Hiatus Report | Welcome to Kaplowitz Media. Vol. 7 READ MORE

Welcome to Kaplowitz Media. Vol. 7 READ MORE

In periodical literature such as newspapers and magazines, the term volume is meant to express the number of years a publication has been circulated. It is some form of that, which I have bastardized in my usage here in order to get two points across. The first being that Kaplowitz Media. was established in 2015 and is not the boredom project of someone's lengthy stay at home. The second (more low-key of the two) is that I'm doubling-down on written word lingo in regards to content. 

I apparently have decided to count the end of my yearly scheduled hiatus from KM as the beginning of the calendar, as pertains to 'round these parts. This is all to say that Kaplowitz Media. is flipping back on the lights, as announced, on March the 1. I realize at this time 'Media' is even more of a stretch than ever it was, and it always was the stretchiest, but oh well. There is still an audio/video extension, just not ::: very ::: present here proper. (Also, there are no plans to expand said A/V.)

Live from the Throne Room is over at Instagram and the 1st & 15th Podcast is wherever you get that sort of thing.

What to expect then, in your (even) more textually-delivered content? Well, like every other year, this one will not deviate too greatly from the one prior. Small tweaks, mainly-mostly. The reviews, views, and interviews will continue. I suppose that third one will change some, as I'll be offering almost entirely written interviews*. What else? Perhaps a more literary tilt. Toasts were mentioned in a previous Hiatus Report. Maybe some light poetry. Perhaps some bawdy poetry. Definitely some deeper digging by way of continued monographs. 

& also some trifles. Some smaller more bite-sized posts will be published in Vol. 7. As far as topics: Tobacciana & Sherlockiana across-the-board. Plus, more focus on where the two bleed into one-another. Lastly, there is a decent shot you might find some flash fiction thrown into the mix, again, staying within the scope of those stated topics. Pastiche, parody: probable. It should be a romp of a fun go and I look forward to seeing what it will bring in terms of feedback. Just not enough-so to enable comments.

Something else of note is that while it had been the case that I didn't post on weekends and did post each day Monday-Friday, notice I just employed the past tense. I think things just might start dropping more haphazardly. More herky-jerky. Helter-skelter. Not less in amount, just less uniformed. Be sure to follow along any way you see fit including RSS subs (I have no idea how), and social media (@kaplowitzmedia) connecting. You'll also want to follow along somehow, to stay in the loop as to my projects not homed here, such as books and whatnot. 

See you in a hiccup.

This was edited from 'reviews' to its intended 'interviews (3/5)

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Hiatus Report | A Birthday Unicorn

Hiatus Report | A Birthday Unicorn (What is a Unicorn Cigar?)

Hello, my name is Kaplowitz. This is Kaplowitz Media. I am currently on my yearly scheduled hiatus from creating content for Kaplowitz Media. I am the only contributor to Kaplowitz Media. Therefore, Kaplowitz Media. is on hiatus. It is quite on-brand for me to post a thing or two during said yearly scheduled hiatus. There, we're all caught up. Also, it's February 25th. 

OK, it's the 24th. but tomorrow (today as you read this) is the 25th and that's the birthdate of Ric Flair, Carrot Top, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Also me. Being as I like a nice cigar once or twice every day, I always try to differentiate my Cake Day offerings from all others by smoking a little something extra-fancy. Something meaningful. Something special. Vive la difference. A thing I've not paid much thought to within this pursuit or any other context (until just recently) is the notion of unicorn cigars. Essentially, cigars that are rarely and nary to be found 'in the wild.'

But why unicorn? The pegasus is surely the showstopping fantasy equine, no? And in the wild? What's more wild than a liquor store on the rural-ish outskirts of town almost into wine country; one that also (supposedly) serves up pretty decent BBQ? For that is precisely where I not long ago found what could be labeled a unicorn. It was a bit tucked back and away, easy to pass by on the way to the hotdog roller. It was even easier to miss when bee-lining to the spiced rum. It was a cabinet humidor. "Thas dope," said I, cocking the brim of my hat to the side.

Narrower than some but maybe a bit taller than most. With a garbage can placed too-close in front of it to fully open its door. In it was the usual cast of bands. The Fuentes, Macanudos, I think there was a Romeo y Julieta--but also an oddly large amount of Balmoral cigars. Balmoral is a brand that's sadly been breasts-up for no small span of time. Any amount then is an odd amount somewhat. "How strange," I thought and then was confused further by a sign written in chalk on a sandwich board PRIME RIB FRIDAY. Who lives like that? I mean the place didn't smell, but definitely looked like it typically did.

Nevertheless, I left with the spiced rum (for baking purposes) but alas, sans unicorn(s). The thing is, I didn't consider the cigars at that time to be unicorns. Just a defunct brand. A head-scratcher to see. A brand kiboshed in the US market by its overlings at Scandinavian Tobacco Group back in 2020 on account of low sales and FDA blah blah blah. That was weeks ago, my brush with rarity. This is now. February 24th, to be redundant (as I write). I have plans this evening of going back and snatching some up. How do I know they'll be there? C'mon, man. They're safer there than in my own humi, broski.

& I shall have my unicorn birthday smoke. There ain't nothing much cooler than a middle-aged cool kid because middle-aged cool kids are lit 100%. Honestly, I was curious about this brand back in the day and never did get a chance to try 'em. But as to my parenthetical subtitle of what is a unicorn... I told (briefly) the tale at hand but there are, of course, other ways unicorns happen. For instance, when two unicorns meet and fall in love, they--well it involves horns, see. Another way is the way of the Unicorn. Notice the capital 'U" as in the Chubby Unicorn of Muestra de Saka fame. Steve Saka made a Unicorn and then made a Chubby Unicorn version of that manufactured unicorn.

Long story short, there can be purposefully-made unicorns of often pricey ::: very ::: limited production (Limited Edition) runs. Rare leaf. Odd fermentations. Quirky vitolas. Sometimes event or house cigars go on to reach this status, as well. Mainly, age plays a role because, in all but the manufactured scenario, they need to be 'gone' long enough that they're thought dwindled then near extinct. I suppose a 'Dodo cigar' just doesn't sound nice. The other half of the equation is why the ado in regards to these dodos? Why is a scarce cigar so worthy of chasing by some? First, they have to smoke well. A story helps.

Also, I didn't chase the thing but you get the gist. Some folk do. And I am going back out to make a special trip. Most likely it's the collector that resides in all of us, to some varying extent. Also, there's a certain "look what I got!" satisfaction that is amplified with the aid of social media. It's just I'm not much of a collector. Please don't look at my tote box of cigar bands or my shelves upon shelves of Sherlock Holmes books. But collecting memories is a thing I appreciate, indeed and above all else. I'll have my 60-90 minute Balmoral Connecticut Anejo XO smoke while wrapping my head around turning 39. 

A memory I'll look back on next year when again I turn 39. In any event, no one really knows because there's just no telling, which cigars will go on to be unicorns for a spell, and which will just not go on at all. I don't even know if this one I now hold in my hand qualifies as such. (I left and came back.) I do know I'll be back on March 1, posting regularly and in much the same fashion as I was before my hiatus. The main difference being I'll be fresh as a daisy and 39 all-over-again. Again. Again, again, etc.

Please note I reviewed the Muestra de Saka Chubby Unicorn and will, in turn, review the Balmoral. Search 'em up (right of your screen, near the top). 

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Hiatus Report | International Pipe Smoking Day Recapitulation

Hiatus Report | International Pipe Smoking Day Recapitulation (An afternoon with a bunch of SOBs)

Hello, my name is Kaplowitz. This is Kaplowitz Media. I am currently on my yearly scheduled hiatus from creating content for Kaplowitz Media. I am the only contributor to Kaplowitz Media. Therefore, Kaplowitz Media. is on hiatus. It is quite on-brand for me to post a thing or two during said yearly scheduled hiatus. There, we're all caught up.

International Pipe Smoking Day (IPSD) is the biggest day of the year for pipe smokers. Go to any cigar-smoking lounge on February 20th and perceive via perusal, the plethora of pipers present. Head-count usually runs two or three in total. I kid! I kid because I love. Remember, not long ago indeed, pipe shops carried a bit of cigars for sale now and again, as opposed to the current-day's reversal. All things are cyclical. My guess, the reasons of which will be saved for a later time, is that pipes and pipe tobacco will only be gaining popularity in the coming bit.

And where was I? Oh, yes. IPSD. February 20th also saw a scheduled Zoom meeting of the Seattle (and greater Puget Sound area) Baker Street Irregulars (BSI) scion group, the Sound of the Baskervilles. These SOBs failed at living up to their acronym to the unmitigated extent that they graciously allowed me to attend. It was a blast. A blast highlighted by one SOB, in particular, Rich Krisciunas, giving a fine presentation entitled "Who Really Killed Charles Augustus Milverton."

You see, a discussion of that ::: very ::: short story was the crux of our Zoom. Did I mention I had a lovely time? My only hope is I held my own after an unfortunate lapse of knowledge fresh out of the gate. You see, each meeting is begun with a toast to a man named Murray; the orderly who saved an injured Watson at the Battle of Maiwand. I was asked who he was prior--and I could not answer. But that is a main part of the fun--learning. That, and setting a low-bar for myself and the future expectations of me.

Shortly after and still now, I was and am well-on down the wonderful world of Sherlockian toasts and toasts in general. This is a thing I can almost promise will end in me writing some of my own. Keep a look-out here at Kaplowitz Media. for that. I'd imagine there'll be some for cigars & pipes, as well as for the great detective and his et al. I mean, who doesn't like a good toast? So who killed Milverton, in my opinion? Most likely it was Holmes. I won't get into it (much) here but as always, I beseech you to read the tale and tell for yourself--

after all and again, I did not even know who Murray was, for chrissakes. But for pipesakes and as to my personal IPSD, I finished-up the cigar I smoked while being a guest SOB and then lit an 'oily black clay' of my own, loaded with some easy Cavendish. Twice. Worthy of note is mine was actually colored (finished) black, while I believe Holmes' may probably well have been white turned black via prodigious usage. It's description a device of showing just that on the "disreputable" & "unsavory" thing, at the deft hands of his chronicler. (I've mentioned this before, I know.)

His chronicler, who begins his The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton by telling you plainly he is altering facts in the telling thereof. What a hoot! But who really knows who pulled the trigger? I do know I'll be back on March 1, posting (pulling the trigger) regularly and in much the same fashion as I was before my hiatus. The main difference being I'll be fresh as a daisy. I'll probably also pop-in a time or two before then.

Before I let you go, elsewhere in the pipe community, I heard chatter regarding 'pipe movies' that the watching of could be integrated into your IPSD festivities. Not mentioned was The Quiet Man. 1952. Ireland. John Wayne. Although I already watch that yearly on St. Paddy's Day. "Well, it's a nice, soft night, so I think I'll go and join me comrades and talk a little treason." - Barry Fitzgerald, as Michaleen.

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Hiatus Report | Prediction Installment

Hiatus Report | Prediction Installment (What's (Maybe) in Store for Kaplowitz Media.?)

Hello, my name is Kaplowitz. This is Kaplowitz Media. I am currently on my yearly scheduled hiatus from creating content for Kaplowitz Media. I am the only contributor to Kaplowitz Media. Therefore, Kaplowitz Media. is on hiatus. It is quite on-brand for me to post a thing or two during said yearly scheduled hiatus. There, we're all caught up.

I am also fresh off of listening to the Cigar Authority "Cigar Industry Prediction Show" 2/19/22 podcast episode. Good show. It got me thinking. Do you know what else is on-brand for me? Contemplating my navel; particularly when given extra time to do so. Sure, I'm working on 'other projects' during my hiatus but still--losta navel time.

All this got me thinking. Predictions. My belly button. What is the future of Kaplowitz Media.? The line of thought is obvious but I figure I'd point it out. So I cobbled together some possibilities as to what may happen. Please bear in mind I am no Nostradamus. I have no crystal ball. I, like Mongo, am only pawn in game of life. But these things might happen in the near/distant future at/with Kaplowitz Media. & my own self...

I finally get to the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Tradeshow. Imagine??? Rubbing shoulders with industry folk I've never met in person but have communicated with for years now. I understand it takes place in Las Vegas. Quite the hike, that. I do have my old single-speed bicycle in the garage though. I think it just needs air in its tires. I can easily procure a Hawaiian shirt... BIG MAYBE.

Kaplowitz Media. flips cigar industry press releases into blog posts. Or, at all covers cigar industry news. I've been guilty of both in the past. I don't see any harm in being a bit more topical and (sparingly) less 'evergreen' in terms of content. I'd look much more hip to the scene. Relevancy is key. Wanna hear about the newest line extension? Me either, usually. Hard to handicap this one.

I get back into podcasting in a BIG way. If you haven't noticed, I haven't podcasted in a good bit. Except for that I have inside of 1st & 15th with my co-host Phil Kurut. (Available everywhere podcasts are ignored.) My guess is I keep things the way they are. Again, tho--who's to say? DEFINITELY NOT I. Question: how does one become a regular guest on others' podcasts? I promise to mainly behave mostly.

I turn Kaplowitz Media. on its ear and it becomes a Sherlockian blog with mere cigar tendencies. I feel as though I feel I owe cigars too much for this to become a reality. Although I do love me some Sherlockiana and am looking forward to attending a Zoom meeting of a scion society. Hard to see my love of cigars diminishing, I'd guess this place remains a cigar blog with a (growing?) touch of Sherlock Holmes. Yup.

I go off the deep-end and full-on down the rabbit hole of premium tobacco geekery and the content here comes with me. Have you read this blog? My guess is to expect more of this. BUT IT'S ONLY A GUESS! I will say that I'm not just a leaf geek but also a history buff. Tobacciana slightly more proper? Probs.

Kaplowitz Media. shakes up its daily Monday-Friday posting schedule. I hate weekend posts. I feel we all need a break and that's why God and labor unions made weekends. But what about only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday posts? Hard to imagine that's the case but why would I even bring it up? Your guess is as good as mine. SHRUG. [This post was published on a Saturday.]

The Kaplowitz Media. Unnamed Cigar Dictionary goes to print. I mean, that's the plan but when? I'm at this point, looking at self-publishing, and have you seen the price of paper? I haven't even begun to look into the price of crayons. I speculate that you can expect more excerpts posted here until then. BUT THAT IS SPECULATION. Strong speculation.

I (& Kaplowitz Media.) abandon social media (again). Yawn. A non-prediction. I'll throw a fit at what I see as the cesspool of social media and be back three days later. This is such a strong prediction that I feel it almost happened already. Oh, it has. More than once. We shall see, but at the end of the day, FOLLOW ME AND CLICK LIKE. RETWEET! I hate me.

I stop blogging all-together and start (another) YouTube channel. lol nope. But again, WHO'S TO SAY? THESE ARE ONLY EDUCATED GUESSES.

I post occasional bits of original Sherlock Holmes pastiche/parody to Kaplowitz Media. What's pastiche/parody? Dunno. I also have no clue what poetry is. I'm confused by this prediction. Feeling cute. Might delete later.

In any event, no one really knows what the future holds, and isn't that one of the big truths that really makes life suck? I do know I'll be back on March 1, posting regularly and in much the same fashion as I was before my hiatus. The main difference being I'll be fresh as a daisy. I'll probably also pop-in a time or two before then.

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Kaplowitz Media. Hiatus 2022

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Kaplowitz Media. Hiatus 2022

Kaplowitz Media. will resume posting new content on March 1, 2022. 

This is a yearly scheduled hiatus. During which it is recommended Gentlepersons catch up on what they may have missed. Perhaps even re-catch what was previously caught. Feel free to do that by employing the Search Kaplowitz Media. function and/or via perusal of the Blog Archive feature. (Both of those are to the right of the screen.)

[for HCK]

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The Bigger is Better Cigar Craze (& the DANGER behind the trend)

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The Bigger is Better Cigar Craze (& the DANGER behind the trend)

The fact that cigars are getting bigger in size is not news. It might not have even been news ten years ago. OK, it wasn't. Although eighty and now ninety ring gauge cigars are now happening. The trending is trending upward, you see. Envelopes are made to be pushed, you see. I remember when a mere sixty was insane. But that was back when fifty pushed the limits of factory and consumer sanity. For the unadept, a 64 ring gauge (RG) measures an inch in diameter. So that a 44RG Corona (a favorite vitola of yore) is 44/64th".

Here's a nifty thing that'll give you a better idea as to what I'm talking about in terms of size. You can use it 'in the field,' as well. Say if you can't find the RG, really need to know it, and somehow don't have a smart device glued to your surely atrophied hand. Reach into your pocket and pull out a handful of change like it's 1978 or something. A dime is a 44RG, a penny is a 46, nickels are 48, quarters are 54s. That'll get you part-way to a decent understanding &/or guesstimation. Moving forward with this approach into the near future of fatness, well, first I'll have to measure RGs of manhole covers and bicycle tires. I'll get back to ya.

But why this on-going and continuing trend? The reasons are multitude and I'll try my level-best here to cover them as well as make you feel silly if abiding by them. The first thing that pops to mind is the challenge. Can you smoke that whole thing? Are you PERSON enough to make it through? In every way, this is on-par with the strength phenomenon of can you handle that power... it's not for a newb. Are you a newb? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Cigars are for relaxed enjoyment. Not for proving personhood or aptitude. They also are not devices with which to mentally treat low-testosterone levels. The only 'challenge' should be ignoring the rest of your life for 45-90mins at a time.

We also have an odd infatuation with 'epic' these days. That's epic, this is epic, he's epic, I'm epic. Epic really means a lengthy poem often rooted in ancient oral tradition. That, having to do with figures of legend and myth, and tales of their heroic adventures rooted in the ethos of their nation. I know English is a living language, but let's not kill it at the same point. Nothing in cigars is EPIC. See my previous paragraph and sentiment therein. Now, how size correlates to epic, and not nearly as often flavor, just goes to show why we're dumb and hooked on Instagram. Pictures, sight, is easy-peasy. Experiencing nuances with a trained eye (read palate): harder.

Everything I've written thus far probably, in the minds of most huge RG seekers, pales in comparison to this: perceived value. Or what I call the 'ninny response.' In full disclosure, I've never called it that. I might start now, though. It goes something like this. "Hey, I can get a fatter, longer cigar for only like a buck more!" Says the Ninny. What you're getting is a bunch of shitty filler leaf that makes up the difference between Robusto and Gordo+. Do you think primo leaf added to that extent, wouldn't raise the MSRP beyond the 'good price' level? What you're getting is bland flavors and the opportunity to experience them over a horrid amount of lengthier time.

Wait. What's that? I hear a thing. Aficionados coming from over the horizon to save the day. Real cigar guys. Those who know, know. And 'know' rhymes with Lancero. That's the connoisseur blowback. The true BOTL pendulum swing. The... it's equally abysmal and just as prone to strangely similar pitfalls as already mentioned. For those who aren't aware, a Lancero typically measures 7.5' long with a 38 RG. In terms of coinage, maybe like a farthing? Dunno. What I do know is they are prone to being plugged and really offer up almost a Purito (singular leaf) linear look at wrapper-leaf only in terms of flavor. I also know they make you look like The Penguin from six-feet away and that they don't sell much.

Whatever. Where exactly is the harm in all this? 8x80, 7x38. Get off your high horse and down from your ivory tower, me. I'll tell you the issue--there's a leaf shortage. Well, part of that is a select couple/few entities buying up all the choice leaf but for the sake of argument here--leaf shortage. I'm not talking about the cheap-O filler leaf though. I'm talking about the premium stuff that has to surround something the size of a T-Ball bat. There is no small injustice in wasting that much good to deliver that much blah. I tell you what. It's injustice enough to have its own hashtag. Perhaps its own color of ribbon. Simply put, it is unsustainable. And that is the good news.

In the end, the end is nigh and ain't it always that way? In this way, a craze trend becomes a novelty fad via something akin to self-driven ad absurdum and the Corona vitola will rise again! (From too fat ashes.)

FURTHER READING:

"The Adventure of the Connecticut Broadleaf Shortage" (Use the Search Kaplowitz Media. field to the right of your screen)

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GTO Cigars Pain Killer Maduro Toro in Review

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GTO Cigars Pain Killer Maduro Toro in Review

WRAPPER: Dominican
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (654) box-press
ORIGIN: Tabacalera GTO Dominicana
INTENSITY: Medium-Full/Full

NOTES:

Dark chocolate | Leather | Smoked Butterscotch 

Smoked butterscotch, then that in a latte form as the black pepper front smoothes out of the gate and said espresso drink hits, clings there. An umami-rich dense leathery composted earthen core churns out all those and following notes. Including a heavy dark-toasted grain mash bill. Heavy tropical floral notes come in on the long bitter-sweet finish. Grows more smoky attachments via progression, tickles at creosote here and there. 

Spices mingle about, cumin, paprika. Nicely delineated by a scorched hickory structure that's well-rounded at its edges by savory creams. Good balance weighted heavily-so. Feels like a meal in the gut. Not super-complex outside of the interesting latte note but well and deeply nuanced. A sneaky amount of chillaxin' strength. A bit of a bruiser but on his best (if not awkwardly so) behavior.

The burn-line does require some retouches along the way. Smoke out-put is a bit helter-skelter but remains in the realm of voluminous. Heavy room-note. Aromas are a more dessert-ish look at primary notes. The box-press holds, as do seams and cap/shoulder assemblage. No softening of pack although it pinches pre-light as a tick un-evenly filled. A slightly wiggly draw tension persists. I feel as though this wants smoked with a spiced rum pairing. Who am I to argue? Next time.

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

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | All Stories Reviewed, Rated, Ranked

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | All Stories Reviewed, Rated, Ranked

From October 11, 2021 to February 3, 2022, I posted my thoughts as to each story within The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection. Each of these installments culminated with a final grade. That's right. They all culminated in my own hubris. That's what I said the first time. Below, they all appear in a ranked fashion, running highest to lowest. 

If you'd like to read my full thoughts on one or all, simply use the Search Kaplowitz Media. field at the right side of your screen. As to the here & now, in the case of a tie insofar as Final Grade, I ranked them according to my present and unaccountable whims. Rank is bulleted numerically to the left, FG rating is parenthetically to the right, of each title.

::: HERE WE GO :::

1. The Red-Headed League (9.5)

2. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (8.5)

3. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches (7)

4. The Five Orange Pips (7)

5. The Boscombe Valley Mystery (7)

6. A Scandal in Bohemia (6.5)

7. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor (6)

8. The Adventure of the Speckled Band (5.5)

9. The Adventure of the Engineers Thumb (4.5)

10. The Adventure of the Man with the Twisted Lip (4)

11. A Case of Identity (3.5)

12. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet (3)

In each installment, I wrote, "I'd like to take a moment to remind you kind Gentlepersons that I write these thoughts under the assumption of you having read these adventures." If this little project of mine got or gets nothing more than you either visiting or revisiting these tales, I'm peachy with that. I honestly can't conjure up a better for instance.

So what's next for my Kaplowitz Media. as pertaining to its Sherlockian content? A walk-through of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes? A Perusal of A Study in Scarlet? (Continuing) articles that pass as scholarly when posted within this, a cigar & pipes blog? Well, yes. All of those things eventually. Stay tuned here, and to @kaplowitzmedia on Twitter and the rest.  

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Annotating a Note | GTO Cigars Corona de GTO 10 Años Corojo

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Annotating a Note | GTO Cigars Corona de GTO 10 Años Corojo

WRAPPER: Corojo
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Tabacalera GTO Dominicana
INTENSITY: Medium

Here I will (again) be singularly focused on the first note to grab my attention, following its evolution (& attachments) to the end. "Follow that note!"

Citrus. That note we are to follow is citrus. At the onset, it teams (in secondary fashion) with sweet butter. It keeps almost peeking out. Almost... then with a solid 3/4" of ash accumulated--lemonade. The butter turns creamier, then milky, then off towards a chocolate note which is of no concern here. Lemonade. Table sugar. Then a cedar sidles up a handful of puffs later. Salty. Minerally.

That amount of time again later, a terra cotta clay earthiness comes into the other side and sandwiches our lemonade note between that and cedar salted minerality. And then time seems to stop, or part of it. Sure, the ash lengthens and shaft shortens but flavors hold in a freeze-frame formation. There is an occasional running-through of honey malt and white peppercorn, like tics on a stoic face. Blips on a calm radar screen. Then, coming out of the half, a thing happens...

The sweet butter returns to influence our note. But that's not all. Suede envelopes our static sammich. Butteriness loses its direct influence but is complexly filtered-through that pale savory layer. Then lemonade becomes, slowly, an Orange Julius from the mall's food court. White peppercorns get a black flake addition. This all occurs a hair toward the cap-side of mid-point. It bears mention that this cgar is full of character, which will be noted in its final grade. It scans a tick like a cheeky bastard.

Our note has been on the long, cushy finish all-along. Now, as the final third gets close, it begins displaying there in a more roasted orange manner. What I've already described stays on the front-end in a consistent fashion. But the roasted orange off-shoot/extension does bleed into the back-end from the finish. There, it attracts that chocolate note. Remember that one? It's milk chocolate and soon they form a chocolate covered candied orange note. The two citruses grow closer and closer and shake hands as I toothpick the nub.

As said, that was different. For familiarity's sake, below is my typical way of rating. As, naturally, pertains to this smoke in its entirety.

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

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

FURTHER READING:
I also reviewed this blend in the usual manner. Feel free to search that up via the Search Kaplowitz Media. field to your right: "Corona de GTO Cigars 10 Años Corojo in Quick Review." Also, This is the second of this Annotating a Note nonsense series. The first was "Annotating a Note | Bocock Brothers Cigars World Traveler Maduro (Churchill)."

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Virginia is for Lovers (of the Leaf)

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Virginia is for Lovers (of the Leaf)
or, on Virginia Tobacco: The World’s Most Famous

Picture it: Jamestown Settlement, 1612. In a desperate attempt to save the struggling Virginia Company-sponsored settlement, John Rolfe AKA Mr. Pocahontas tries his weary-wary hand at a tobacco crop. Prior to his arrival and subsequent hail mary, silk making, glass making, lumber, and a host of other enterprises had all failed to catch on. Lo and behold, the West Indies originating seeds his agricultural experimenting landed him on, would grow to become the first profitable export of the state that actually wouldn't become a state until 1788.

During his experimentations, he shared samples of his process with his fellow clay pipe smoking settlers. It would seem from their feedback of Rolfe's new plant being "Pleasant, sweete, and strong," that little has changed since regarding the now famed leaf's characteristics. Fine, it's not currently regarded as strong, instead, it is quite-to-moderately mild-medium (more on that below in processings). Up until the point of Virginia tobacco's arrival on the world scene through European markets, the game was controlled by Spain, the country that introduced tobacco to the Western World on the heels of Columbus's first voyage to the New World.

To be certain, it took the leaf only a short time indeed, to become the European standard. Since then, it is known the world over as Virginia (one of three main categories of pipe leaf alongside Burley and Oriental) and is the most popular tobacco type used in pipe blends today, which of course is our focus herein. Some 60% of the total American tobacco crop is Virginia Tobacco. Too, Virginia tobacco is grown and duly enjoyed, the world over. Countries such as Canada, Brazil, India, China, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe all grow copious amounts. To be clear, the highest grades of pipe tobacco still come from the US, alongside South America and Africa.

When speaking of Virginias, the major fermentations and processings are Bright, Red, Matured, and Stoved. I'll now delve briefly as is possible into each, knowing full-well I've already lost many a once riveted reader. Note that each step listed makes for a stronger, more intense smoke, as the list unfurls.

Bright Virginia is the staple rendition, taken from the top of the plant, and cured quickly. It's high in sugar, and often exhibits as lemon-grassy with notes of sunlit hay and light spices. This is the base of many English blends. Reds take on their namesake hue due to longer fermentation. Favor-wise their deeper profiles hold less sugary sweetness. Matured VAs are pressed and naturally caramelized via this process and are also known as "True" or "Natural" Cavendishes. Finally, stoved VA is, as it sounds, heated in a tray or pan, or in other ways subjected to heat. Stoved yields leaf which can be smoked as a stand-alone offering.

All told, ever-flexible Virginia is used in virtually all blends of pipe tobacco, as it makes a fantastic base whose agreeable flavor notes allow condimentals to be well-displayed. In the renowned VA/Perique blends (Va/Pers), the Virginia is at least predominantly of the flue-cured variety. Plus, whether in the forefront of a blend or not, it is oft employed to aid in combustion--as it is both a good burner and aids in lighting, thanks to its low oil-levels. That stated, tongue-bite is a somewhat common occurrence if handled less-than well by either blender or smoker. Funny then, that this uber-popular and easy-going leaf is not often an easy smoke. Dichotomy? Perhaps.

Unlike most if not all pipe tobaccos, when smoked slowly, VAs improve toward the bottom of the bowl--so smoke into that heel, gentlepersons (slowly-so). To wrap it up here, and to tuck in my probably already asleep readership, Virginia is quite perhaps the ultimate connoisseur's pipe tobacco. The choice of aficionados. This is due to its aging like a fine wine and inherently complex profile capabilities. "Sweet dreams," seems a two-fold apt note on which to end this article. Now if you'll forgive me, I'll just see myself out after placing your hand in a warm bowl of water. I'm all about the pranks LOL.

::: very :::

Excerpt XI from the Kaplowitz Media. Unnamed Cigar Dictionary Project

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Excerpt XI from the Kaplowitz Media. Unnamed Cigar Dictionary (UCD) Project

This installment of UCD excerpts will be the last one for a while. Why? Because I'm closing in on first draft completion and have to step back behind the curtain in preparation for my next trick. Also, I'm closing in on my last-half of February yearly hiatus which begins on the 14th and ends on March 1. During that period of time away, I'll be pumping a lot of energy into this project, and we'll see where we stand when that then has become our now.

::: EXCERPT :::

American Market Selection (AMS) During the mid 20th century, this was a term used by manufacturers to describe the American cigar smoker’s preference toward Candela (double claro) offerings. Nowadays, the American palate has turned more to “flavor-bombs” and spicier fare. At some point post-Cigar Boom, many smokers began to prefer looking at cigars as a challenge instead of as a relaxant. This most likely has to do with some sort of privilege and/or undiagnosed low testosterone levels. Nevertheless, chances are if you’re watching an old black & white flick, Bogey’s stogies are green as rookies at training camp.

Candela Or Double Claro. Sometimes it tastes like melted butter poured over a grassy side salad then sprinkled with table sugar but I love the stuff. These sticks are as green as a nauseated Kermit the Frog [cue raunchy Ms. Piggy joke] and are made that way by picking immature leaves for quickened Fermentation and heat-curing which serves to lock in the chlorophyll, giving them their jade complexion. Those are the clef notes of the process. This could have been a very long entry. Want more? Also see: American Market Selection (AMS)

Fermentation How to succinctly define a thing so important and many-fold? Fermentation is the process by which tobacco is able to be smoked sans making the smoker quite sick. This because it is designed and employed in order to remove chemicals and impurities. See: Bulk an/or Pilon. AKA curing and sweating.

And there you have another UCD excerpt. Please note that the italicized entries were not all plugged in here (e.g. AMS/Candela) due to them having spots in other excerpts. This means that if you are interested in doing-so, you can search them via the Search Kaplowitz Media. thingy to the right of the screen.

Heck, maybe come March 1, I'll have a name to pin on this thing. Although UCD does have a nice ring of lazy familiarity to it.

::: FONT GUIDE :::

Excerpt from the work-in-progress book (UCD).
My thoughts on the work-in-progress book (UCD).
Italics within definitions are recommendations to see that entry.

::: WHAT DID I JUST READ? :::

As you Gentlepersons hopefully know or are at the ::: very ::: least now FINALLY aware of under that rock of yours, I am constructing a Cigar Dictionary. A book. It is yet to have been named. Its working title is "Unnamed Cigar Dictionary" (UCD). I will change that "As soon as possible" (ASAP). Nevertheless, the idea of the whole thing, the game plan, is that I will blog the process of creating & assembling the UCD on a non-scheduled basis.

Included in these blog posts will be my italicized thoughts regarding said creating & assembling process--and as we get closer to it being a book proper, the process of that, as well. THESE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE FINISHED BOOK. Please note that not everything, including the whole or part of definitions, will appear in the finished book.

To read other excerpts, search Unnamed Cigar Dictionary or UCD, in the Search Kaplowitz Media. field to the right of your screen. The Blog Archive can also be perused.

The completion of this project has *NO TIMEFRAME.

::: very :::

On "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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On "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" [COPP] from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

::: PUBLICATION HISTORY :::

The Strand Magazine (UK) June 1892

The Strand (US) July 1892

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Coll.) October 1892

::: NOTES & GRADING :::

"'One child--one dear little romper just six years old. Oh, if you could see him killing cockroaches with a slipper! Smack! smack! smack! Three gone before you could wink!' He leaned back in his chair and laughed his eyes into his head again." - Jephro Rucastle, as to his little monster of a progeny, to Violet Hunter, a potential governess in his employ.

"He is small for his age, with a head which is quite disproportionately large. ... Giving pain to any creature weaker than himself seems to be his one idea of amusement, and he shows quite remarkable talent in planning the capture of mice, little birds, and insects." Relates Miss Hunter to Holmes and one wonders if the child has a bit of gothic monster in him quite as close to literally as what could be taken.

Alas, we are left with not much more than that regarding the little romper but it's enough to creep a person out. Especially a Victorian Era person. Cue the vapors, bring in the fainting couch, and what-have-you. Eerie, nonetheless and in so, quite in keeping with the Rucastle abode. Particularly its off-limits section which reads as a dank prison block so oddly removed from the rest of the cheerfully masqueraded house. But really, isn't the sunny-side somehow even more frightful? Also, don't go outside or you'll get eaten for sure.

Here again, Doyle plays at wages and the evils he seems to find inherent in them. 120pounds a year to be exact. A princessly sum. With Holmes' approval, backing, and odd affections, Miss Hunter is off against everyone's better judgment to that Rucastle residence. You can tell Holmes reads the entire situation as grave. Why? Because, "Holmes shook his head gravely," and "But Holmes shook his head gravely." We get it, grave. Plus, she has to cut her 'artistic' hair and wear a certain dress, and maybe Mrs. Rucastle is simply mad, is the best-case scenario.

Or just dreadfully endlessly and emptily sad. With a sadder more mangled future to boot. On the way to that end, we are privy to a mystery that plays with another ACD trope, inheritances, pensions, and the like. I sincerely don't wish to spoil this 1892 bit of short fiction which I hope you've already read. Regardless, with no long-term employment possibilities beyond stated tidy sum to simply hopefully convincingly wave off an interloper--Miss Hunter becomes unnecessary--which is most likely a ::: very ::: bad thing to become within these unsettling confines.

The drawer full of hair sent lasting shivers up me timbers. Seriously. Unsettling.

::: THEME WITHIN A THEME :::

(pipe-smoking)

" ... taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs, and lighting with it the long cherry-wood pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious, rather than a meditative mood." Here, Watson narrates Holmes' smoking mores.

Here's the thing. The pipes seem reversed. Cherry-wood pipes tend to offer a cool, sweet smoking experience (meditative). Whereas clay smokes hot and dry (disputatious). The other pipe at home in Holmes' canonical pipe rack was a briar--which does smoke even cooler than the typical cherry-wood--so he didn't grab his calmest here. All told, however, I trust in ACD's tobacco IQ, as he has more than proved himself in that realm of expertise. Particularly in alignment with mood.

Elsewhere in the canon, we have seen an anxiously pacing Holmes with a cigarette. Elsewhere still, cigars are offered in social situations to guests who are often of the official police persuasion. Finally and coming back to them--pipes as tools of contemplation, famously in problems of threes. Perhaps this is why I'm also so ready to engage in the picking of nits here. I expect more. I'm not mad, I'm disappointed? This cherry-wood bit seems simply out-of-step. Again, Holmes grabbing for an incinerator-like hot burning clay seems so much more apt for pairing with verbal pugilism.

What I'm left with finally is the further realization that Holmes just likes to be an ass on occasion. I believe for more reason than just feces and facial gestures, however. This practice often is at the cost of Watson and the getting of the good doctor's goat. So Holmes here is calm in his excitement and also exercising his skills. "answering, as was his wont, my thoughts rather than my words," notes Watson mid tiff. Leaving Watson to simply narrate this noted pattern to the best of his abilities. It's a lot like those kitchen knife sheaths that sharpen the blade inside them, at rest in a silverware drawer.

Now why Watson would continually include in said narrations Holmes' harsh critiquing of his writing, is an item best left for another time. I'll allow him a final word here: "'It seems to me that I have done you full justice in the matter," I remarked, with some coldness, for I was repelled by the egotism which I had more than once observed to be a strong factor in my friend's singular character." SLAM!

:::

Back to COPP. In terms of its cast of characters, this is one of ACD's finest collections of delightable oddities. The conversing and connectivity between them all is marvelous. Starting right off with a famed bit of Holmes in "To the man who loves art for its own sake," remarked Sherlock Holmes, tossing aside the advertisement sheet of The Daily Telegraph, "it is frequently in its least important and lowliest manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived."

Something about that triggered in my mind remembrances of Mickey Spillane's “Those big-shot writers could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar.”

I adore how Rucastle "laughed his eyes into his head." I wondered at how this immediate Holmes attachment to Hunter was formed in the great detective's mind. Loved the dynamic duo's aforementioned jousting. Strangely enough, and above all else, the silent suffering and intense loyalty of Mrs. Rucastle hit me heaviest, lingered longest, with never much needing said. It's all really just wonderfully dense and deep and subtle. All that and the setting blends-bleeds into the character list... a hallmark of Doyle's when he's got the hot hand.

And really the problem is quite small--as it should be. This isn't about the problem because how could it be when it isn't about the solution? It's about the capturing of the truly grotesque. The plot even is secondary although strong. It acts as a sturdy stage on which the players play. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE. We get "I have my revolver" level action culminating in "I blew its brains out"--of a(nother) monster in the more familiar Dolyeian half-starved dog form. The unspoken dynamics and/or side-adventure of Toller and Alice could be a story all its own, or this one fully-so from a different perspective. Filled to the brim, this.

A story that reads like how a clay pipe smokes.

CHARACTERS: 2/2
SETTING: 2/2
PLOT: 1.5/2
PROBLEM: 1/2
SOLUTION: .5/2

FINAL GRADE: 7/10

I'd like to take a moment to remind you kind Gentlepersons that I write these thoughts under the assumption of you having read these adventures. They are readily available everywhere, including for free at Project Gutenberg as well as Wikisource, where you can listen to it read, as well.

Also, please bear in mind that this post is part of a series in which I'm working through every case in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. For other entries in this series, use the Search Kaplowitz Media. function to the right of your screen and plug in either particular adventures contained within that collection, or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to view them in their entirety.

::: very :::

Mr. Barker in a Cameo? Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Empty House

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Mr. Barker in a Cameo? Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Empty House [EMPT]

Here we are at the third and final chapter of our look into the Barker character(s?) found within the Sherlockian canon. While preparing this particular part, a thought crossed my mind: chronology. Chronology as to a thing Holmes has said. Holmes has stated that he is the lone representative of his chosen career. What to make of this? Does it blow this all out of the water? Parts of it? Gee, I would kinda feel foolish if it did.

"Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world. I’m a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is." That from A Study in Scarlet, which is well-before the time that any Barker is mentioned/introduced. Funny how he 'supposes,' however. A lazily stated thing, that. In any event, this hurts neither our cause nor case in any conceivable way. Excelsior! Also, whew.

I note the blase though because in his next (and minorly problematic) claim to the same, he is far more definite: “The only unofficial consulting detective" Holmes' clearly flatly states in The Sign of the Four. The detective doth protest too much? Well, they are each different conversational confines, but also maybe he wants to overtly un-acknowledge an upstart competitor? Remember, there are nine months of overlap (see timeline somewhat below). (VALL/SIGN)

There is a moderate-sized chance that he knows of Barker already by the time he's introduced in VALL during said overlap, even if they perhaps haven't yet met or laid an eye on one-another. "I had no difficulty in guessing that it was the Cecil Barker of whom I had heard." Muses Watson. Holmes, of course, always knows more and often opts not to share that more. Could it be though, that Watson was speaking of items slightly-prior to the current case, as well? 

Another thought is that I'd say he had perhaps already had designs to bring Barker on-board, making him in Holmes' eyes somewhat of an employee-in-waiting and by his possible definition not a private individual, per se. And furthermore not an unofficial consulting detective by Holmes' standards. More of a Pinkerton Agent, really. So not what Holmes himself did. Is it that much of a stretch to think Holmes saw in himself a highly evolved Allan Pinkerton? 

Yes, it kinda actually is. Although he did have his Irregulars, his street urchin intelligence agent network. Perhaps it's Barker not wishing to inherit that named career mantle. Maybe our guy had his own way of stating his occupation. Perhaps this is all linguistic nit-pickery between the two men and in their own heads.

Of course, another scenario (and the most-likely one) is that Barker simply wasn't on his radar until he was in VALL. It can read that way quite well. It makes some sense and slights Holmes' sights none, seeing as Barker's locale is noted to be a different one than the Baker Street area. At this point, I must remind you to please peruse the FURTHER READING segment below. 

Because I am trying here much harder to avoid being repetitive than I am to have a stand-alone article. Perhaps at some point, I'll publish them all-together as one and weave in more tightly any loose ends.

Regardless of that italicized look into sausage making, and in the conclusion of any timeline quirks, Holmes has stated that he is the lone representative of his chosen career. Then RETI happens wherein Barker is listed as a private detective. What to make of this? Things change. Time marches on. I'm shrugging my shoulders right now, relieved. In any event, and as promised, the William Stuart Baring-Gould timeline. Note that the year of publishing is listed parenthetically:

STUD: 4 March 1881 (1887)

SIGN: 18 September 1888 (1890)

VALL: 7 January 1888 (1915)
EMPT: 5 April 1894 (1903)
RETI: 28 July 1898 (1926)

:::

And now, we arrive at the potential Act II of the three-part Barker play within a play. It's a quick, as noted, cameo-style role of a canonical appearance.

"A tall, thin man with coloured glasses, whom I strongly suspected of being a plain-clothes detective, was pointing out some theory of his own, while the others crowded round to listen to what he said. I got as near him as I could, but his observations seemed to me to be absurd, so I withdrew again in some disgust. As I did so I struck against an elderly, deformed man, who had been behind me, and I knocked down several books which he was carrying." Watson, [EMPT]

That elderly, deformed man of course would later in this tale prove to be Holmes himself, back from the not at all really dead. (Great Hiatus) Funny, he and our tall, thin man (Barker?) find themselves in such close proximity, isn't it? Those 'absurd' observations to Watson's ears are notable, indeed. How often did the good doctor chronicler find Holmes' own observations some form of absurd prior to them being explained away into elementary simplicity?

But what have we to go on with this possible meeting? For one, the coloured glasses that don't appear in VALL but do in RETI, are seen here. Granted that's really only evidence if you buy this whole supposition. Or at least the VALL/RETI connection. Perhaps this EMPT Barker and the RETI Barker are one and the same but Cecil is just Cecil in VALL. It's all quite possible. We also might be looking at three distinctly different humans. We aren't.

Regardless, the look of plain-clothes detective fits with his given trade. That's it and that is all we get here. So why take this for anything greater than what it's presented as? Because it was presented at all, would be my reply. This cameo appearance runs as ::: very ::: out of place if it is indeed a bit of nothing more than atmospheric setting. At the end of the day, or of this series, I feel quite convinced all three Barkers are one "Cecil James Barker, of Hales Lodge, Hampstead." [VALL]

A final note here to address Watson's vague description of who, to be clear, I believe is Barker. Think of his frame of mind. He's not met much success in emulating Holmes and misses the man as well. Confusion atop grief. That would dull one's take considerably. 

In case it isn't obvious, I have elected to employ the perhaps somewhat odd method of allowing you Gentlepersons along for the ride as I thought and researched. Apologies if this served to complicate reading. In the end, which is where we are, I hope we had some fun. But are we at the end? I hope you're not. (Unless you've been reading along as these installments were published.) 

::: FURTHER READING :::

[To peruse, employ the Search Kaplowitz Media. field to your right.]

An Introduction to Mr. Barker (from The Sherlock Holmes Adventure of the Retired Colourman)

Mr. Barker, We Meet Again (Before?) Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear

::: very :::

Cornell & Diehl Pipe Tobacco Billy Budd in Redux Review

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Cornell & Diehl Pipe Tobacco Billy Budd (Melville at sea) in Redux Review

CATEGORY: Cigar leaf-based
BLEND: Burley, Cigar Leaf, Latakia, Virginia
FLAVORING: no

BLENDER: Craig Tarlar
MANUFACTURER: Cornell & Diehl
CUT: Coarse cut

PIPE: Old German Clay no. 15

Old German Clay no. 3 in redux
INTENSITY: Medium-Full/Full

The review I'm about to redux was originally posted to Kaplowitz Media on January 7th 2022. As I type this it is January 31st 2022. Lest you feel as though not enough time has elapsed for a redux, rest assured I knew I'd be doing this well-before now. That's how fast this blend morphed and how considerably it did-so. I also think it's potentially of interest to track the evolution of any(?) tin of tobacco... again, this particular one simply had a doozy of a trip. 

The jury's still out on if & what other blends could expect this revisit treatment. Nevertheless, how this works is that the fat will be trimmed from the initial review and the remaining bits will be commented on in regards to the current state of affairs, in italics. To read the original review in its entirety, please use the Search Kaplowitz Media. function to the right of this screen--just plug-in "Billy Budd." All set then? Great to hear, and away we go...

NOTES:
Leather | Wood | Pepper-spice

Leather | Lemon pepper | Pinewood

Have you ever taken the remains of the previous day's last cigar and packed it into the next morning's first pipe? It's acrid. This is a much paler shade of that phenomenon, but it is t/here. I'm a bit hesitant to smoke this around my special lady friend for fear it'll put hair on her chest. Big chewy smoke. Smoky and meaty and bittersweet out ahead with a salty leathery back-end. Fuzzy pinewood.

Herein is a big difference. This blend is far, far less acrid come tin's end (and well-before). That isn't to say there aren't still hard glimpses, but it is no longer a driving force. Insofar as room-note, I mean it still has both Latakia and cigar leaf in it. So you won't be fooling anyone into thinking you're vaping strawberry oil. But the aroma has fleshed out much more fully and meatily. Oily, all told. Think lard, all told. More pronounced pinewood, lezz fuzzily-bordered. Feels like a greater Burley influence w/ some sweet nuttiness.

That odd grassy note is Virginia leaf, and it lemony-cleanses some in the mid-section here. The burley blends in smoothly enough but does add a bit of ashiness as the bowl burns-down. I think it lends itself to the structure-some. Woodsy like timber and charred but not scorched, mainly. [I'm put in mind of Fig Newtons.] The whole profile seems wrapped in leather and via progression, it roughs up, softens--gets worked in. Buckwheat and a tick of molasses. Baking spices and black pepper. Fusty and dusty and could use some more focus.

That vegetal note is now a bit brighter and at the same time, less on-board. However, it retains its cleansing effect. I get zero ashiness at this point. I also no longer get Fig Newtons, oh well. The leather is of note as it's both thinner and meatier. This lends to the overall feeling of greater balance now. Also, it develops much more loosely, less of a strangling, which is always nice. Spices have dulled a notch or two, and I would have liked them not to have. Although there is quite pronounced lemon pepper.

This seems like one to cellar well. The cut is hearty chunks that pack and burn well. Sweetens toward mid-bowl, almost to buckwheat honey, then that acrid tendency re-rears up near the heel. Big smoke. Seems a bit dry out of the tin, but as mentioned burns well. Ash is powdery but in the end does dottle-up considerably-so. Ultimately, I find it lacking (strangely) in oomph.

I called it right off the bat with cellaring potential. I would like to pop on another tin to put to bed a bit. Full disclosure, I kept this in its original tin all along. That said, I did not notice any different moisture levels. Burns a bit slower if anything in this final go-around. Leaves less powder and more dottle in the heel, at which point there are still some acrid tendencies. Seems, all told, less 'big' and at the same time possessing more oomph. A greater delineation and more deliberate delivery.

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

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

Put this blend down for 6-12mos. and it could be an A. Maybe I'll see. This whole thing does beg one fine question: Should a blend be ready to smoke immediately? I feel the answer to that is the basis of a separate write-up. I'll get on that at some future point.

::: very :::

Camacho Cigars Corojo BxP Toro in Review

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Camacho Cigars Corojo BxP Toro in Review

WRAPPER: Honduran Corojo
BINDER: Honduran Corojo
FILLER: Honduran, USA broadleaf

FORMAT: Toro box-press (650)
ORIGIN: Diadema de Honduras, SA
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full

NOTES:

Mocha | Spices | Cedar

A quite-flat yet still rounded-off press that feels a bit odd in mitt and mouth. Chocolatey earth with a rising coffee bean on the back-end. Until eventually that and all else becomes mere components of top-soil. Leathery bits. Dusty paprika and nutmeg. Black pepper flakes. Cardboard. A slight cedar w/ lemony attachment that doesn't bring structure but instead a buttery spreading of flavors. Good but simple and non-delineated. Flat is a running theme. At times lazily aggressive. Burns on a wobble that requires no re-touching. Draws well and grows admirable ash. Aroma is more confectionary than is the palate.

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

::: very :::