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:

Joya Silver Robusto Review

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Joya de Nicaragua Silver Robusto Review

Joya de Nicaragua is on a bit of a tear this year with new releases. The company released a new size of the Antaño Gran Reserva, Clasico, Cinco Decadas, and Joya Silver. The Cinco Decadas Diadema received an enviable score of 93 from us for it’s stellar complexity, balance, and flavor.

The Joya Silver is one of the company’s less expensive releases, with prices ranging from $6.30 – $7.80 per cigar depending on size. The company describes the cigar on the website saying:

The national release of Joya Silver is a shining representation in the Joya family of our continuous quest for a truly unforgettable, yet quotidian, smoke. Silver is a box pressed cigar that delivers a dynamic complexity of fresh spice, chocolate and cherry notes. Its oscuro upper-priming wrapper showcases the perfect complement between the richness of the Nicaraguan fillers and the refined sweetness of the Ecuador grown wrapper and Mexican binder. The result is a medium to full body smoke that achieves an indulging matching of flavors.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Joya de Nicaragua Silver / Joya Silver
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Oscuro
  • Binder: Mexican
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size: box pressed 5 x 50 robusto

Appearance & Construction

The box-pressed Joya Silver features a dark brown Oscuro wrapper with minimal veins and just a bit of toothiness. When squeezed, it is clear that it is packed firmly and consistently the length of the cigar.

Off of the foot, the aroma is strong and intensely woody. Quite a complex smell actually, with something resembling wet mulch and almonds layered in the background. Testing the draw, it’s perfect, with 7/10 restrictiveness. On the cold draw, I get a lot of finely ground black pepper and lingering spice on the tongue, along with some leather and natural tobacco notes.

Joya de Nicaragua Silver Robusto Review 2

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

First of all, it’s clear after lighting that Joya Silver has excellent smoke production. The cigar kicks off with plumes of lush, medium to full strength smoke. The flavor profile is is dark, with dominant leather, ground black pepper, and oak. Beneath that core profile are some sweeter supporting notes, with some dark cherry and slightly creamy espresso. Every couple of puffs I also pick up something that reminds me of wine that’s just about to turn a touch vineagery.

At an inch in, strength and body settle at a notch above medium. The salt and pepper burn is flawless, and the cigar maintains great smoke production. As the cigar burns into the second third, the flavor profile begins shifting rapidly, some puffs featuring notes of bitter chocolate and leather, other puffs favoring notes of milk chocolate, cream, nuttiness, and dark fruits. Initially, the alternation between flavors is enjoyable, but after a while I find myself wanting a bit more steadiness to the experience. The retrohale is smooth but flavorful, with light black pepper and charcoal.

At halfway, the body and strength both jump to medium plus. Black pepper becomes a much more dominant feature of the smoke, with cocoa, peanuts and dry wood as supporting characters. Quite nice.

In the final third, the Joya Silver ramps way up to full strength. The smoke, though still smooth, is much heavier and more flavorful. Sweet and bitter achieve an better balance, with loads of black pepper, fresh espresso, cedar, toasted bread, and cocoa.

Conclusion

I enjoyed Joya Silver. For a cigar priced in the $6 – $7 range, it’s a great value. Still, the cigar had a lot of trouble settling on a flavor profile. Extremely complex cigars have a lot of change throughout the smoke, but the changes are measured and deliberate. In the case of Joya Silver, the flavors change so quickly that the smoke experience often feels disjointed.

Regardless, Joya Silver is a cigar to pick up, especially if you are a fan of full-bodied smokes and enjoy richer, darker profiles.

Final Score: 88

John Drew Rye Review

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John Drew Rye Review

John Drew Rye is the second John Drew Brands spirit reviewed on Fine Tobacco NYC. We recently reviewed the Brixton Mash Destroyer, a rum/bourbon blend which is a damn nice dram, if a bit eccentric.

The John Drew Rye isn’t quite as ambitious an undertaking as the Mash Destroyer. It’s aged four years in “Specially Toasted” oak barrels. Not sure what “Specially Toasted” means in this context, but it reminds me of the brilliantly vague marketing strategy for Lucky Strike in Mad Men S1 E1: “Lucky Strike. It’s toasted.”

In any case, I’ll say up front that John Drew Brands provided this bottle for review. Hats off to you guys, we appreciate it.

John Drew Rye Review

Product Specifics

  • Whiskey Reviewed: John Drew Rye
  • Distiller: unknown
  • Whiskey type: Canadian Rye
  • Age: 4 years
  • ABV: 45%

Strange factoid. The John Drew Brands website states of John Drew Rye:

John Drew Collection “Rye Whiskey” was distilled in Alberta, Canada, then aged in Oak Barrels for 4 years before being shipped to Florida and held for Jonathan Drew for an additional three years…

I’ll be honest, the one thing that is a bit unsettling about this description is the note about the whiskey being “held for Jonathan Drew for an additional three years.” What the hell does that mean? From a marketing standpoint, it certainly sounds like a way of implying 3 additional years of age. Why even note that the whiskey is “held” anywhere if it isn’t actually being aged? I don’t have an answer to that question, but it is marketing language that should probably be abandoned (and I’ll note that it isn’t included on the bottle itself).

John Drew Rye Review Glass

Appearance

As with any John Drew product, the branding is absolutely spot on. I don’t know anyone who gets presentation right the way JD does on every product he makes. The textured paper label features bold copper-toned lettering and it’s absolutely a bottle that will stand out on any shelf.

In the glass, the John Drew Rye is a warm, golden color.

Nose

Taking a whiff off of the rim of the glass, I’m surprised and overwhelmed by vanilla. There are some standard rye spice notes, along with some butter, oak, and a faint plastic smell, but everything is overwhelmed by sweet, sweet vanilla.

If you like vanilla, you’ll enjoy the smell of this whiskey. It’s just a bummer that vanilla dominates the show to the degree that it does.

Palate

As I take another sip, the vanilla once again takes front and center for most of the experience on the tongue. As other reviewers have noted, the mouthfeel is nice, but the whiskey itself lacks complexity.

Finish

The finish is decently long, with a bit of spice and some lingering peanut notes. It’s not a particularly clean finish, lingering with a yeasty note for a bit too long.

Conclusion

As you might have guessed, I’m a bit disappointed that there isn’t more going on with John Drew Rye. Vanilla dominates almost every aspect of the experience. If you’re going for a flavored/infused whiskey, that’s one thing. But if you’re selling a premium aged rye whiskey, then it simply has to be better (more complexity, more flavor, more clarity). Especially priced at ~$50.

John Drew Rye thus receives a score of 78. It has some nice qualities (mainly texture), but falls flat because of its overly sweet character.

Final Score: 78

Casta Mago Review

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Casta Mago Review

Casta Cigars is a brand hailing from York, Pennsylvania. Unlike most cigar brands, Casta has a dedicated retail location that features Casta products and accessories. The claim to fame for Casta is their tobaccos which are aged an incredibly long time. The Casta Brazilian maduro, for example, features a 15 year old Brazilian maduro wrapper, which as you’ll read below lends a lightness to the smoke which is commendable.

The Casta Cigars website describes the cigar saying:

10 year Mata Norte Brazilian maduro wrapper & filler from Cuban seed. Indonesian binder. Boasts an earthy aromatic taste and always hand-rolled using the tubular technique used at Cohiba in Cuba, providing a satisfying and smooth finish.

Note: though the website says the tobacco is aged 10 years, I’ve been assured by the company that the wrapper is in fact aged 15 years. Hopefully at some point in the future, they’ll update their website to the correct age.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Casta Mago
  • Wrapper: 15 year Brazilian maduro
  • Binder: Indonesian
  • Filler: Cuban seed Brazilian
  • Size: 5 3/4 x 50

Casta Mago Review 2

Appearance & Construction

The Casta Brazilian Mago comes wrapped in a dark, evergreen-tree bark colored wrapper. There’s a layer of oil which is felt just handling the cigar in my hand. Veins are minimal, and as I squeeze the cigar down its length, it is clear that it is packed fairly tightly and consistently.

From a brand standpoint, the band certainly stands out. It features light blue and orange swirls serving as the background to the logo placed firmly in the middle.

After cutting using a straight cutter, the draw seems good, though just a bit tight, probably an 8/10 in terms of restrictiveness. The cold draw is mellow and releases notes of light earth, oak, coffee beans, and touches of raisin. The aroma off the foot is more centered on dry wood, with some additional black pepper and paper.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Casta Brazilian Mago opens mild with average smoke production. The profile is initially dominated by a bitter espresso note that is accompanied by earth and mild spices. After about a quarter inch, a clear chocolate note balances out the bitterness, with raisin and wood coming in as supporting characters.

Overall, I’m struck by the lightness of the smoke, especially when the profile is full of notes typically associated with heavier cigars. The retrohale, for instance, is totally mellow, contrasting with the bitter espresso on the palate. This I’d guess is the direct result of the extra aging of the tobacco.

An inch in, the ash (which is pleasingly almost completely white) is still holding strong and the burn is just about perfect. A touch of white pepper has entered the retrohale but even then is ephemeral. The palate is interesting, balanced between white pepper, bitter espresso, and dry wood, but a paper flavor enters which unfortunately detracts from the overall experience. On the nose, there are some additional flavors, including a nice chocolate paired with floral.

The first ash drops right as the ember hits the second third mark. The profile in the second third contains most of the same flavors but in different proportions. The bitter espresso is still dominant, which at this point is out of balance, dominating the sweeter flavors. Earth, cocoa, light black pepper and some dry leather strips. The aroma of the smoke continues to be my favorite quality of the cigar, primarily because it’s there that the balance is struck well between the bitter and sweet notes. Construction in the second third remains basically flawless.

In the final third, strength edges up to medium, and the wood notes shine through, adding nice complexity and improving the balance of flavors somewhat. The nose continues to be very enjoyable, especially as the intensity grows.

Conclusion

The age of the tobaccos that comprise the Casta Brazilian Mago are very much on display throughout the smoke, primarily in the form of mellowness in the aroma. My favorite aspect of the smoking experience with the Brazilian Mago is the aroma of the smoke, which is light, slightly creamy, and contains more nuance than the palate.

Unfortunately, after smoking a few of these cigars, the balance between sweet and bitter notes isn’t often struck. For most of the cigar, bitter espresso dominates on the palate, elbowing out some of the subtler notes that, if stronger, could really make this a great cigar.

To learn more about Casta Cigars, stop by their website or read our interview with Jon Kindig, Co-Founder of Casta Cigars.

Final Score: 85

Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas Diadema Review

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Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas 2

The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas celebrates the 50th anniversary of Joya de Nicaragua cigars, the first cigar producer in Nicaragua. Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, the company’s owner and chairman, described the cigar in the following way:

“This cigar is intended to celebrate a special moment in our company’s history and offer an opportunity to pause, reflect, give thanks – and look to the future. It is our most memorable milestone yet and the most memorable of celebrations always require that you rise to the occasion. That’s what Cinco Decadas represents. We want consumers to know that in Cinco Decadas, they will find a cigar so premium that the fact that there’s one in the humidor, will be enough to celebrate.”

That last line strikes me as a bit gutsy, and of course is why we’re here reviewing the cigar today. It’s also fascinating that this cigar doesn’t have blend information released, though all tobaccos would logically hail from Nicaragua.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas Diadema
  • Wrapper: Undisclosed
  • Binder: Undisclosed
  • Filler: Undisclosed
  • Size: 5 x 54 Diadema

Joya-de-Nicaragua-Cinco-Decadas-Perfecto-review-closeup

Appearance & Constructions

The Cinco Décadas is presented with a flawless dark brown wrapper. Minimal veins and a light oily sheen. The band hangs together nicely as well. It is quite ornate, with gold, red, and cream as the dominant colors and a large “50 ANIVERSARIO” designation on the back.

After using a straight cut, I test the draw which is about a 7/10 in terms of restrictiveness. The cold draw is a mix of oak, fallen leaves, granola, earth and raisins. The foot smells similarly, though with more wood influence.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

As I light the cigar using a soft flame, it’s immediately apparent that producing smoke on this cigar could be challenging. I have to puff four or five times to produce even an average amount of smoke. I’m hoping this is mainly the result of the tapering, because it’s very frustrating.

When I am able to experience the smoke, it is dark and rich, with a backbone of charred oak, charcoal, leather, and bitter espresso. The aroma is another story, with sweet cream, cocoa and wood. The retrohale is very smooth and understated, mostly channeling the charcoal from the palate. Strength and body wise, it isn’t far above mild, which is surprising given the size and darkness of the wrapper.

Half an inch in, the draw opens up and smoke production ramps up (thank God!).

And what a difference it makes. The bitterness tones way down, becoming much more balanced with sweeter notes of cinnamon, cream, cocoa and raisins. On the retrohale, the charcoal is joined by light baking spices and fresh bread. Overall, the smoke remains light and elegant, with constantly improving smoke production.

In the second third, the balance of flavors really hits its stride, with strength and body both at medium. Each puff enters sweet and creamy, with tangy and bitter notes adding depth and finesse that keeps the cigar interesting. There’s a lot going on: sweet cream and cocoa on entry, followed immediately by wood, baking spices and leather on the tip of the tongue and bitter espresso and charcoal on the retrohale. Construction never wavers, with the burn remaining straight and the ash holding for an inch and a half on average. I can’t imagine a smoker who wouldn’t appreciate the experience that the Cinco Décadas has provided up to this point.

As the cigar burns into the final third, strength increases to above medium, and the profile becomes more potent. The balance of flavors with each puff, sometimes favoring bitter, other times sweet, and still others spicy. It’s a hell of an experience.

The final inch of the cigar moves into full strength territory, dominated by wood, dark chocolate, charcoal and baking spices. A marvelous finish.

Conclusion

The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas presents a flavor profile that no JdN fan could miss: dark oak and charcoal, creamy cocoa, leather, and light spiciness. What Cinco Décadas achieves is to take the JdN flavor profile that we know and love and elevate it into the realm of art. I know that is high praise, but it is true, particularly given the cigar’s sheer complexity and balance.

Still, the Cinco Décadas is not without flaws, struggling initially to produce adequate smoke–a flaw I’ve encountered more frequently with Joya de Nicaragua cigars in 2018 than I’d like to admit.

Overall, construction issues can’t stop the Cinco Décadas from achieving an enviable score, and one that all but guarantees it a spot on our Top 10 of 2018 list.

Final Score: 93

Four Kicks Limited Edition 2018 Review

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Four Kicks Mule Kick Limited Edition 2018 Review

Up for review today is the Four Kicks Limited Edition 2018 Maduro by Crowned Heads. For those reading who don’t know, Crowned Heads is a boutique cigar company that has released other popular blends like Headley Grange, Jericho Hill, and J.D. Howard Reserve.

I’ll cut right to the chase and just mention that this is definitely a cigar to investigate, some minor construction issues aside. The cigar is priced at $10.95 with a total production of 30,000 cigars (that means pick it up while you can).

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Four Kicks Mule Kick Limited Edition 2018
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Habano
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 5 7/8 x 52

Note: the cigar uses the same binder and filler as the original Four Kicks line, though with a Connecticut habano instead of an Ecuadorian habano wrapper.

Appearance & Construction

The Four Kicks Limited Edition 2018 features a deep, rich brown Connecticut Habano wrapper which has a few small knots and imperfections, a touch of toothiness and has a nice layer of oil. The cigar isn’t quite constructed evenly, just looking at it from the side reveals some waviness to its overall shape. But it is packed evenly. The branding is a nice touch as well, using a red and gold Four Kicks upper band and a black and gold LE band that is popular on many cuban cigars (as well as their knock offs).

I used a straight cut on this cigar, and the draw is ideal, about a 6/10 in terms of restrictiveness. The cold draw reveals notes of granola, baking spices (cinnamon), pepper, some cocoa and a bit of bread.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Four Kicks Mule Kick LE 2018 opens with a dominant combination of cream, cocoa, and a strange tangy fruitiness. There’s also a heavy charred wood and white pepper which enters fairly aggressively after about the first five minutes of puffing on the cigar. The texture of the smoke is very earthy, but still quite smooth. Smoke production is excellent, and the strength seems to be dead centered on medium. All of this amounts to a lot of flavor, a good deal of strength, and ample reason to get the salivary glands going. The burn is mostly alright, but once or twice it goes a bit sideways forcing me to touch it up.

Burning into the second third, the earthiness of the texture morphs into something more akin to cream, pairing well with the chocolate and dark berry notes. On the other hand, many of the sharper notes in the first third (earth, wood, pepper) have toned down or entirely disappeared, and the body which was medium earlier is now a touch below. I’m a bit torn on whether I’m happy about that. The rougher notes provided a nice balance to the creamier flavors. Construction wise, the burn continues to wave one way and then another, but thankfully doesn’t affect the draw, smoke production, or flavor.

The last third of the Four Kicks LE 2018 sees a reduction in creaminess and leans more toward something akin to dry wood. There’s a hefty amount of granola, as well as leather, along with some nice salted nuts. It’s an enjoyable profile, and it’s augmented from time to time by a freshly baked bread note that adds to the enjoyment. Construction is never quite perfect on this cigar, and the burn continues to need attention even in the last inch and a half.

Conclusion

I’ve been disappointed by many limited edition annual released from other companies. Thankfully, the Four Kicks Mule Kick Limited Edition 2018 is a solid offering. It’s a bit of an enigma at times, with the flavors and balance shifting almost without end at times. I also think it could do with a bit more strength as it never really passed above the medium mark. Overall though, the cigar puts forward a great flavor profile that’s easy to recommend and return to. On the pairing side, this cigar pairs well sherry-influenced scotches. I’ve paired this cigar with the Glendronach 12 Year with great results.

Final Score: 88

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