Press Release: José A. Seijas is Back From Retirement with Matilde

February 5, 2014 (Miami, Fla.)–Jose A. Seijas has announced the launch of his new brand Matilde. Formerly the Master Blender for Tabacelra de Garcia he was responsible for the manufacturing of up to 55 million cigars a year and blending world renowned brands like Montecristo, Romeo & Julieta, H. Upmann and Vega Fina, amongst many others.

After his retirement from Tabacalera de Garcia his son Ricardo and Jose created Tabacalera La Matilde, where Matilde cigars are manufactured. For Jose, Tabacalera La Matilde, is the optimal factory: where all blends produced will have a limited production allowing him to use tobaccos that in the past he couldn’t use; at the same time applying strict quality control, assuring all cigars are meticulously handmade and aged to perfection.

Jose says “we believe in quality over quantity. Our master cigar makers are remunerated on quality, assuring they take their time to create a masterpiece with every cigar they make. We are not doing this to produce everyday smokes, if the cigar is not going to be memorable we simply won’t make it.”

After a year of blending Jose reached what he calls his best work so far: Matilde “Renacer.” He believes that “Renacer,” meaning rebirth, was a suitable name for his first Matilde line. “It represents the rebirth of Matilde, an old Dominican brand, and my new stage in blending and manufacturing,” says Jose.

Using carefully selected Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, held by a Dominican binder, and finished with an exquisite Ecuadorian Habano wrapper Matilde “Renacer” promises to be a smoke to remember. The cigar is medium to full bodied with predominant flavors of dark Dominican coffee and the creaminess and sweetness of rich dark chocolate.

Matilde “Renacer” will be launched February 2014 in 4 initial sizes with MSRPs ranging from USD$7.00 to USD$9.00 . They will be packed in cedar boxes of 20: 

• Corona – 44 x 5 ½
• Robusto – 54 x 5 ¼
• Toro Bravo – 54 x 6 ½
• Grande – 60 x 6

The cigars will be distributed by La Matilde Cigar Company, beginning in the USA and Dominican Republic.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.