Brand evangelist, digital marketer, cigar and spirits expert specializing in consumer tasting and educational events. Matthias made the long trek from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to New York City in 2007, and in nine years has hosted more than 120 events and helped promote and launch dozens of cigar and whiskey brands in the U.S. In 2016, he joined the Cigar Journal Tasting Panel, blind-reviewing pre and new release cigars.
Davidoff Madison Ave. is having a special event this Thursday that you probably don’t want to miss. As per our announcement a few weeks ago, the Zino Platinum Ten Year Anniversary was celebrated (in part) with some new, artistically inspired boxes. Well, now is your chance to experience the artistic side of tobacco, and try one of Davidoff’s newest cigars.
We should have an FTNYC representative on the scene reporting, so we’ll get back to you with some photos and a recap of the event.
September 25, 2012 (Omaha, NE) — A recently proposed occupation tax in Omaha, Nebraska threatens to levy a 7% tax on sales of all tobacco products. The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) strongly opposes this “specialty tax” as it will be detrimental to area premium cigar and pipe retailers.
The tax is designed to raise funds for a University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) expansion. UNMC has $1.2 billion dollars available, which is more than enough to pay for the project. Taxpayers are wondering why they are being forced to fund the university’s expansion.
The IPCPR fears the tax can lead to “border bleed:” the movement of sales from local businesses to neighboring shops as well as to online and mail-order retailers in order to avoid onerous taxation. Small businesses, including premium tobacco shops, are extremely sensitive to swings in economy and taxation. Adding on yet another tax only compounds the problem in an abysmal economy and increases stress on businesses by driving sales out of the city.
“The tobacco industry is not a bottomless well for taxes, fees and the like. We are mom‐and‐pop, Main Street businesses in an industry struggling to survive under increasing scrutiny ad attacks from our very own elected officials, who we elected to defend us. The people who work in this industry shouldn’t have to go home every night fearing that their jobs are being regulated or taxed out of existence every time the government has a project they want to complete” said Bill Spann, CEO of the IPCPR.
This city-forced tax will certainly prove challenging as businesses struggle to regain footing and grow in this economy.
Thunder is a blend by Rocky Patel Cigars, and particularly Nimish Patel. I had the opportunity to meet Nimish at the Rocky Patel event at Studio Sq. That event is also where I received this stick for review. As far as pairings go, I paired this stick with Jameson triple-distilled whiskey, some Esperanza Spalding jazz, and some interesting weather that developed halfway through the smoke.
The wrapper on this cigar is a rich, dark brown that is very inviting. The color of the Habano wrapper pairs incredibly well with the green, black, gold, and white label. As an Oregonian, this reminds me of a nice foresty color theme that I appreciate. The cigar is packed very well, triple capped, and has a nice layer of oiliness. The draw is a bit tight, but from what I understand this is not typical of the blend.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Off of the foot of this cigar are notes of granola, manure, cedar, and coffee. The stick kicks off with a medium to full body smoke that features spice, pepper, coffee, and caramel. At about an inch in, the cigar develops a bit and the flavors become very “Patel.” Notes of coffee, dark chocolate, a caramel texture, and something distinctively fruity. In fact, I identified the fruit later as cherry and… pears! I’m not the only reviewer to notice a fleeting fruity note.
By the second third, it’s clear that this cigar will have some consistent burn problems, which other reviewers have also noted. Then again, the burn problem could be a partial result of the literal thunder that rolled in. Sitting outside in New Jersey for the weekend smoking, a big storm rolled in, flashes of lightning everywhere, and thunder too (pictured below).
Notes in the second third of this cigar included dark chocolate & wood. The caramely texture completely dropped off, revealing a much more earthy texture. As the smoke progresses, the chocolate becomes more and more bitter, which pairs nicely with the woody notes.
The final third was, unfortunately, quite a bit hotter than the rest of the cigar, and the bitterness of the chocolate became a bit overpowering, as did the earthy texture.
Conclusion
This is a cigar to try, but be aware that you will likely have some burn issues. This is a full bodied smoke – definitely not for beginners. It certainly doesn’t showcase my favorite flavor profile, but it was a unique and enjoyable smoke.
Davidoff recently celebrated their first “Golden Band” awards, recognizing the many cigar shops and business owners who help make Davidoff the brand that it is. It looks like it was a pretty lavish party, and hopefully will continue as a tradition next year.
“The inaugural Davidoff Golden Band Award Show honored those Appointed Merchants that truly embody the Davidoff standard of excellence. The first annual awards show was part of an exclusive Davidoff event on August 4th at IPCPR in Orlando, Florida. The Golden Band Awards materialized from the brand¹s success, rooted in decades of long-standing partnerships with trusted merchants. Davidoff has a long history of working with its family of retailers to help them expand their businesses, discuss best practices and grow the Davidoff brand, hand in hand. The awards are an opportunity to officially recognize these retailers for their commitment and passion for Davidoff.”
NEW YORK, September 2012–The fourth installment of “CONCORD,” hosted by Bigeye Desyns, took place on Friday, September 7th. CONCORD 4: Habana Edicion, was a night filled with cigars, food, drinks, live music, and the beautiful view offered by The Brooklyn Terrace.
Bigeye Desyns plans to create more unique CONCORD events. If you are interested in attending, like the CONCORD Facebook page, and sign up for our event mailing list.
