - The Spruce Eats

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

GL Pease Spark Plug Pipe Tobacco in Review

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GL Pease Spark Plug Pipe Tobacco in Review

CATEGORY: English
BLEND: Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
FLAVORING: none

BLENDER: Gregory Pease
MANUFACTURER: Cornell & Diehl

CUT: Plug
PIPE: Old German Clay no. 29 (black)
INTENSITY: Medium

NOTES:

Saddle leather | Citrus | Sweet spice

I'm sure I only smell-taste motor oil because I've been brainwashed. Seemingly a Virginia-forward English blend, its sweetness is unmistakable throughout. Orange rind tucked into a bale of hay. The Latakia presents in smoky leathery woodsiness, a goodly amount oiled and uncommonly bright, in a kind tethered manner. Balanced differently than the typical English. I detect a green peppercorn note.

Then more citrus, a candied lemon gambit from the Oriental underneath. Sweet hit all the way down there as well--excellent depths. A new array of pale spices and, most notably, a quite there floral (chamomile) fruitiness (appley). Really a delightful blend, palate-wise. Robust enough and delicately featured. Creaminess & incense grow via progression. Particularly in leathery-earthen aromas. Nice sweet-sour lively finish w/ spicy smiles. Sassy...

Or maybe bitchy. The only (& big) negative comes into play via its mandating of frequent re-lights unless you let it dry a long time. How long? I'll let ya know soon as I find out, I'm currently up to ~two1/2 hours. It's really quite frustrating. Why must I suffer? Are you there God? It's me, Kap. It also tends to want to knot up & plug my draw. Anyway... delicious & demanding. I'm positive the same is often said about me. 

TASTE: A-
AROMA: B+
BURN: B-

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

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

Interview w/ u/FishOn888, Moderator of r/cigars on Reddit

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Interview w/ u/FishOn888, Moderator of r/cigars on Reddit

Here, I type back and forth w/ one of the mods of r/cigars, the most popular cigar lifestyle subreddit on Planet Earth. We chat about Reddit of course, & other social media platforms where the cigar culture congregates. We also branch out into bloggers, YouTubers, reviewers, and the rest of cigar media. 

I plan on attempting to share this post to r/cigars. Wish me luck. The mods there can be BRUTAL. I mean firm but fair. Now let's just get to the chat at hand w/ a thank you to FishOn888 for taking the time out to make this possible. Oh and a final logistical bit--username only for fear of being doxxed. Did I say BRUTAL?

:::

KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.: So let's start at the beginning. What was it about cigars that caught your attention and when did it do so?

u/FISHON888: My father was a pipe and cigar smoker throughout his life. He adhered to a daily ritual of relaxing in his EZ chair with each. Also, going to the Tinder Box with Dad when he needed fresh supplies piqued my interest. At some point, I began to grab cigars from him from time to time. Later, visiting Europe, the little town tobacco shops left an impression on me.

Then during the early nineties cigar boom, I purchased a box of Macanudo Hyde Park Cafe which was a popular thing to do at the time. Then, by chance, I lived across the street from Maximar/Small Batch when they opened around that time and would walk in every so often to purchases a few. Fast forward to around seven years ago when my father was passing, I started to smoke with him and became a part of his ritual.

KM: Hopping back out of the way-back machine but holding onto the memories--how would you say "smoking culture" has differed over the years? Where, at present, do we stand from your Reddit vantage point?

888: For perspective, I've only been deep into the hobby for six-plus years or so. But living in the dress and act stylish conspicuous consumption times of the late eighties and early to mid-nineties, a cigar was part of it all. Living in SoCal haute culture meant French cooking, Chardonnay wines from Napa, Sensimilla from Humboldt, and cocaine from Columbia. I recall ads for Macanudo having a lifestyle look to them. The glossy covers of Cigar Aficionado and Rocky Patel making his push as cigars became a luxury lifestyle choice.

Today there still seems to be a separation of smokers who thrive by learning on the internet forums, review sites, and podcasts and those who don't. And what they smoke is vastly different--the exceptions being Arturo Fuente, Padron, and Davidoff. I've seen a few new r/cigars members in no time at all start to smoke some fantastic blends and their learning curve is shortened quickly. I find this exciting. And of course, the internet can bring a relatively small group who geek on cigars together like never before.

KM: Exciting, sure. So in a way, is it fair to say the "cigar lifestyle" has become more attainable via internet forums and now social media? If so, that can't possibly be entirely a good thing, can it? I seem to recall my dad speaking to the phenomenon of knowing just enough about a certain topic as to be dangerous. Also, you mention cigar reviewers, of which I'm one... how do you feel about that whole can of worms?

888: I feel one can get up and running faster than ever before getting better info than before if they know how to navigate the internet. Prior to that, it was looking at cigar catalogs and magazines, learning from a local brick and mortar, friends, or family. So that meant 70/70 with a desktop humidor and a sponge, Cuban heritage blends, Rocky Patel, & Gurkha, and believing in plume. 

Now coupled with the internet we have boutique blenders that have upped the quality and variety of blends, along with Boveda, this has completely changed the game. Still, there's a lot of outdated info out there, but when people find good reviewers, forums, discords, etc., they have the tools at their disposal to learn quickly.

KM: Faster, yes. Maybe less effectively, though. I hold that the best teacher is experience. Light up and see what works for you. Provided, of course, you know your lit end from your elbow. Am I wrong? Do you feel, say, Reddit has moved beginner smokers on to intermediate smokers quicker and just as effectively?

888: When a new guy posts a less than top-quality sampler, I never criticize it, but always tell them to burn to know and one needs to cut their teeth on anything--learning how to cut, light, draw, etc. But if they ask me for suggestions, I always throw this out: Illusione, Tatuaje, Warped, Foundation, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, HVC, Aganorsa, RoMa Craft, Crowned Heads (adding are eliminating some from time to time) telling them these blenders rarely miss. 

Right there, that's a much better start than they can get most places I feel. Then I might mention the best tip I got early into the hobby: Smoking cigars is not a cheap hobby. If you try to make it one, you're really just scratching the surface of the enjoyment you can get from the leaf. Whether they take this advice or not, who knows, but I've seen guys really run with it as well. 

Not sure where you stand on this, but I'm a strong believer in 65rh for non-Cubans and 62rh for Cubans thereabout. 69 is too close to the danger zone where any spike in RH and temp can get to the mold zone. Also, they burn and have brighter flavors at this lover level as well. We tell them to ditch the glass top humidor and stick with a tupperdores or coolers, with Boveda for no fuss. Now others might disagree or hold some preferences based on where one lives or even the cigar, but I believe this is real solid information that can really help a noob.

KM: First-off, I ditto your rh sentiment. Second-off, I suppose as long as you don't get bogged down in particulars such as cello on, cello off, or, when to take the band off--there's progress--and why opt to progress slower than necessary? Let's move to our point in all this. How long have you been a moderator of the cigar subreddit r/cigars? How did that come about?

888: I've been a mod for going on a year and a half now. And while I wasn't the most frequent participant in trades and bombs (between the two I had at least thirty behind my belt) I participated consistently; keeping silent on subjects I didn't know enough about but helped others in areas in which I did have enough experience in.

Best of all, I participated in a lot of the r/cigars herfs in the SoCal area. I live between San Diego and Los Angeles, so I was able to be a part of quite a few and people got to know me that way. So I'm guessing that's why I was asked to be a mod in the first place. And still to this day we get a group of the guys together and herf it up on a fairly regular basis.

KM: Let's talk differences, then. Where do the virtual and "real life" herf experiences differ? Compare and contrast. And while you're at it, have you seen Reddit change much over your tenure?

888: I do a Zoom herf every Wednesday and while it's fine (and with a different group), it's nothing compared to getting together with the fellas (originally starting from r/cigars) and their wives or girlfriends at the time. It ebbs and flows with different characters, based on who can meet on that given day and where. We try our hardest to coordinate when someone comes back into town. We hand out crazy good cigars to each other and the cigars we smoke can be epic. 

Maximar/Small Batch is one of our favorite spots and Andrew is always great to hang out with. Vlad who is a rep for Casdagli is someone we like to hang with also. I've moved from the kinda green guy to one who has a decent collection and one who feeds the new guys. Just so much great camaraderie found in this hobby, and with people of all ages and backgrounds.

As far as changes at r/cigars, everything changed when they prohibited sales/trades and bombs. Mods fought hard to keep even our flair (showing the number of trades and bombs we had conducted) as an indicator that showed others they had some experience. So the majority left or were left lurking, and it became a place where the inexperienced did most of the dictating. 

Around the same time, the mods removed the mandatory 40-character rule to keep the subscriber numbers from falling even further, but that just opened up the floodgates to picture posts with no written content. So coupling this with the inexperienced having equal weight with their opinions because of the lost flair and mass exodus of experienced cigar smokers, well, it's unfortunately never been the same.

As to reviewers, first and foremost, I keep with the ones who have a lot of experience smoking and have a good palate. Not too much off-topic and meandering about--I want a review and I'm not especially interested in being entertained. Interviews with blenders and owners of a brand are the best. Having said this, you have become an exception, and I genuinely enjoy your banter and some of Katman's stories have been enjoyable as well.

KM: I appreciate the hat tip toward my bantering as sport. Do you have any thoughts on a preferred medium for reviews and/or media? Writing, video, audio, etc.? Any thoughts on cigar media in terms of news coverage? And finally, what sort of content plays best on Reddit, does it matter, and will I be allowed to post a link to this interview in r/cigars?

888: The written form is still my favorite since I can quickly skim or read an entire article of my choosing. A ten-minute review on YouTube would be my second choice. Now when I listen to you on Spotify or catch you on a live stream bantering with Dion or Phil, that's more on the entertainment side. That can be fun as well, but again, your shows are the exception. Personally, I care much less for any of the others yucking it up--it's cigar info I want. Also, I rarely bother with Facebook.

My thoughts on cigar media's news coverage? Just that the industry no longer has to wait on CA or other magazine publications to publish it. Now with a push of a button on their phone, they can reach a target audience on social media. And yeah, there is always the initial marketing hype that might drive some sales (looking at you Lost and Found Cookie Monster), but through the course of some time, the word gets out regarding what's good and bad; those serious about this hobby will know.

As with all the other platforms, it's difficult to say what gets a Reddit post to take off and become a full discussion thread. We have one now about a guy not being able to distinguish particular flavor notes but just likes the relaxation aspect of smoking cigars. I heard Jon Huber just recently call a guy like this a "stogie smoker" which I thought was good. Nothing wrong with that and I'm certain we all do the same at times.

Posting on r/cigars is fine.

KM: YES!!! and thanks again for your time.

u/KaplowitzMedia

::: very :::

Cornell & Diehl Pirate Kake Pipe Tobacco in Review

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Cornell & Diehl Pirate Kake Pipe Tobacco in Review

CATEGORY: English
BLEND: Burley, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish
FLAVORING: none

BLENDER: Craig Tarler
MANUFACTURER: Cornell & Diehl

CUT: Crumble cake
PIPE: Old German Clay no. 3 (black finish)
INTENSITY: Medium-full

NOTES:

Spices | Dark chocolate | Molasses

A study in Latakia with condiment-leaf flecks carefully placed to highlight certain lesser-seen areas. Another way to say that would be Latakia on steroids. Dominating but not bullying. Not an L-bomb per see, given the Orientals are easy 'nuff to see w/ their sweet&sourness + candied pecan notes. I'd say the Burley represents, as well--in a slow even burn, more nuttiness, softly-so. Smooth in smoke-hole, sultry in room-note.

I want tobacco with a slow (firm) hand
I want tobacco with an easy kick
I want some leaves that will spend some time
Not come and go in a heated rush

Speaking of slow tho, slow sipping guarantees you sweet inky depths. There, you taste dark chocolate & molasses smoky sweets. A nice reward made natural via a slow burn. Burn--so there's the usual emptying the charcoal briquettes from your Weber grill into a campfire then dousing the sitch in soy sauce sensation. Somehow, it's a fresh-crisp profile, tho... just maybe not super interesting. Some herky-jerky small shifts don't so much qualify as complex. 

I usually talk mechanics in this final paragraph, I'll break from the mold and trip the light pedantic: I don't buy this as an English blend. But I did so enjoy the show. I get some roasted orange and vague mintiness as the ash overtakes the leaf in my bowl. I already mentioned the slow burn; it's finicky too. Packs easily and rubbing out the pack made my hands look like I work for a living. Oily, dark, and full of character--probably not my hands there--maybe me--definitely this blend. A blend as self-indulgent as to warrant this equally self-indulgent review.

TASTE: A
AROMA: B+
BURN: B

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

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

"Close But No Cigar" A Brief Look at the Origin of the Phrase

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"Close But No Cigar" A Brief Look at the Origin of the Phrase

"Near Miss" is the title of the crossword I'm solving. (Universal, Rafael Musa, 6/9/21.) I get to 61A and read the clue "Almost," or a theme hint. The fill? CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR. I put the puzzle down and leap into action! After a quick bite. I wonder as to the origin of that phrase as I schmear cream cheese on an everything bagel. Furthermore, would it make an interesting blog post? 

I put my empty plate in the sink and fire up my Chromebook; click on New Post...

Ah, the days when cigars were well-enough loved to be seen universally as rewards. Or more-so in this context, a prize. In the 1920s many festivals handed out cigars to those who somehow beat their rigged games--or at least promised to do so if they somehow could. Damned carnies. LOVE THEM. No wonder I always hear a certain amount of chiding in the phrase, tho. But that was just stateside here in the US.

Back in 1902, we see maybe the roots of it all in a book called The Night Side of London by Robert Machray. “Should you score twenty you will win a cigar. But you do no more than score nine." See? Cigar, prize, falling short. It's all there clearly explained; except for the route it took across the Atlantic. However, there's no doubt it traveled with the cigars themselves in the near-week-long hop across the pond, in which I'm sure much time was spent smoking.

A deviation of sorts: "Gentlemen, you may smoke," - King Edward VII, just after he was crowned UK king in 1901, ushering in the Edwardian Era in which our phrase is rooted. This in reversal of his mum's bans on public smoking during the Victorian Era. Celebratory, indeed. Smoking in the UK, London particularly, was suddenly everywhere again.

On an interesting and more germane note of digression, at around this time, the early 1900s, New York City was the busiest port in America but also--boasted the highest number of cigar factories in the country. That is including Florida and this lasted right up to 1920. At the turn of that century, many of these cigar manufactures were hand-rolling their goods in their homes. Well, their apartments. This to the tune of some 1,962 families and 7,924 individuals.

That is until a state statute came to be, banning the whole shebang lock, stock, & barrel. Trade unions were responsible for this action, as they notoriously are against suppressed wages. Unfortunately, wage suppression was apparently deemed completely constitutional less than half a year later and the industry flooded back to Manhattan from its forced hiatus-exile to Brooklyn & Long Island. 

Before I let ya go, I'd be remiss in not touching on the carnie aspect of this. Thus far we've traveled to New York Harbor from Jolly Old pip-pip cheerio tracing a phrase, stopped in on Union beefs, but thus far nada-nil regarding carnies--those w/ the mouths that spoke & spread the ::: very ::: words at hand. Let's keep it super pinpoint tight after 1902's book and the leap to 1920s commonness. How about 1903? Too close to the former? Not so, I say. "Close but no cigar," made it off the boat in a flourish.

1903 is when Luna Park opened in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. About nine miles from where the boats docked--that's close, cigar or otherwise. Luna Park was bordered by Surf Ave. to the south, West 8th St. to the east, Neptune Ave. to the north, & West 12th St. to the west. The amusement park contained a plethora of attractions and amazing settings; all under electric lights. Its main attraction was A Trip to the Moon, based on the book From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne. 

Luna Park was burnt to the ground by a dragon in 1944. Nevertheless, there was also Steeplechase Park and Dreamland, not to mention a myriad of smaller independent parks offering rides, games, and dangling cigars as a reward for the latter. Now quickly factor in the Big Apple media machine of newspapers, radio, soon TV... "Close but no cigar," rode all of this to fame--again in a real way outliving the fame of even cigars themselves, at least in terms of mass congratulatory appeal. 

A melancholy reminiscing? CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR

@kaplowitzmedia 

::: very :::

DAV Cigars Series 1918 in Review

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DAV Cigars Series 1918 in Review

WRAPPER: Cameroon
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Brazilian

FORMAT: Double Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic (Remembranza factory)
INTENSITY: Medium/Medium-full

NOTES:

Cappucino | Baking spice | Fruit & nut mix

"A cappuccino is distinctly layered, while in a latte the espresso and steamed milk are blended together." - The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. A well-structured smoke given its creaminess, this via a subtle buttery cedar note. Cinnamon, nutmeg, a clove hint, and a dash of red pepper flake keep you tingly-honest. Lightly candied almonds lead a nutty array alongside raisin & fig-led fruitiness. 

Smoothly quite complex. Excellent depth of nuances. Even-keeled darkening transitions toward roastiness. Savory as it evolves a dense then denser in earthen forest floor underbelly. Further umami-ridden as a soy sauce enters at the second-half. Crisp-clean leatheriness and new roasted orange about then, too. Excellent heft, silky texture. Lengthy sweet meat finish. A lovely aroma on par w/ & akin to said finish.

As to combustion/construction & performance, a sole gripe of any real meaning is it draws a tick snug. Loosens via double-puffs but then allows smoke through in varying degrees. Ash cones a bit most likely on account of hard pullings; grows a dense af inch easily. Seams hold fast nigh invisibly, although some wounding of cap occurs slightly; again--see draw. Nevertheless a razor-thin line and predominantly an even one. No hard/soft spots and really a joy to taste.

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 DAV reviews:

DAV Cigars Aristocrat
DAV Cigars Caridad
DAV Cigars Habana Clasico
DAV Habana Clasico Torpedo
DAV Cigars Mestizo
DAV Cigars Prima Natural

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

Peterson Pipe Tobacco Elizabethan Mixture in Review

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CATEGORY: Virginia/Perique
BLEND: Perique, Virginia
FLAVORING: none

BLENDER: Dunhill
MANUFACTURER: Scandinavian Tobacco Group

CUT: Ribbon
PIPE: Old German Clay no. 3 (black finish)
INTENSITY: Medium-full

NOTES:

Black/red pepper | Yeasty earth | Cinnamon sugar

A bit like a raving lunatic shouting boring things. That's harsh, this tobacco ain't (so)harsh. Its Virginia component is quite well-behaved. It's the Perique that shouts & does-so thru my nose. Also sets my tongue & lips nicely a-tingle. Black peppercorn, red pepper flake. Underneath & aways back, muffled-some, is a yeasty sweetness. A cinnamon monkey bread in repose. Lots to unpack but can be placed in a small drawer.

Balance is found as the powdery ash piles on, altho perhaps only in comparison to the onset. Earthy, a bit peaty. Not bland but much in juxtapose with itself in a not-so-complex manner. I will say the piquant pungent room-note might not be everyone's cuppa. OK, now I get a chai tea added to the quite lengthy finish of spice. Something of a citrus note there, as well. Mulling spices.

Easy-peasy to pack but lesser-so to get goodly charred. Once under-way, it's an open road and I'm bad with driving metaphors. A bit quick to smoke but does stay cool. For as spicy as it is, my palate is never pummeled. My gripe is in how the piercing perique presents--high, tight, and hollow. Makes for a somewhat linear untethered profile. One sort of at war with itself, the other combatant hugging against the ropes.

TASTE: B+
AROMA: B
BURN: B+

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

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

JC Newman Cigars Quorum Shade in Review

lo-fi & lovely

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian CT Shade
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Corona
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-medium

NOTES:

Cashew butter | White pepper | White bread

Sweet-spicy mellow. Lots of cashew butter sweetened via table sugar. A back-end of fresh baked white sandwich bread. Between the two is white pepper, finely-ground, w/ some exotic spice lilting. Creamy on that thar mid-palate. Finishes sweetly suede w/ a slight dandelion tea come-on of surprising length. From the second-half on home, an immediate up-front shredded coconut leads the draw.

Fragile top-leaf. Veiny. Loosey-goosey pre-light seams hold well under heat. Burn-line is wobbly-even, no redirect is needed. Char itself has a wide-ish mascara line. Ash fails at making an inch but stacks fairly well. Draws smoothly with an acceptable resistance. I will say a too-stiff draw is common issue w/ these. Smoke out-put wiggles 'round moderate, offering a muted-not-muffled yeasty mildly-spiced room-note.

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

::: very :::

Carter Hall Pipe Tobacco in Review

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Carter Hall Pipe Tobacco in Review

CATEGORY: Burley Based
BLEND: Burley, Virginia
FLAVORING: Bourbon, Cocoa / Chocolate

BLENDER: John Middleton, Inc.
MANUFACTURER: John Middleton, Inc.

CUT: Ribbon
PIPE: Old German Clay no. 3 (black finish)
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-medium

NOTES:

See | FLAVORING | Section

Takes to burning as if it were meant for it--almost aggressively-so at the initial couple-draws. Settles nicely thereafter into a cool smoke with very easy mechanics. All this lays the foundation of a sweet-toasty room-note w/ something less pleasant underneath. Spraying Glade in the bathroom, say. Draw-wise, I'd say the blend well-avoids the cigarette tendencies of its Burley ingredients. Again, coolly-so, whilst so many Virginias burn hotly.

However, it seems to do so partly via a quite saccharin topping that lingers heavily on the palate. Evidence of this exists toward the heel of the bowl when the casing takes leave. Gives the feel more time was spent mastering topping than tobacco. Still nice. Still hard to see beyond Bourbon, Cocoa / Chocolate. (& when you do, it's cardboard). Pleasant. Therein, I believe, lies this blend's generational success; it offends no one. Do NOT, however, expect one iota of complexity, Mr. Fancypants. 

All this may bore some, may excite some. Those it excites will be mainly CPAs who drive brown four-door sedans. A thing of note is its cloying long finish. When I say "long finish," read: "too long," in a simple cardboard-heavy extension of experience. An all-day smoker? Maybe right up till sunset. Famously a thing to break in a new pipe--w/ maybe as much use as a thing to break in a new smoker.

TASTE: B-
AROMA: B
BURN: B+

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

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

Ventura Cigars Manolo Quesada for Cuban Cigar Factory in Review

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Ventura Cigars Manolo Quesada for Cuban Cigar Factory 

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Ecuadorian
FILLER: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua

BLENDER: Manolo Quesada, Michael Giannini
MANUFACTURER: MATASA (Quesada)

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium

NOTES:

Orange Creamsicle | Cedar | Graham cracker

Yo dawg, I heard you like collabs. So I put a collab in your collab, so you can collab while you collab. Musty-bright. Like foglights at dusk on a country road. Focused, fuzzily. Buttery cedar planks brace & back orange creamsicle and graham cracker crust primaries. That orange creamsicle is less a kiddie treat, more a cocktail--as a tick of vanilla vodka boozes up the clingy-not-cloying finish. The first 1/2 is quite good, perhaps a tick drying.

Suede, hiking trail earthiness, white pepper, form the secondaries. Tangy-zingy but both in balance & knee-deep in whipped cream. Fairly high notes dug deep into nice nuances. Each note can fully be examined from all sides. Unfortunately, a cardboard flavor creeps in at the half-way mark; evolves into a driving force thereon. All told, sweetly pleasant and almost captivating but more so ordinary... & then somewhat disappointing.

Performs above average in all regards, as to combustion/construction. A set it and forget it offering, shy of write-home perfection. A small crack happens in the 3/3 top-leaf, smokes thru sans FUBAR. A note: the room-note exhibits that cardboard tendency well-before the palate is alerted. An old-school smoke dressed up in new school clothes. "Hello, fellow kids," it seems to say. The kids ain't buying it. The narrow misses are the worst.

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 Ventura offerings:

Ventura Archetype Dreamstate
Ventura Archetype Sage Advice
Ventura Archetype The Master
Ventura Archetype The Pupil
Ventura Project 805 Andullo
Ventura Psyko Seven Natural
Ventura Slaughterhouse

@kaplowitzmedia

::: very :::

ATL Cigar Co. Good Trouble in Review

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ATL Cigar Co. Good Trouble in Review

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

BLENDER: team
MANUFACTURER: Tabacalera Hernandez

FORMAT: Gordo (6.5x64)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-medium

NOTES:

Orange pith | Cheerios | Exotic spice

Orange & earth. Enveloped in workboot suede. Hints of Cheerios and exotic spice. Chicken coop. Delineated via raw oak. Somewhat muted/muffled. Burns in a puckering fashion w/ a broad char-line, perhaps indicative of young leaf. Draws a bit hollow. Palate wobbles-some toward citrus, but in a warmly pleasing manner.

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 ATL reviews:

ATL Black
ATL Libertad

kaplowitzmedia@mail.com

::: very :::

Who What When Where Why w/ Doug Bocock of Bocock Brothers Cigars

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Who What When Where Why Interview w/
Doug Bocock of Bocock Brothers Cigars

"They [Bryant and Doug Bocock] were going to change the way people think of cigars. They were going to get their blends in the hands of people looking to enjoy a perfectly balanced cigar. A new and active brand that zeroes in on those folks that are looking for easy to smoke [sic] cigars inspired by unusual circumstances. Very importantly named after their very interesting and inimitable last name “BOCOCK”! A cocky rooster with a bow." - bocockbrothers.com

Who has mentored you and who have you mentored? 

We have several mentors, some in the tobacco industry, some outside of it. David Bristow is a good example of a mentor outside of the tobacco industry. He showed us the importance of relationships and honesty. We have a large family; seven siblings, and many nephews. We feel we have and continue to mentor many of the young ones in our family and in our community.

What have you compromised and what won’t you compromise? 

We won't compromise. We simply won't allow ourselves to do it. We have learned that a long-term approach to this business is vital to our success. If you are truly passionate about a venture you should not ever compromise in the pursuit of its success.

When is it a failure? 

Failure is a state of mind. If things don't go the way you plan, find a way to pivot. We choose not to look at it as something bad or scary but more like a reason to take a different approach or path.

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

We have just begun! We can foresee a bright future. Our cigars and our story resonate with many, and we feel that our journey's destination is being steered by those we serve! They will decide where we go next.

Why do you succeed? 

We succeed because we are perseverant and understand that once we get our cigars in the hands of folks, they will be back for more. And it is the smokers who will decide, they will however know that we will leave it all out there for them. It is our legacy on the box! We are producing and will only ever produce the highest quality cigars.

My reviews of Bockcock Cigars offerings:

Bocock Bros. World Traveler Connecticut
Bocock Bros. World Traveler Habano

Bocock Bros. World Traveler Maduro

::: very :::

Bocock Brothers Cigars World Traveler Maduro (Robusto) in Review

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Bocock Brothers Cigars 

World Traveler Maduro 

WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Honduran Connecticut 
FILLER: Nicaraguan

BLENDER: Raydel Lezcano
MANUFACTURER: San Judas Tadeo

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium

NOTES:

Dark chocolate | Roasted meatiness | Red/purple fruits 

Everything files in, in an orderly fashion. Grape & berry juices shortly get black peppered. Then Dark chocolate enters, followed by a pull of espresso. Finally, a meaty roasty oil-creaminess rounds off the corners quite nicely. Pretty dang luscious. Rich. I await a wooden frame--I get stood up. Unfortunately, the profile doesn't (get stood up. No structure). A wet blanket but a damn fine one. Pepper drops off after 1/3. Blanket dries cozily.

Some spice shows up mildly then; a baking array. Dusty. The texture of smoke is the selling point here--it's luxurious, really. Silky smooth, copious heft. The finish is that feel more than a note. Balance is nice but achieved linearly. No real complexities. Deep lip-smacking nuances though. A cigar that feels like sinking into an over-stuffed leather armchair. A mellow sweet-savory room-note surrounds you. Sends you to the moon a bit.

Burn-wise, the pacing is ::: very ::: slow and the top-leaf seems to be less flammable than the rest. A moderate pair of re-touches are mandated. The cherry lilts off to one side but the char-line stays even; & a bit thick. Smoke out-put wobbles. Draws well, smoothly-even. Seam comes a 1/4-tick loose ahead of burn. In short: the opening transitions are lovely, culminating in a comfy cloud of roasted top-shelf meditativeness. An excellent nightcap. 

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

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

::: very :::