Cigar Reveal #118
| S&T ID | #118 |
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| Brand |
Matilde |
| Cigar |
Renacer |
| Wrapper |
Ecuadoran Habano |
| Binder |
Dominican Republic |
| Filler |
Dominican Republic and Nicaragua |
| Retail Price | $11.00 |
| Tasting Notes | Molasses, dark chocolate, espresso, graham cracker, cream and leather |
| Description |
José Seijas is perhaps the biggest cigar industry legend you've never heard of. The Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame inductee came out of retirement in 2013 to start Matilde, named after a famous Dominican factory from the 1800s. He started the company with his two sons, and their first cigar, Renecer, fittingly means rebirth. Seijas got his start in cigars in 1974 where one of his first tasks was to oversee the sorting, selection and stripping of tobacco which allowed him to get familiarized with the tobacco that he would be using for so many years. He rose to VP of Operations and became a Master Blender, where he directed the blending and manufacturing of (Dominican) brands like Montecristo, Romeo & Julieta, Vega Fina, H.Upmann, Trinidad, and many other brands. His resume spans some 60 years and is highlighted by his work with Altadis U.S.A., as he ran the Tabacalera de García factory in La Romana, Dominican Republic, for over 30 years as vice president and general manager. "Making the best cigar in the world is what drives me," said Reijas. "Matilde is how I pay homage to my country." |
| Review #1 |
Cigar Aficionado |
| Review #1 Content | (Top 25 Cigars of the Year 2014) José Seijas is a 40-year veteran of the premium cigar business. For years he ran Tabacalera de Garcia, a massive operation in La Romana, Dominican Republic, that makes brands such as Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo. Today Seijas runs a far smaller operation in the same town—La Matilde Cigar Co.—and he's enjoying his new role. One of his moves was to hire cigar rollers who smoke cigars, which he thinks makes for a superior end product. "Our tabaqueros are cigar smokers, this way they have knowledge of use of the product," he says. "The knowledge is an important part of quality control." His first cigar is the Matilde Renacer, and the corona layers the palate with hearty coffee notes with wood, spice and a cocoa finish. |
| Review #2 | Cigar Dojo |
| Review #2 Content |
I was expecting a lot with this cigar, due to some pretty serious hype, and was thrilled to see it delivered! This is full flavor to the max, and what I find impressive is that it doesn't rely on tons of strength (though there is enough) and pepper to fool you into thinking it's full flavored - it's more on the finesse side of the spectrum. |