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:

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The Top 10 Cigars of 2017

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For the first time in the seven year history of this site, we are releasing a list of the 10 best cigars we smoked this year. We’ve refrained from doing it in the past largely because there are so many great blogs making these lists already. But this year in particular, there are some smokes that didn’t get the recognition that we think they deserve.

With that said, let’s get on to the Top 10.

Top 10 Cigars of 2017

10. Montecristo Grupo De Maestros Private Batch III

The Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III didn’t receive a lot of love on social media or in the blogosphere, but it makes my top ten because, to me, this cigar represents one of the most ambitious (and successful) projects by Montecristo in recent years. The cigar is full bodied with a predominantly dry profile but with a surprisingly creamy finish. Tasting notes include dry cedar, floral, salt, white pepper, and hints of spice. If this sounds like an intense profile—it is. But well worth it (just make sure you have water or another drink on hand).

9. Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida

Steve Saka and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust quickly captured the attention and adulation of the cigar geek crowd —and for good reason. Not only is he famous on social media for his detailed posts about the minutiae of his cigar making process, every project he touches seems to turn to gold. Mi Querida (spanish for “my mistress”) features the signature Saka Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and delivers a truly special smoking experience, generating thick plumes of extremely smooth smoke and flavors of earth, chocolate, coffee, oak and subtle pepper.

8. Drew Estate Undercrown Sun Grown

I have been and remain a sucker for cigars featuring Ecuadoran Sumatra wrappers. The Undercrown Sun Grown delivers volumes of spicy flavor, with a really unique, creamy smoke. It is true, the Undercrown Sun Grown doesn’t change and unfold as much as some other cigars deeper down on this list. But what impresses me so much with this blend is the ability Drew Estate has found to offer a brand new, extremely enjoyable flavor profile that is still clearly within the overall smoking experience that the company is known for.

7. La Hoja Signature Series 1962 Petite Corona

For many readers outside of New York City, La Hoja Cigars might be a relatively unknown brand. Those in the tri-state area who have had the opportunity to smoke La Hoja Cigars have experienced the tremendous attention to quality and detail that Willie Flores and Carlos Gomez put in to their work. The Signature Series 1962 Petite Corona is a really complex smoke which packs a lot of flavor and changes substantially throughout the course of the cigar. It’s also what I call a “sipping cigar,” so take your time when you smoke it. Expect notes of earth, fresh roasted espresso beans, and white pepper, with a zesty fruitiness entering at different times throughout the smoke.

6. Aging Room F55 Quattro Maduro

Lovers of the original Aging Room Quattro line can’t miss the F55 Quattro Maduro, which features a similar core of flavors, including cedar, spices, and touches of vanilla. What the Maduro adds, with its San Andreas Maduro wrapper, is bright touches of burnt toast and milk chocolate. Combined with flawless construction and an excellent price tag (~$10), the Aging Room Quattro F55 Maduro is an impressive addition to Aging Room’s offerings.

5. La Instructora Box Pressed

Don’t let the cryptic band or the $20 price tag fool you: this is a serious cigar (and one I approached very skeptically). The cigar opens with spices, espresso, light chocolate and salted peanuts. However, it is the second half of the cigar which shines brightest: a drastic increase in intensity, with finely ground black pepper, baking spices, and leather. It is the complexity of the cigar as it burns which makes this a Top 10 contender.

4. AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial

2017 was, in some ways, the year of the AJ Fernandez cigar (I know, you could probably say that about 2016 as well). He’s created numerous blends for a number of brands including Montecristo and H Upmann. His New World Puro Especial Puro Especial is, to me, the crème de la crème of his work in 2017 (and the cigar industry at large): extremely smooth and balanced flavors of earth, cedar, cocoa, and cinnamon. The construction throughout the smoke is impeccable, and it sports a beautiful, solid white ash to boot.

3. Plasencia Alma Fuerte Generacion V

The Plasencia Alma Fuerte floored guests at the launch event we hosted with Plasencia at The Carnegie Club. The blending of the tobaccos in this cigar is enough to tell a complex story, but the tapered salamon size adds miles to the experience. The smoke morphs from deep, rich notes of chocolate, spices, and coffee to creamy smoke with hints of white pepper.

2. Drew Estate Pappy Van Winkle Tradition

Few brands in the cigar world can create the kind of instantaneous excitement and anticipation as Drew Estate. When you combine that with a name like Pappy Van Winkle, delivering on the promise is important. Drew Estate delivered. In particular, the Belicoso Fino is full bodied and features a pepper-forward profile, with notes of freshly ground black pepper, cedar, touches of floral and vanilla notes.

1. Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour is a tremendous addition to Davidoff’s core line, offering a unique take on the beloved Davidoff flavor profile. It is everything and more I was hoping to find in the Davidoff Nicaragua. Aged in former scotch casks, the Late Hour features traditional Davidoff notes (earth, musk, wood) along with subtle pepper, cocoa, and touches of malt from the cask aging. This cigar is an instant classic from Davidoff, as far as I am concerned.

 

So there you have it, our top cigar picks for cigars in 2017. If any of the other lists are any indication, there are a lot of great cigars that didn’t make the list. And that’s what makes selecting the top cigars so difficult: the market is simply full of great brands producing incredible new products.

We’ll be back next year with our 2018 picks. In the meantime, if you love a cigar that didn’t make it on this list, let us know in the comments, and check out our take on the best cigars to smoke in 2018.

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Belle Meade Sour Mash Straight Bourbon Review

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belle meade sour mash straight bourbon review

Every now and again I actually follow the whiskey recommendations I’m given (I have a terrible memory so it’s nothing personal guys!). In this case, Belle Meade whiskey was recommended by a good friend of mine. I haven’t been able to find it in New York City where I live but after traveling down to Virginia for Christmas, I dropped by an ABC store and stumbled across a bottle of Belle Meade Sour Mash Straight Bourbon.

I didn’t know much about Belle Meade Distillery until after picking up this bottle and doing a bit of reading. The company seems to take a lot of pride in putting together unique whiskies, with four other bourbons available, including Sherry Cask, XO Cognac Casks, and Madeira Casks.

The Belle Meade website deserves praise for giving a lot of information on the process. Here’s what it says about this whiskey:

“To ensure that no other Bourbon in the world tastes like Belle Meade Bourbon, we created a proprietary blend using two different high-rye content mash bills and two complementary yeast strains from barrels aged between 6 to 8 years. Each batch of our proprietary blend consists of just 4 barrels and creates the signature flavor profile that makes Belle Meade Bourbon the award-winning Bourbon of choice for the discerning whiskey drinker.”

At $40, it was an easy bottle to pick up. After three glasses, I’m ready to put together my thoughts in a review. So let’s get started.

Whiskey Specifics

  • Producer: Belle Meade Distillery
  • ABV: 45.2% (90.4 proof)
  • Aged in: proprietary Oak barrels

belle meade sour mash straight bourbon label

Appearance

Somehow, the branding for this whiskey has managed to look totally uninspired and also attractively unique. Bottle shape, color palette, and art seem fairly standard. But the product info and the references to Belle Meade Plantation and Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery give this whiskey a unique kind of intrigue. I’m immediately drawn in to wondering what and where Nelson’s Green Brier Distiller is and the history of Belle Meade Plantation—a nice touch.

The whiskey itself is a golden caramel color. Nothing groundbreaking here.

Nose

After pouring a couple of fingers into the glass, the first whiff reveals lots of spice and aromas of burnt sugar, creme brûlée, caramel, and spice.

Palate

Belle Meade Bourbon is smooth, sweet, and medium bodied on entry. As the whiskey spreads across the tongue, it builds in spiciness and intensity, with an overall flavor profile that includes apricot, cinnamon spice, and pepper.

The texture is buttery and overall fairly smooth, though for me the amount of heat in this whiskey is a bit more than what I’m normally looking for.

Finish

The finish is moderately long, with lots of spice and lingering sweetness. The Belle Meade website claims the finish doesn’t have the burn found in other 90 proof whiskies, but I didn’t find that to be the case.

Conclusion

Belle Meade Straight Bourbon is an enjoyable, above average small batch whiskey. Certainly one I could see being a worthy investment for someone excited about anything craft-whiskey. But ultimately I find myself just as frustrated as I am with other small batch bourbons—there isn’t anything unique enough to set it apart from the dozens and dozens of other options. I’d be just as likely to pick up a bottle of Wild Turkey 101, since it has a flavor profile that is in the same ballpark.

Give it a try, and let me know if you disagree!

Final Score: 87

Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art Review

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alec bradley prensado lost art review

Few cigars are as widely recognized as the Alec Bradley Prensado. The original Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill won Cigar Aficionado’s coveted Cigar of the Year distinction in 2011, catapulting the brand into the national and international spotlight. Since then, the company has released a number of lines, including the Alec Bradley Mundial which is one of my all time favorite cigars (though I’ve noticed that opinion isn’t shared by many). The Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art has big shoes to fill.

So let’s get on to the review, shall we?

 

Blend Specifics

  • Size: Churchill (7 x 50)
  • Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
  • Binder: Nicaraguan and Honduran
  • Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran

alec bradley prensado lost art churchill review

Appearance and Construction

The Prensado Lost Art Churchill is semi box pressed, making it very comfortable to hold. There is a light springiness when I squeeze the cigar and I can tell it is packed very consistently. As for branding, it is special simply because it’s great to see an addition to the Prensado line. It may look like there are two bands on this cigar, but there really is just one.

The pre light draw is moderately restrictive, and brings forth aromas of granola and coffee, very typical for Alec Bradley in my experience.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Fans of the Prensado will have no difficulty in recognizing his blend when they first light up. I’m greeted by thick, robust flavors of earth, cedar, and espresso, all augmented with a saltiness that reminds me of salted popcorn. At the same there are hints of vanilla and cinnamon on the nose, making for enjoyable and complex start to this smoke.

By an inch in the balance of the flavors has changed a few times, keeping me on my toes, which I love. The smoke is medium bodied and very smooth.

Moving in to the second third, the earthiness and spice has drawn back, leaving the vanilla,  cinnamon, espresso and popcorn saltiness in focus. Very, very good. There is also a new note, a kind of oatiness that complements the other flavors well.

The burn up to this point has been fairly wavy, requiring some purging to correct. I’ve also noticed that the cigar can’t be set down for long before it goes out. This is significant because smoking a cigar too quickly can distort the flavors of any cigar, so it doesn’t weigh in this cigar’s favor.

Entering the final third, the flavor increases significantly, adding strong, sweet natural tobacco note. To me, this is where Prensado Lost Art really catches its stride, with all flavors kicking in simultaneously in the final 20 minutes of the smoke.

Conclusion

The Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art is full of charisma and is, dare I say it, a bit of a show off. The flavors come and go, playing off of each other wonderfully, making this a worthy follow up to the original Prensado line. It bears many of the hallmarks of the original Prensado (earthiness and granola) while adding some additional complexity (vanilla, popcorn salt). I think it clocks in at a solid medium, and because it is so smooth, it will appeal to the new cigar smoker and the veteran alike. The only criticism I have is that the burn was never really straight, which could be a fluke or a direct result of the double binder. All of these considerations lead me to a rating of 93/100.

Final Rating: 93

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The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve Scotch Review

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The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve

A couple of days ago I stopped by Warehouse Spirits near NYU and picked up this bottle of The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve. I’ve been excited to finally sit down and give this spirit a proper review since I’ve enjoyed the few sips I’ve had of it up until now.

This is a no age statement bottling from The Glenrothes, and clocks in at about $40 per bottle. There aren’t many details available on the Glenrothes website, save a bit of flowery text that reads:

The combination of different Vintages aged in a variety of casks creates a balance of mature experience and vibrant youth. The oldest constituent brings mellow oak and dried fruits; the greatest proportion adds soft, mature, sweet vanilla; the more youthful add exuberance and lemon citrus, creating a sharp and uplifting taste.

Sounds great, but I think we can all agree that this kind of language is pretty common and doesn’t tell us a ton. So what we’ve got to go on at this point is experience, so let’s get to the review, shall we?

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve Label

Product Specifics

  • Distiller: The Glenrothes
  • Age: No Age Statement
  • ABV: 40% (80 proof)

Appearance

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve is light and corn colored. The bottle itself is, depending on your tastes, either squat and humble or elegant and reserved. For myself, I’m a big fan and always enjoy having a bottle of this brand on my shelf. But appearances aren’t everything.

Nose

A fairly simple nose, with floral notes along with fresh fruits and breadiness.

Palate

Approachable, light, and fruity, with a dominant banana note. Just sweet enough to be a great after-dinner scotch that’s easy on the palate and on the wallet.

Finish

A fairly short, smooth finish, reminiscent of cinnamon sugar toast.

Conclusion

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve is not a stand-out whisky. BUT, for the price, I think it’s a good value, especially if you can find it in the $35 – $39 range. While some reviewers have slammed this scotch—Scotch Noob compared it to floor cleaner (totally unfair)—I think it really does deserve a place on many shelves, particularly for beginner scotch sippers who enjoy other entry-level Speyside whiskies.

For the value and quality of this scotch, I give it an 86 rating.

Final Rating: 86

Sans Pareil Purple Belicoso Review

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Sans Pareil Purple Belicoso
The other day I stopped by Barclay Rex on Pearl St. and saw a number of boxes of Sans Pareil and La Instructora cigars (La Instructora reviewed here) set up on a few corner shelves. La Instructora cigars are marked by their seemingly modern-art inspired bands, with Sans Pareil marked by simple, mono-colored bands.

Anyone familiar with Sans Pareil will know that they are aimed at the high end of the cigar market. Sans Pareil Purple Belicoso cigars for example, are $48 a piece, landing them at a price range occupied by few other cigars (the Davidoff Royal Robusto being one of them).

Sans Pareil is French for “without equal”–a gutsy claim. Let’s see how the cigar stacks up to it.

Blend Specifics

Size: Belicoso (6 1/8 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Sans Pareil Purple Belicoso

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is moderately springy when squeezed. There are two large veins running the length of the cigar which protrude significantly. The pre light draw features touches of wood, sweet milk chocolate, caramel, and hints of spice.

Now for the branding. I get what Saide is doing with the band being the logo. There is a certain argument to be made for elegance in simplicity. At the same time, I’m a firm believer that to attract a luxury consumer, a brand needs to present itself accordingly. I’m not convinced the somewhat flashy branding on this cigar will convince many smokers to take such a large risk, both in terms of money, time and potential disappointment.

Smoke & Flavor Characteristics

The Sans Pareil Purple opens with tons of medium bodied smoke. Flavors up front include spice, wood, and chocolate. On the back end of the Smoke is salted caramel and touches of butter.

At about an inch in, the spice has drawn way down, leaving chocolate, salted caramel, and peanuts as the predominant notes. Very enjoyable. The retrohale is medium bodied and carries the spice note.

Moving into the second third, the body is still at a solid medium, but the flavor builds quickly to full strength. It’s always great to have a cigar that tells a story – and a cigar at a $48 price point needs to tell a story to justify the cost.

The burn has deviated significantly, requiring two touch ups.

Sans Pareil Purple Belicoso

At halfway in, the flavors have remained constant, but the strength and body have fluctuated considerably.

Moving into the final third, the strength and body has increased significantly. Flavors include cedar, cracked black pepper, and espresso. The sweetness of the chocolate note has faded, leaving a dark chocolate in its place. Very good.

Final Thoughts

The Sans Pareil Purple Belicoso is a complex, harmonious, and enjoyable cigar that tells a satisfying story. Does it justify the $48 price tag? For myself, I don’t think so–there are too many quality options at lower price ranges that I think compare well to this cigar. But the Sans Pareil Purple definitely hangs in there with other high-priced options from Davidoff, Padron, and Fuente. If you have the cash, give it a try and decide for yourself. I’ll look forward to trying the Red and Blue blends.

Final Score: 91

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