Re-worked the handler from scratch. Here's how I achieved the desired results:
<requestHandler name="/search" class="solr.SearchHandler">
<lst name="defaults">
<str name="indent">false</str>
<str name="echoParams">explicit</str>
<str name="defType">edismax</str>
<str name="qf">
Title^10.0 Detail CategoryTrail^4.0
</str>
<str name="mm">1</str>
<str name="pf">Title^8.0 Detail</str>
<str name="bq">_val_:"{!edismax qf=$boostQueryQf mm=100% v=$q bq=}"^100</str>
<str name="boostQueryQf">Title^10.0 Detail</str>
<str name="bq">CatTrail:Laptops/*^50.0</str>
<str name="bq">ReviewCount:[1 TO *]^4.0</str>
<str name="bf">recip(ms(NOW,DateAdded),3.16e-11,1,1)^4.0</str>
<int name="rows">10</int>
<str name="df">allText</str>
</lst>
</requestHandler>
I don't think I was too specific in my demands. It's a general requirements for a E-Commerce search where they would like to boost records with exact search keywords, a few specific categories, products with reviews and newer results. I would recommend the above approach which I achieved through a lot of research and Hit & trials.