Room101 Cigars Namakubi Chingon Ltd. 2024 in Review

BRAND: Room101
BLEND: Namakubi Ltd. 2024

WRAPPER: San Andres Maduro
BINDER: Sumatran
FILLER: American (PA), Nicaraguan, Dominican

FORMAT: Chingon (5.5x60) Figurado (Perfecto)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3/5

NOTES:
Mocha Latte (extra shot) | Ginger Snaps | Seasoned Oak

Roasts and toasts; gaining depth and complexities throughout. An evolving transition, neither herky nor jerky. Molasses. Pink, green, and black peppercorns. A bit of a mash bill, heavy on rye. Barnyard and saddles. A stout, bracing thing but not bullying. Pumpernickel.

Dried leaves (duh) and topsoil olfactory. Goodly smoke out-put. Slow, well-paced burn works on a tick of a wobble. Hair's breadth mascara line. A slightly hesitant draw opens smoothly. Ash don't stack tall, but zero flakes. Seams stay tight as I do--'enjoying' a chilly PNW fall evening as I imbibe, scribe.

Could use an ever-slight touch more meat on its big bones.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars Star Guide for Autumn 2025

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars
Star Guide for Autumn 2025

TALLY of STAR RECIPIENTS
as of SUMMER 2025

Aganorsa Leaf (1)
AJ Fernandez (2)
Casa Carrillo (1)
Crowned Heads (1)
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (2)
Espinosa Cigar (1)
Foundation Cigars (1)
HVC Cigars (1)
Illusione Cigars (2)
La Flor Dominicana (1)
La Gloria Cubana (1)
My Father (3)
Oliva (2)
Perdomo (2)
Punch Cigars (1)
Rocky Patel (1)
Room101 Cigars (1)
Stolen Throne Cigars (1)
Tatuaje Cigars (2)

AUTUMN 2025 UPDATES

Arturo Fuente +2
Casa Carrillo +1
Crowned Heads -1
Diesel Cigars +1
Foundation Cigars +1
HVC Cigars -1
Padron +1
Perdomo Cigars -1
Room101 Cigars +1
Tatuaje Cigars +1

COMPLETE KAPLOWITZ MEDIA.
STAR GUIDE for AUTUMN 2025

Aganorsa Leaf (1)
Arturo Fuente (2)
AJ Fernandez (2)
Casa Carrillo (2)
Diesel Cigars (1)
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (2)
Espinosa Cigar (1)
Foundation Cigars (2)
Illusione Cigars (2)
La Flor Dominicana (1)
La Gloria Cubana (1)
My Father (3)
Oliva (2)
Padron (1)
Perdomo (1)
Punch Cigars (1)
Rocky Patel (1)
Room101 Cigars (2)
Stolen Throne Cigars (1)
Tatuaje Cigars (3)

Talk amongst yourselves.

::: very ::: 

MJ Frias Reserva Dorada Torpedo in Review

BRAND: MJ Frias
BLEND: Reserva Dorada

WRAPPER: Connecticut Shade
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Torpedo (6.5x52)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Mild-Medium
SPICE: 0.5/5

NOTES:
Cream | Potpourri | Cocoa Butter

I've never heard of this one. It's also the least-expensive smoke I've seen in a good while. Creamy, airy. Slight Cracker Jack vibe, and the toy inside is a teeny potpourri sachet. The cocoa butter is in the cream, sometimes. Hay, with White tea.

Decent doses of flintiness. Some thin-stiff suede. Mint? It's all very subtle, to say the most. Fruity cereal? The thing burns surprisingly well, and grows nice ash off an even draw. Burns with no need to manually re-direct. My grandfather would've dug this.

If you complain at this price point, you really shouldn't.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for October 2025

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for October 2025

(listed in alphabetical order)
(names are links to full reviews)

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Maduro
My Father Blue

Happy Vigil of All Saints' Day!

::: very :::