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.
On Saturday, January 28th, the FineTobaccoNYC crew celebrated the grand opening of X.O. Cigar Lounge, a beautiful lounge located in the Bronx. If you haven’t been, be sure to drop by their website for more information and make your way out. As one cigar aficionado said of the shop owners, “they did this right.” Approximately 50 cigar smokers attended the event, including members of New York’s Grown & Sexy Cigar Group. The event was sponsored by Hispanola Cigars. We were privileged to enjoy the company of President Hugo Melo, as well as Michel Dominguez.
Hugo Melo of Hispanola (left) and Matthias Clock of FineTobaccoNYC
The event went on late into the night, with great food and great cigars. FineTobaccoNYC is proud to regularly partner with Hispanola Cigars – they are a cigar company to keep your eye on. Their four fantastic blends are creating a lot of buzz in New York City, and selling out at shops around the country.
Below are a few shots of the event. To come to our free events, smoke great cigars, and meet other like-minded individuals, sign up for the event mailing list.
This email went out to all FTNYC event subscribers – sign up for the mailing list to make sure you get word of exclusive events first!
———————-
Ladies and gentlemen of the leaf,
After a long summer of awesome events, it is my pleasure to announce two upcoming fall FineTobaccoNYC events. But first, two quick updates. The first is that FineTobaccoNYC is now officially sponsored by Astoria Imperial Cigars – we’re proud to be supported by such a great lounge and look forward to developing a business relationship. Second is that FineTobaccoNYC, courtesy of Kelvin Batista, is now maintaining the largest and most comprehensive cigar event calendar in the New York City area. Click the link and bookmark it!
Now for the events! If you plan on coming to either, email me at matthias.ftnyc@gmail.com and RSVP yourself plus however many guests you’ll be bringing!
Diamante’s 2nd Anniversary Party – Saturday, 11/05/2011
We at FineTobaccoNYC are proud to sponsor this special occasion of one of my favorite cigar lounges. The event runs almost all day, so stop by and say hi to David Diamante himself, and come smoke out with the FineTobaccoNYC squad. I’ll be there along with Kelvin, James, Tim (the most recent addition to the FTNYC team), and plenty of friends. There will be a DJ, a raffle, big prize giveaways and no BYO charge! Come support a local shop and have a good time doing it!
The FineTobaccoNYC “Lazy Sunday Pipe Smoke” at Velvet Cigar Lounge – Sunday, 11/13/2011:
For all of you I’ve heard say you want to learn more about pipes (tobacco, packing, lighting, etc), FTNYC is hosting its first everpipe-smoking event! We will be spending a relaxing Sunday afternoon experiencing the new and exclusive pipe tobacco blends at Velvet Cigar Lounge, and I’ll be giving a brief pipe 101 class. Dan Bsharat, owner of Velvet, has also offered to waive the BYO fee and open the lounge early exclusively for the FineTobaccoNYC event. The shop will be selling pipes, tobacco, and their premium blend cigar, the (fantastic) Velvet Bowery.
The FineTobaccoNYC team is happy to announce that the largest, most comprehensive NYC area cigar event calendar is now online.
The calendar will be updated constantly as event announcements come in from around the internet, cigar shop mailing lists, and word of mouth. You can find the calendar here, or by clicking the link on the navigation bar above. We will also be posting our own special events on this calendar, so be sure to stay tuned. Daily event announcements are also made on the FineTobaccoNYC Facebook page. Click here and “Like” our page to get instantaneous updates.
To submit an event to the FineTobaccoNYC calendar, email Kelvin Batista using the email address linked here.
A few months ago FineTobaccoNYC hosted a rooftop HERF with Maraya Cigars. We had the pleasure of having John Nubian and Dan-ell Morales from CigarFilms.com drop by and film the event. They interviewed founder of FTNYC Matthias Clock as well as Senor Cigar Kevin Bristow from New York Grown & Sexy in the City cigar group. Check out that sunset!
If you’d like to come to a FTNYC, they are open to all cigar smokers! Simply drop by our home page and submit your name and email address!
Once again I find myself where my love affair of cigars began over 10 years ago, in front of my house on a humid summer night watching the cars and the people go by—which in New York City is never a dull moment. Tonight I find myself accompanied by a CAO CX2 that has been resting in my cooler for a little over 7 months. This will be the first of a series of reviews and it will be something of a CAO trifecta (CX2, LX2 and MX2).
Unfortunately, the CAO CX2 is currently a Famous-smoke.com exclusive and no longer available at your favorite cigar shop. This particular stick and gets its name from a double dose of cameroon in the wrapper and binder and surprisingly enough Colombian and Nicaraguan filler which I find to be an interesting blend to say the least.
At first glance I can’t help but notice the black band with gold lettering that reminds me a woman’s one piece bathing suit, albeit a sexy black one. Take a look at the wrapper and you see a smooth Cameroon leaf with a slight sheen. No blemishes with minimal tooth.
Taste & Smoking Characteristics
The first draw immediately gives away the Cameroon contents of the CX2 with its characteristic grassy/spice that is consistent of Cameroon tobacco. As the stick progressed it shifted to a slightly dry and leather. Right around the end of the first third what appeared to be some tunneling action taking place right before my eyes drew my attention. Keeping a close eye, I hoped for the best and prepared for the worst.
As I progressed into the second third, there were no changes or anything interesting to note just a continuation of the grassy/ leather flavors I am not particularly fond of. Consequently, I found watching the burning characteristics more interesting. I must say, the tunnel action corrected itself and I was left staring at the ash.
In the final third, there were no changes in flavors. However, I must say the ash has not been pretty. Since I first lit this cigar it has been blotchy and somewhat flaky.
Conclusion
Overall the CX2 was an uneventful smoke. The grassy/spice held a firm grip on the taste profile and would not let go. Nevertheless, consistency is key here and if you’re a fan of Cameroon this stick will give you plenty. I must say I have smoked this stick numerous times and I feel confident saying I personally don’t like it. Cheers
