Matthias Clock

About Matthias Clock

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.

Posts by Matthias Clock:

Davidoff Florida Selection Review

4 2 4.1k

Davidoff Florida Selection Review5

What’s better than a cigar and a book?

Answer: a Davidoff cigar, and a fantastic piece of religious writings (Wellsprings of Faith: The Imitation of Christ / The Dark Night of the Soul / The Interior Castle pictured above).

Today we review a very special cigar: the Davidoff Florida Selection, a 2018 Davidoff release that features Floridian tobacco. Before you too excited, you should know that contrary to what the name of this cigar might suggest, this isn’t a cigar that utilizes much Floridian tobacco. No Floridian wrapper or binder – just a bit of Floridian seco in the filler. More on that from Tobacco Business:

Made with a blend of Ecuadorean Habano 2000 wrapper, Nicaraguan binder grown in the Jalapa Valley and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and including Florida Sun Grown from Jeff Borysiewicz’s Clermont, Florida, farm, Florida Selection 2018 presents a flavor profile that is intense, spicy and sweet that offers notes of licorice, fruit, oak, honey and spices.

To me, a bit disappointing that the name of the cigar bears such small proportional significance. Still, it is Davidoff, which means it demands attention, especially since production is limited to just 2,500 boxes of 10 for 25k total. So let’s get to the review.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Florida Selection
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
  • Filler: Dominican (piloto viso, San Vicente seco, Yamasa ligero) / Floridian seco
  • Size: 6 x 52 Belicoso

Appearance & Construction

The Davidoff Florida Selection features a rustic, textured Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a few very prominent veins and a marbled brown color. On closer inspection, the cigar is packed pretty tightly and seems to be packed consistently, with very little give when squeezed.  The aroma off the foot of the cigar is divided evenly between hay bales, dry grass, oak, light coffee and assorted nuts. The pre light draw is packed with long lingering spiciness, cayenne pepper, and Oak.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Davidoff Florida Selection opens very much like a standard Davidoff.  Excellent smoke production, cool temperature, with notes of dominant cedar, mild white pepper, touches of cream and an overall dusty sort of texture on the nose. But four or five puffs later, the flavor on the palate shifts substantially, favoring heavy leather, cedar, and red and white pepper activating the tip of the tongue. Overall, the profile at the beginning leans toward bitter and spicy, with the retrohale split between wood, grass and white pepper.  It’s enjoyable, but noticeably out of balance. Flavor and strength here are both above medium, and it’s apparent that I’ll need a glass of water on hand for this cigar.

At half an inch in, a building cream note begins (thankfully) to balance out the dry wood and pepper, though spice still lingers on the tongue. The burn has begun to stray, requiring a touch up with a match. By an inch in, the cigar has found an excellent balance between notes of cooking spices, cedar, and cracked pepper and sweeter notes of cream, floral, and grass. Smoke temperature is cool and production remains voluminous. The ash, on the other hand, is pretty flaky and can’t seem to hold longer than 3/4 of an inch.

As the Davidoff Florida Selection moves into the second third, the burn wavers again and more substantially, requiring two more touch ups with soft flame. The flavors develop nicely, with lemon peel, toasted bread, and black pepper on the palate.

It’s in the beginning of final third though that the Davidoff Florida Selection finally hits its stride. Strength and body remain just above medium, and the dry cedar shifts to a creamy, sweet oak note which reduces the bitterness substantially. Alongside is black pepper, toasted bread, lemon meringue, and leather. Unfortunately, and the final inch and a half sees the heat of the smoke increase, and the flavor is reduced to just pepper, cedar, and burnt bread.

Not the ending I was hoping for.

Conclusion

The Davidoff Florida Selection has a lot going for it, but it doesn’t achieve the level of quality I expect from Davidoff cigars. Construction is lacking, as is balance for much of the smoking time.

Don’t get me wrong. The Davidoff Florida Selection smokes like a good $15 – $20 cigar. But no way does it smoke like a $35 cigar.

I’ll grab something a bit more interesting (and less expensive) for my next reading session.

Final Score: 86

Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Review

5 0 5.1k

The Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 is the newest release from Kyle Gellis and Warped Cigars.  Like other Warped cigars, this blend has been positively received by many reviewers, and I honestly can’t think of a release from the company that hasn’t.

Still, this is a unique release. For one, it has only been released in one size that resembles a slightly longer than normal robusto. Second, it uses some notable tobaccos, including a Corojo ’99 wrapper from Nicaragua.

Let’s see how this cigar stacks up.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988
  • Wrapper: Nicaragua (Corojo ’99)
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua (Criollo ’98)
  • Size: 5 1/4 x 50

Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Review

Appearance & Construction

The Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 comes with an understated presentation. No gaudy brand names on the band, and it’s small in comparison to most cigar bands. I have no idea what “976212” is referring to, and I couldn’t find any additional information on that online.

In terms of the product itself, the outer wrapper is extremely smooth (silky actually), with few major veins. The cigar has a moderate amount of give when squeezed and seems to be packed mostly consistently though there are a few variations in give. Smelling the wrapper itself brings subtle notes of creamy cocoa and nuts. The aroma off of the foot is full but not in your face, giving off mostly notes of honey, dry dirt, toasted bread, and mild leather.

The draw is perfect, and the cold draw delivers notes of almonds, cereal, coffee beans, and a slight amount of finely ground pepper and cinnamon.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 opens up with medium bodied, textured smoke. It’s obvious that this is a Warped cigar just by the flavor profile. Overall, it is split between bitter notes of leather and wood and sweet notes of cream, cinnamon toast, and chocolate brownies. I’d  say the balance is found, though just barely. The bitterness is actually quite strong. The meanwhile retrohale is mostly mild mannered, though it packs a lingering white pepper that warms the throat and sinuses. Smoke production is average.

Half an inch in, the burn is impressively straight, and a really interesting note enters in, something something akin to raisins or maybe even figs. At this point the bitter notes have taken back seat, though are still present complementing the sweeter notes. For the better part of the next half inch, the balance of flavors shifted almost each puff, creating an enjoyably dynamic and complex experience.

As the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 burns deep into the second third, the profile develops by shifting slightly toward a more savory character, with notes of salt and brown sugar barbecue sauce. This is balanced by sweet notes of graham cracker, molassas, and cake. The strength of the retrohale has almost entirely disappeared, bringing forth light, sweet notes of vanilla and powdered sugar. Just delicious, and most importantly all well balanced and harmonious. Body wise, the cigar is now below medium, but still full of flavor. Construction remains perfect.

In the final third, the strength ramps back up to medium, with oak, espresso and white pepper dominant and secondary notes of cream, cinnamon, and vanilla. There’s a bit of harshness in the final third, but it mostly finishes disappears by the end.

Conclusion

The Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 is a delightfully complex, flavorful, and (mostly) balanced smoke. The profile overall seems to be a mix between something like Snickerdoodle cookies and savory meat. If that sounds like a strange pairing, I understand. It’s the balance and movement of flavors that makes it all work together, and that’s a rare feat.

Final Score: 92

Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto Review

1 0 2.7k

Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto Review

Up for review today is the Diesel Whiskey Row, a collaboration between AJ Fernandez and Rabbit Hole Bourbon. The cigar continues a growing trend of aging tobaccos in ex-whiskey or beer barrels to add another layer of complexity. In my experience, most barrel aged cigars tend to fail for one of two reasons.

  1. I can’t taste the influence of the barrel aging at all
  2. All I taste is sickly sweet whiskey influence

As far as the second reason is concerned, this could be because the blender doesn’t know what they’re doing (it is a new process, after all), or because the barrels used to age the tobacco were former homes to garbage whiskey. Fortunately, Rabbit Hole Bourbon seems to be a competent spirit, with positive reviews all over the place online. So I have a fair bit of hope that, between AJ’s skill as a blender and good whiskey barrels, we’ll end up with a nice product here.

But I could be wrong. Let’s light up and find out.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto
  • Factory: AJ Fernandez
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Barrel-aged Mexican San Andreas
  • Filler: Nicaraguan (Ometepe, Condega and Jalapa)

In a statement about Diesel Whiskey Row, AJ Fernandez had this to say:

“A lot of passion went into this process and I am very pleased with the results. Aging the binder leaf in the bourbon barrels added an unexpected layer of flavor and aroma right beneath the wrapper. When you smoke Whiskey Row, you get a unique and complex experience that engages the senses unlike any other cigar I’ve smoked.”

Appearance and Construction

I really like the presentation of the Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto. It’s got high quality paper double bands and a nice muted color palette over the Ecuadorian wrapper. The leaf is smooth with minimal veins, and the cigar is packed consistently the length of the cigar.

Off of the foot, there’s some subdued notes of cocoa, nuts, hay, barnyard, light spice and the smallest hint of vanilla (maybe the whiskey influence here). The barrel aging is much more pronounced on the cold draw, which features strong wood, various kitchen spices, coffee, and a slightly sweet ethanol note. The draw is good mostly free, about a 6/10 in terms of restrictiveness.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto opens with voluminous medium bodied smoke that is toasty, textured and full of flavor. And man, it’s good. On the palate are notes of toasted bread, creamy cocoa, and black pepper. The barrel aging is evident, imparting bourbon like notes of charred oak, slight caramel and vanilla. The retrohale is the only drawback: it’s all black pepper and completely overpowering.

An inch in, the Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto has developed a solid white ash with a perfectly straight burn. Not much has changed flavor-wise, but the pepper on the tongue is now so strong and lingering that it’s hard to enjoy the other flavors. I’m hoping the cigar can claw back a bit of balance.

The solid white ash holds all the way to the start of the second third. At this point, the pepper moderates itself a bit, giving creamy cocoa, nutmeg, leather, and charred oak a bit more space to shine. The retrohale is still mostly pepper, though with some added charcoal. Vanilla, spicy cream, salted meat and oak make up most of the aroma. Construction remains flawless, with great smoke production, cool smoke, and a straight burn.

The cigar remains mostly balanced until the beginning of the final third. Here it again pepper dominates the palate, with bitter espresso and dry wood the only other perceptible notes. A bummer because when Diesel Whiskey Row is in balance it’s a hell of a cigar. Thankfully, the last two inches of the cigar find better balance, showcasing creamy cocoa, coffee, leather, charred oak and baking spices.

Conclusion

Despite being absolutely dominated by black pepper at times, the Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto is an extremely enjoyable smoke. The influence of the barrel aging is unmistakable, yet manages to avoid the overly sweet profile that characterizes barrel aged cigars of lesser quality. The interplay between the sweet and bitter elements of the profile is commendable and creates a dynamic smoking experience. Definitely a cigar to buy.

As a side note, though we never pair cigars with spirits during reviews, I have found Whiskey Row pairs remarkably well with bourbon (Pritchards was my choice). The sweetness of the bourbon balances out the overly aggressive pepper nicely.

Final Score: 88

Daniel Marshall Black Label Review

2 1 9.8k

Daniel Marshall Black Label Cigar Review

Up for review today is the Daniel Marshall Black Label. I don’t have much backstory on this cigar as the internet is a bit sparse, but you may know the name Daniel Marshall from the brand’s humidors which enjoy a great reputation around the world, or from the gold leaf wrapped cigar that pops up on social media every now and again.

In any case, what I do know is that the Daniel Marshall Black Label is produced at the Quesada factory (a good sign) and features a Connecticut Shade wrapper that’s been aged five years. All that said, let’s get on to the review.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Daniel Marshall Black Label
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Shade (aged 5 years)
  • Binder: Mexican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: 5 x 52 (Torpedo)

Daniel Marshall Black Label Cigar Review Closeup

Appearance & Construction

The outer Connecticut wrapper on the Daniel Marshall Black Label is quite nice, as is the band that bears the Daniel Marshall signature. It’s a well presented cigar, but not an immaculately presented cigar, which you’d have a right to expect from a company that sells gold leaf wrapped cigars. The main issue is that the black, white, and gold band just doesn’t seem to be very high quality. There’s smudging of the black part of the band over the gold detail in multiple spots, giving the cigar a shoddy look.

That aside, it is a well constructed cigar. It is packed pretty tightly, with a little bit of springiness when squeezed, and doesn’t have any soft spots. The  draw is good, and the cold draw summons some freshly cut grass, mulch, and wood notes. Off of the foot are more grass and trace pepper aromas.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Daniel Marshall Black Label kicks off quite mild, in both flavor and body. Smoke production is good, and the cigar overall strikes me as a classic Connecticut profile: silky texture, touches of sweet cream, but largely a mix of roasted nuts, cedar, and grass. The retrohale is almost non existent, with faint grass that has a touch of bitterness to it. As I burn past a half inch, a bit of vegetal and white pepper show up, adding some complexity and strength to what otherwise would be an overly straightforward experience.

It takes until well past the first inch for the ash to drop, and when it does the burn is razor sharp. Around the same time, the grass/wood focused profile shifts heavily toward sweet roasted nuts, with a zip of pepper that lingers on the tongue. The strength is higher, but still just above mild. I’m really beginning to be impressed by the performance at this point. The Black Label has a lot more complexity than I was expecting.

As the Daniel Marshall Black Label burns past the halfway point and into the final third, there’s a bit of bitterness that enters the flavor profile. The freshly cut grass note is dominant, alongside black pepper, old paper, and touches of sweet cream. Even with the bitterness, the texture of the smoke remains insanely smooth.

Conclusion

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the Daniel Marshall Black Label. I’m glad to have been proved wrong, particularly by the development of flavors over the course of the cigar. Construction was nearly flawless, smoke production was excellent, and the smoke remained silky smooth throughout. That said, I’m the last ten minutes or so, the balance fell off, with bitterness intruding as it commonly does in the last third of many mild cigars.

The only way the Black Label could be improved in my mind would be for it to have a bit more strength to the flavors. Brands like a Nat Sherman and Moore & Bode each have blends that accomplish this and thus receive higher ratings (Epoca and Adelante, respectively).

Lastly, this is absolutely a morning cigar. Don’t smoke the Black Label late in the afternoon or at night. Chances are you won’t taste much of anything after your palate has been so exercised throughout the day.

Overall, a very pleasing cigar.

Final Score: 89

Broken Top Bourbon Review

5 0 4.5k

A few weeks back, my wife Catherine and I traveled out to my home state of Oregon to see my family and childhood friends. We spent the first day in Portland doing nothing but sampling coffee shops and interior design studios (I know, I know). The rest of our trip was spent with family down in Redmond near Sisters, Oregon, which is home to Cascade Street Distillery. My dad happened to pick up a bottle of Broken Top Bourbon (thanks dad!), a two year old bourbon that’s the focus of our review today.

Product Specifics

  • Spirit Reviewed: Broken Top Bourbon Whiskey
  • Producer: Cascade Street Distillery
  • Mashbill: combination of corn, rye, and barley
  • ABV: 43.7%
  • Age: two years in charred new American oak barrels

Broken Top Bourbon Whiskey Review

Appearance

The label for this whiskey has a nice modern touch, but it’s just a touch kitschy with roughly 65% of the front of the label filled with a sunset photo of Three Sisters mountains. I say kitschy because if you’ve ever walked into a small town gift shop (of which Sisters has many) and bought a jar of honey or jam, or a bottle of local beer, or a t-shirt or candle, most all of them will feature some kind of photo of the area. Don’t get me wrong: people go to gift shops to find something that will help them remember their stay, so a photo on the product makes sense. But if you’re making serious whiskey with the eventual goal of being more broadly distributed, ditching the gift-shop vibe might be an important step.

Brutal? Maybe. True? Definitely.

In any case, in the glass, Broken Top Bourbon is a deep gold color with hints of red.

Alright enough philosophizing. Let’s get to the product.

Nose

Up front is some assertive ethanol, but right behind are lush aromas of honey, honeyed barley bread, and rye. Layered in are some jammy notes (I say Blackberry, Catherine says Strawberry). Overall, hard to pin down, but Broken Top definitely has a unique nose compared to most bourbons.

Palate

On point of entry, Broken Top Whiskey is fairly understated, initially delivering notes of honey, almonds, and a jam-like fruit note (Apricot, maybe?). As the liquid expands across my palate, the experience deepens, with caramel, more honey, bright spices, and a slightly bitter leather note which is a nice touch.

Finish

As sip shifts towards the finish, some typical rye spice notes surface, then are joined quickly with some accompanying floral and pine notes.

Conclusion

Broken Top Bourbon is a solid small distillery offering. Unlike many boutique bourbons, Broken Top Bourbon actually sips like something genuinely new. Not the most complex dram, but I found every glass had enough new to keep me coming back.

Final Score: 87

«‹ 51 52 53 54›»