Kaplowitz Media.

Friday, August 21, 2026

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for August 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for August 2026

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

HDA Cataclysm
HDA Veiled Mutiny
La Gloria Cubana Intencion

::: very :::

Monday, August 17, 2026

Villiger Cigars 1888 San Andres Toro in Redux Review

BRAND: Villiger
BLEND: 1888 San Andres

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Ecuadorian Habano
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650) box-pressed
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2.5/5

1. Citrus, candied | Mixed nuts (in shells) | Cafe Americano
2. Sweet spices | Medicinal citrus | Mineral earthiness
3. Sweet-bright spices | Milk chocolate | Mineral earthiness

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

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

EDITOR'S NOTE:
I feel as though I should have included this in the previous post here entitled Villiger Cigars: Brand Spotlight. That way, it would have looked like another more previous post, La Gloria Cubana Cigars | Brand Spotlight | Intencion in Redux Review. Titles, by the by, are links.

More Brand Spotlights will likely be coming soon; with or without brief redux review inclusion.

(even) FURTHER KM. READING:
Villiger Cigars 1888 San Andres Toro in Review

::: very :::

Friday, August 14, 2026

Villiger Cigars: Brand Spotlight

Villiger Cigars: Brand Spotlight

Below is a list of previously KM. reviewed Villiger offerings.

[Each is a link.
Listed in ABC order.]

Cuellar Caribe Toro Gordo
Cuellar Connecticut Kreme
1888 Nicaragua Churchill
1888 San Andres Toro
La Capitana 2025
La Libertad
La Vencedora
Miami 2022
Miami 2023
TAA Exclusive 2024

::: very :::

Monday, August 10, 2026

La Gloria Cubana Cigars | Brand Spotlight | Intencion in Redux Review

I. SPOTLIGHT PORTION

Below is a catalog of previously KM. reviewed LGC offerings (each is a link) listed in ABC order.

Corojo de Oro
Criollo de Oro
8th Street
Gran Legado
LGC Society
Los Gloriosos
Phillips & King Reserve Collection
Serie R Maduro
Serie S Maduro

II. INTENCION REDUX REVIEW

BRAND: La Gloria Cubana
BLEND: Intencion

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Honduran

FORMAT: Gran Robusto (554)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:
Cajun seasoning | Chocolate-covered coffee beans | Mixed nuts in shells

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

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

FURTHER KM. READING:
La Gloria Cubana Cigars Intencion in Review

::: very :::

Friday, August 7, 2026

HDA (Hermanos de Armas) Cigars Veiled Mutiny Toro in Redux* Review

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Veiled Mutiny

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
(*now rolled at the Rojas Factory)
INTENSITY: Medium-Full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:
Fudge | Brioche | GORP & Bridge Mix

Fudge this time; a gooey center piece of brownie. Eggy milky Brioche pairs well there, is pulled taut on its other end by rigid sweet spices backed by graphite, manure. Earthy and tethered there well. GORP (good old raisins & peanuts) now has Bridge Mix accompaniment. Spice array holds fast, balances.

Someone call for a Cab(ernet)? Hurry up, the meter's running.

Easily the most improved of the line. Harmonious and punchy. Lively. Great weight, yet finishes clean. Tight silver ash. Smooth, even draw. Invisible seams, minimal veins. Stoic build. Tastes like toothiness, but is smooth and oily like its mouth-feel. Excellent smoke out-put offers a savory addition.

You'll be seeing this one on my next Cigar of the Year list.

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

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

::: very :::

Monday, August 3, 2026

::: very :::

Friday, July 31, 2026

HDA (Hermanos de Armas) Cigars Descending Shadows Toro in Redux* Review

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Descending Shadows

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
(*now rolled at the Rojas Factory)
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2.5/5

NOTES:
Roasted citrus | Chocolate |
Rotisserie Chicken (hold the chicken)

Warmer, rounder citrus qualities now, but still wobbled a tick-toward thattaway. Richer chocolate, semisweet, with a nice accompaniment of vanilla extract. Minerality. Seasonings and herbs you'd find on a bird; braced with green and black peppercorns. A toasted cream body bids an Irish goodbye.

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

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

::: very :::

Monday, July 27, 2026

HDA (Hermanos de Armas) Cigars Cataclysm Toro in Redux* Review

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Cataclysm

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (654)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
(*now rolled at the Rojas Factory)
INTENSITY: Medium-full/Full
SPICE: 4/5

NOTES:
Chocolate | Spices | Shine Box

More punchy and more focused now. A greater vigor. Chocolate bread and corner brownie piece. Wooden tension via seasoned and charred oak. Excellent structuring. Heavy. A bracing salinity. Shots of espresso and accompanying crema. Ginger beer. Lingering animal, vegetable, and mineral oils.

Well-balanced unerring black peppery delivery. Draws a bit slow, but evenly. Burns on a razor-line. Excellent smoke out-put with a darkly-sweet woodsy olfactory sense. Built quite well, showing goodly amounts of veinage twixt tight seams. A full meal, and dessert. Visions of a shine box...

"Now go home and get your fucking shine box."

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

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

::: very :::

Friday, July 24, 2026

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for July 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for July 2026

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

My Father La Gran Oferta
Villiger 1888 San Andres

HONORABLE MENTION
Stolen Throne "The Winnie"

::: very :::

Monday, July 20, 2026

Stolen Throne Cigars Kiawe 2025 for R. Field Wine Co. in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: Kiawe 2025

WRAPPER: Mexican
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro, closed-foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:

Darkly sweet-spiced mahogany, seasoned oak. Charred lean meats on beds of whole grains. Leathery oil mouth-feel--weighty, lingering--tightened-up 'tween pulls by roasted citrus sensations.

::: very :::

Friday, July 17, 2026

Stolen Throne Cigars "The Winnie" Winston's Humidor Exclusive in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: The Winnie

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Torpedo (654) closed-foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full
SPICE: 3/5

Sweet Spices | Milk Chocolate | Oyster Sauce

NOTES:
Oyster sauce? Sure, umami-triggering with a warm caramel sweetness, a pinch of salt. Also, I just ate some lo mein. Sweetness grows uncloyingly-so. A bit of a flaky pie crust vibe. I can't pull apart the spices but they're all sweet and the warmest pepper is white. Could use a tick of citrus to tighten.

Still, a crazy smokeable blend.

I taste apple pie*. A super pleasing, undemanding blend. Burn lags a half-bit on one spot but figures it out sans manual re-direct. Excellent draw. Good smoke out-put offers a pastry olfactory, *which falls to the palate and onto the tongue. I can't say plum sauce. I can say plum sauce! There's none of it in lo mein.

This should get an honorable mention in the next Cigars of the Month post. I hope typing that reminds me. Also, I love the band and I love Winnie.

::: very :::

Monday, July 13, 2026

A Collection of Cigar Craig Curated and Contributed Cigars Comprehensively Critiqued and Cataloged

A Collection of Cigar Craig Curated and Contributed Cigars Comprehensively Critiqued and Cataloged

I was lucky enough just somewhat recently, to gain a guided entry of sorts into the humidor of one Mr. Craig Vanderslice of Cigar Craig, Kaplowitz Media. reigning Cigar Reviewer of the Year, and all around well thought of cigar guy.

Whilst gladly gained, I took a chance to record for posterity my experiences therein. Below, you'll find an index of links to those cigars imbibed and reviewed by moi, right here at KM. I do hope you enjoy. Mainly, however, I do hope you'll pay the CIGAR CRAIG site a visit.

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

Bariay 1492 Cigars Black Label Toro
Bariay 1492 Cigars Red Label Toro
Flatbed Cigars Panacea Brown Label Brazil Maduro
JC Newman Cigar Co Sarzedas
La Sirena Cigars Original Trident

Thanks, Craig.

::: very :::

Friday, July 10, 2026

Villiger Cigars 1888 San Andres Toro in Review

BRAND: Villiger
BLEND: 1888 San Andres

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Ecuadorian Habano
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650) box-pressed
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3/5

Wood | Espresso beans | Molasses

NOTES:
Taut, lots of tension. Lively woods (oak & pine) and focused (molasses) sweetness. A waxy dark chocolate fills in the cracks. All rests on a once-dried compost now somewhat moistened with grapefruit juice concentrate. White Pepper is sprinkled atop first, then red is added. Nicely balanced, rigidly defined.

Draw is excellent. Ash builds quite well from a slightly wavy very thin line. Press holds admirably as do tight seams. Even packing. Goodly-built to say the least. Smoke out-put is moderate+ and smells as crisp as it tastes, with a sweet citrusy and leathery aroma. Clean and mean, cuts through the chase. Efficient.

Sufficient and then a fair bit.

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

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

::: very :::

Monday, July 6, 2026

Drew Estate Cigars Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano in Review

BRAND: Drew Estate
BLEND: Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
BINDER: Connecticut USA Corojo
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (650) Box-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

White Pepper | Suede | Honey Malt

NOTES:
Rolling a 3-1 in the Chinese dice game of Heaven and Nine is called Harmony. This could be called that, too. Although some portion of said harmonious quality is arrived at via muted rather than expressed notes. A slight minerality folded into cinnamon & sugar. Milkiest of milk chocolates.

Smokes like all set-up and no punchline... but some set-ups are fun. "A Priest, a Rabbi and an Imam walk into a bar," isn't necessarily any less of note than, "ouch, ouch, ouch."

Good draw, half-tick tight. Burns cool, even, smoky. Rolled on the tight-side with some bumpiness on the shaft. A crack happens in the top-leaf during the 3/3, then the rest bids farewell. Although I'm unsure I didn't knock it sitting in a new set-up and chatting. Also, it's at a point I'd have typically stopped my review.

I also tasted some duck sauce.

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

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

PS. For the sake of science, I was lucky enough for the ability to smoke a second sampling. That sampling suffered a crack in the 3/3 too, though it did not split, it did occur earlier.

::: very :::

Friday, July 3, 2026

Stolen Throne Cigars Revelry LE in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: Revelry

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (554) closed-foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
SPICE: 4/5

Black Pepper | Raisins | Dark Chocolate

NOTES:
Black pepper and raisins--that's to say an earthy spiciness and natural sweetness tandem--cuts through the rich and near raucous profile. Dense dark chocolate fudge. Barnyard. Salted caramel. Red spice array. The chocolate component picks up a fruit juice attachment.

Heavy and round, yo mama jokes aside. Edgy but within soft confines. I believe it's a vegetarian profile, in the manner of a dal paste; deep and warm. How is your mom? A sating, complete, and balanced blend that also is a close talker, completely without an indoor voice.

::: very :::

Monday, June 29, 2026

My Father Cigars La Gran Oferta Toro in Review

BRAND: My Father
BLEND: La Gran Oferta

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Med.-full/Full
SPICE: 4/5

NOTES:
Pepper-spice | Dark Chocolate | Pluot

A Pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot. That only matters here after the Pepin blast of pepper dials back, settles into a zesty spice rub. Espresso swirls about and twixt the layers. Much dark chocolate hardens and dries via progression; bricks not mere pips. A slight ashy sense on the far-end. Umami.

Not a delicate thing, nor a subtle thing. A refined yet demanding thing. Excellent combustion and construction highlighted by ash sheath growth and smooth even draw. Superb smoke out-put hits the olfactory as if a chocolate company moved into an old leather works shop just a day ago.

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

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

::: very :::

Friday, June 26, 2026

Kaplowitz Media. Top 5 Cigars Halfway Thru 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Top Five Cigars
Halfway Thru 2026

This is quietly becoming a tradition, this midway romp. Here's what I wrote in the 2025 version (& here is a LINK to that list)

"People love lists. Let's pretend for a brief moment that people also love rules and disclaimers. The five (5) cigars listed below (in alphabetical order only) are in no way guaranteed an appearance in the 2025 Kaplowitz Media. best of list due out at the very end of this December.

"Back to lists. This one is not only alphabetized, but each on the list is a link to their full review. My hope is this serves as a brief yet worthwhile answer to 'what should I smoke?' or 'what have you liked recently?' Without any further ado, adon't or amaybe..."

Bariay 1492 Black Label
Room101 The Big Payback Extra Fuerte
HDA Cataclysm
La Gloria Cubana Intencion
Powstanie San Andres Corona Gorda

::: very :::

Monday, June 22, 2026

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for June 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for June 2026

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

HDA Cataclysm (Robusto Redux Review)

Honorary mentions:

Powstanie Sumatra
Room101 Big Payback Extra Fuerte

::: very :::

Friday, June 19, 2026

HDA (Hermanos de Armas) Cigars Robusto Redux Reviews of Cataclysm, Descending Shadows, & Veiled Mutiny

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Cataclysm

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (548)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full/Full
SPICE: 4/5

NOTES:
Black pepper & anise | Mocha Latte | Almond Extract

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

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

The previous KM. review of this blend in Toro can be found at this LINK.

::: | :::

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Descending Shadows

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (548)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:
Black Pepper | Burnt coffee | Beef Jerky

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

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

The previous KM. review of this blend in Toro can be found at this LINK.

::: | :::

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Veiled Mutiny

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Maduro
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (548)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2.5/5

NOTES:
Zagnut | White Chocolate | Berries

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

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

The previous KM. review of this blend in Toro can be found at this LINK.

::: very :::

Monday, June 15, 2026

Gearing Up for 250: American Cigar Offerings

Gearing Up for 250: American Cigar Offerings

This is gonna be a bigger 250th birthday bash than was Abe Vigoda's and it is ongoing. America's upcoming semiquincentennial blast is gonna be and is rightfully BIG. There's the usual fireworks, naturally, also more music, some good ol' fisticuffs (as I write this), and no small about of adult beverages and red meat.

Wow.

But how, I hear you asking, is it best to pair my cigar(s) to this illustrious string of proud Americanism? Broadleaf & burgers? Connie & corn dogs? Habano & hooch? Sure, go ahead. I'm a fan of sentiments littered with alliteration. Or, maybe light something up with a connection to the good ol' US of A.

In alphabetical order below, is an index of recommendations which all share varying links to amber waves of grain. Be it wrapper, binder, filler, or factory--Uncle Sam's stamping grounds factor in somehow. So grab one of these, or one of those already in your humidor, and God Bless the USA.

Drew Estate Blackened M81
Dunbarton Red Meat Lovers Fritanga
My Father Blue
Partagas Y Nada Mas Cibao
Powstanie Sumatra

That'll do. One handful of possibilities and the other hand wrapped around a flagstaff. Happy Birthday, America. E Pluribus Unum.

::: very :::