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:

Drew Estate Launches Freestyle Live Event Pack with New Mystery Cigar

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Drew Estate Debuts Freestyle

Drew Estate, a player in the premium cigar market, has introduced the Freestyle Live Event Pack 2024. This pack was announced during their “Freestyle Live: Special Edition” broadcast on January 18th.

The pack is part of a unique approach by Drew Estate to engage consumers with new product releases. It is priced at an MSRP of $40 and includes three unbranded mystery premium cigars, allowing consumers to experience the cigars without preconceived notions tied to a brand.

Additionally, the Event Pack contains a torch lighter, a cigar cutter, and a leather strap keychain, all under the Freestyle Live branding.

Each pack also features a Freestyle Live badge, equipped with a QR code. This code enables purchasers to enter a sweepstakes. The sweepstakes offers a range of prizes, including a custom pool table, a laptop, and custom ashtrays from Subculture Studios.

Through this release, Drew Estate aims to provide a novel experience for cigar enthusiasts, combining product discovery with the opportunity to win unique items.

Review: Tobacconist of Greenwich Rare Finds Blend 1011-42

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Today, I’m reviewing the Rare Finds Blend 1011-42, a cigar crafted by Henke and Klaas Kelner exclusively for The Tobacconist of Greenwich. This cigar, aged 3-5 years, hails from the Dominican Republic, continuing the legacy of quality tobacco from the Kelner family, renowned for their work with Davidoff and their own Kelner Cigars, S.A.S. in Santiago de los Caballeros​​​​​​.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Rare Finds Blend 1011-42
  • Format: Robusto
  • Size: 55 x 5.5
  • Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Aged: 3-5 years

Appearance & Construction

There’s no other way to say it – this is an elegant cigar, with a unique band that seems intent on helping to justify the high price point of the cigar – we’ll see if the cigar performs! Otherwise, the construction is great. No soft spots, nice and firm, with a good, average draw..

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

First Third: The journey begins with a light body but a boldness in strength that defies expectation. High smoke production envelopes the senses with sweet almonds, leather, and toasted bread, all underpinned by a hint of bitter black pepper. The aroma is particularly striking, offering a sweet, nutty, and floral contrast. Delicious.

Second Third: As the experience continues, the aroma evolves, gaining sweet spiciness and a touch of cream. The palate is centered on a spicy, savory, and slightly bitter profile, where black pepper becomes more pronounced, leaving a lingering spice on the tongue.

Final Third: predominant notes of almonds and wood, accented by dashes of spice. The construction remains flawless, characterized by a razor-sharp burn and continued excellent smoke production.

Conclusion

The Rare Finds Blend 1011-42 is a remarkable first release from The Tobacconist of Greenwich. It’s a cigar that demands a slow, sipping approach, allowing the flavors to develop without overheating the ember. The flavors on the palate are delightful, but it’s the aroma that truly distinguishes this cigar. Priced at $48, it stands tall amongst high-end offerings, demonstrating its value through an exquisite smoking experience.

This is an excellent cigar. Well worth pursuing. You can purchase it on the Tobacconist of Greenwich website here.

Final Score: 92

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Chris Stapleton Collaborates with Buffalo Trace’s Harlen Wheatley for Traveller Whiskey

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Grammy-winning musician Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley have collaborated to introduce Traveller Whiskey. This new offering is a premium blended whiskey and signifies a first-of-its-kind partnership between the distillery and the artist.

Traveller Whiskey has been developed at Buffalo Trace Distillery. The development process involved extensive trials with over 50 blends, culminating in the selection of Blend No. 40 for the final product.

Chris Stapleton discussed the collaboration, emphasizing the natural connection between his music career and working with Buffalo Trace Distillery and Harlen Wheatley. He noted the presence of Buffalo Trace bottles during key moments in his music journey.

Harlen Wheatley described the whiskey-making process as akin to creating art, involving continuous experimentation and adjustments until achieving the desired result.

The whiskey, bottled at 90 proof, features a flavor profile with notes of oak, maple, currant, and leather, alongside aromas of vanilla, fruit, and shortbread, balanced with caramel and oak. It is a blend of selected whiskeys from The Sazerac Company’s distilleries.

The relationship between Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery has grown since the recording of Stapleton’s first studio album, “Traveller.” During this period, he was introduced to E.H. Taylor, another whiskey from the distillery. The collaboration has also extended to support for Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s charitable fund, Outlaw State of Kind, through fundraising efforts.

Blackbird Cigar Co. Introduces ‘Superb’ in its Core Line at TPE 2024

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Blackbird Cigar Co.

Blackbird Cigar Co. is set to unveil a new addition to its core line of cigars at the upcoming TPE 2024 event in Las Vegas, scheduled from January 31 to February 2. This marks the first new core line offering from their relatively new Dominican factory and is notable for being the company’s first cigar featuring a habano wrapper in its core lineup.

The new line, named Superb, comes in two sizes and is characterized by an Ecuadorian habano wrapper. The specifics of the binder and filler blend remain undisclosed. The development of Superb began in the third quarter of last year, with Blackbird Cigar Co. exploring various blends and combinations of tobaccos.

The available sizes in the Superb line are:

  1. Superb Robusto Gordo (5 x 54) – Priced at $9.36 each, available in a box of 21 for $196.56.
  2. Superb Toro (6 x 52) – Offered at $10.72 per cigar, with a box of 21 priced at $225.28.

Alongside the launch of Superb, Blackbird Cigar Co. also plans to update the packaging of its existing core lines. The new packaging will align with the 21-count box format introduced for the Superb line.

TPE 2024 serves as a significant platform for cigar and tobacco product companies to showcase their latest offerings and innovations in the industry. Blackbird Cigar Co.’s introduction of Superb into their core line represents an expansion of their product range and a new offering for cigar enthusiasts.

E.H. Taylor Introduces Corojo Cigar Line

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E.H. Taylor,

E.H. Taylor, a bourbon brand from Buffalo Trace, has expanded its product line to include cigars, with the launch of the E.H. Taylor Corojo. This new cigar is now available at Cigars International and its associated stores.

The E.H. Taylor Corojo cigar features a blend of an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper, Nicaraguan binder from Jalapa, and fillers from the Dominican Republic. The cigars are produced at TABACALERA LA iSLA in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, under the production of Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG).

There are three sizes available in the E.H. Taylor Corojo series:

  1. Corojo Corona (6 x 46) – Priced at $12.20 each, with a box of 15 for $182.99.
  2. Corojo Robusto (5 x 50) – Offered at $11.73 per cigar, and $175.99 for a box of 15.
  3. Corojo Toro Gordo (6 x 56) – Selling for $13.07 per cigar, with a box price of $195.99.

STG, the parent company of Cigars International, holds a partnership with Sazerac & Co., owners of the Buffalo Trace Distillery. This collaboration has previously resulted in several other cigar-related products.

E.H. Taylor is named after Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr., who bought a distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1869. He reopened it as O.F.C. two years later, which was later sold to George T. Stagg. The distillery produced Old Taylor bourbon, a name derived from disputes over the use of the “Taylor” name between Taylor and Stagg. Taylor’s contributions to the bourbon industry include introducing copper kettles in distillation, steam heating in barrel warehouses, and advocating for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.

The E.H. Taylor Corojo cigar line is a new offering in the spirits industry, linking the E.H. Taylor bourbon heritage with the cigar market.

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