BRAND: Diesel BLEND: Vintage Series Natural WRAPPER: Ecuadorian BINDER: Nicaraguan Habano FILLER: Nicaraguan FORMAT: Robusto Gordo (556) ORIGIN: Nicaragua INTENSITY: Medium SPICE: 2/5 NOTES: Praline | Pink peppercorn | Suede Lots of caramelized sugar, mixed nuttiness, you know, praline. A pepperiness a bit more fruity-floral and vivid than usual, you know, pink peppercorn. A chicken coop laced suede earthiness carries all along nicely; envelops via progression. Stratified bits of tea, cedar, and dessert spices. Table sugar threatens to imbalance somewhat at the second-third's opening. Then ..read more

BRAND: Big Sky BLEND: Bitterroot WRAPPER: Habano BINDER: Nicaraguan FILLER: Nicaraguan FORMAT: Toro (654) ORIGIN: Nicaragua INTENSITY: Medium BITTER: .25/5 (blonde coffee) SALTY: .25/5 (milk chocolate) SAVORY: .25/5 (toasted oats) SOUR: 1.5/5 (lemony cedar) SPICE: 1.5/5 (spiced cider) SWEET: 1.25 /5 (caramel) TASTE: B+ DRAW: A- BURN: B BUILD: B+ FINAL GRADE: B+ A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 ::: very ::: Link to my original review >>> Big Sky Cigar Co. Bitterroot in Review.  ..read more

BRAND: ROOM101 BLEND: Hit & Run Redux WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres BINDER: Ecuadorian Sumatra FILLER: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian FORMAT: Robusto ORIGIN: Dominican Republic INTENSITY: Medium-full SPICE: 3/5 NOTES: Walnut mocha torte | Paprika | Pumpernickel Depth. Complex layers. Dense and weighty. Plush. Well-balanced. A dark unfurling of motion and stillness. Dappled sunlight exhibits traces of mulling spice, cola, black dahlia. TASTE: A- DRAW: B+ BURN: A- BUILD: A- FINAL GRADE: A- A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 A word about dahlias (black and otherwise, I'd imagine) from The Perfume Societ ..read more

1st & 15th Podcast "Sucker Punch" NEW EPISODE "In this episode of 1st & 15th, Phil and Kap discover parental volunteer traps of having student athletes, grapple with chess, and suppress bully tendencies. Kap also finds something else to collect along with his bread clips. Why are you listening?" - Phil Kurut, co-host, show producer, pollster. To listen to this NEW EPISODE and to find out more about other exciting Kaplowitz Media. listening and/or watching opportunities, please visit this link: Audio/Video. About the 1st & 15th Podcast: Twice a month (see show name for dates ..read more

The Texture of Smoke | Kaplowitz Media. Responsa A bit ago I put out feelers for questions. These questions (cigar & pipe related) are currently being collected and answered by yours truly. They will eventually be formulated into a chapbook from Kaplowitz Media. Books. Along the way to print, I've decided to publish some here on the blog. Being that I am still collecting your queries, maybe this little stunt will serve as an impetus to receive more such fodder from readers. You can send that my way via the methods of correspondence noted on the right side of your screen. You can scroll bo ..read more

1st & 15th Podcast "My Love Goes" NEW EPISODE In this episode of 1st & 15th, Phil & Kap get mixed signals from Death Metal vocals and join voices to sing the praises of Waterworld. They also come to grips with the distinction between continual and perpetual, the complexities of the Hebrew calendar, and the lack of talent these days. Tune in! It's fun for roughly 1/5 of the family. To listen to this NEW EPISODE and to find out more about other exciting Kaplowitz Media. listening and/or watching opportunities, please visit this link: Audio/Video. About the 1st & 15th Podcast: T ..read more

BRAND: Lampert BLEND: Ocean Breeze WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano 2000 BINDER: Ecuadorian FILLER: Nicaraguan, Peruvian, Undisclosed FORMAT: Robusto Extra (554) ORIGIN: Costa Rica INTENSITY: Mild-Medium NOTES: Woody | Amber | Leather An aroma of crisply-salted and buttery foody caramel cedar builds the fragrance base on the heels of the initial and fleeting warm booziness of oriental/amber nigh decadent top notes. Leathery pale savory middle/heart notes entrench as the baton 'tween top and base gets passed in sporty drama slo-mo. Then calm and smooth into sandalwood comfort. Ease. It's a wide b ..read more

Peter Stokkebye English Luxury 17 CATEGORY: English BLEND: Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Virginia FLAVORING: Yes BLENDER: Peter Stokkebye MANUFACTURER: Peter Stokkebye PACKAGING: Bulk CUT: Ribbon PIPE: Clay INTENSITY: Mild-Medium/Medium NOTES: Perhaps it's the black cavendish but it seems more coming from the nutty Burley--a certain sweet enhancement. A honeydew (sugary) topping. An American-English (Burley-reliant) blend replete with slight sweet-tooth accommodation. Quite USA-ian and a nice entry to English from OTC indulgences. Except it burns rather hot (tho no bite) and that topp ..read more

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for February & March 2024 [due to the KM. scheduled hiatus] (listed in alphabetical order) (names are links to full reviews) [Long build-up. Short list.] FEB Leaf by Oscar 10th Anni. Criollo MAR Powstanie Justice Connecticut PIPE TOB Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding Special Reserve :: very :::   ..read more

A Pair of Upcoming Projects from Kaplowitz Media. Books The following information supersedes, supplants, and does away with entirely--anything else previously mentioned as being potentially upcoming and/or forthcoming. That said, Kaplowitz Media. is excited to share these two (2) pieces of exciting news with you, in the form of 2 (two) new chapbook [books, actual books] projects! They are as follows and in no particular order... HOW TO REVIEW A CIGAR This will be a follow-up of sorts to the mildly popular and still currently available HOW TO ENJOY A CIGAR (which you can find out more about HE ..read more