¶ Intro / Opening
>> Speaker A: On the next episode of Sips, suds. >> Speaker B: And smokes for today's segment. Drum roll, please. We're having tea with a Mathilde takeover. >> Speaker C: Oh, I have this english accent coming over me. Let's just have a tea with matilda. >> Speaker B: That's right, isn't it? Now, the cigars we'll be reviewing today are the Matilda Maduro, the Oscuro, the quadrata, and the Connecticut, uh, the Serena
Connecticut. Right. >> Speaker D: Is this Serana Serena. >> Speaker B: Serena Connecticut. >> Speaker D: Yeah, Serena. >> Speaker B: And there might be a couple at the end that are a little, uh, extras there. >> Speaker C: Serena's one at what, the big booty down at the clucking chuck? Yeah, that's why we're saying Serena, not. >> Speaker A: We'll be right back after this break. Brought to you almost live from the dude in the
basement studios. Why? Because that's where the good stuff is. It sips, suds and smokes with your smokin host, the good old boys. Hey, man, got a light? It's time for smokes. >> Speaker B: Welcome again to the Smokes episode, folks, of sips Hudson smokes. We are the best part of this podcast. Everything in life is worth discussing. And today we have with us good old boy Mike. >> Speaker C: See, senor, I'm here. >> Speaker B: We have good old boy Benjamin.
>> Speaker E: How's your dog Nelson? >> Speaker B: Good old boy Nate. >> Speaker D: Howdy, y'all. >> Speaker B: And myself. Good old boy barter. What's up, folks? Happy, uh, new year. First of all, all of you. I don't know that we've seen each. >> Speaker D: Other 2024, but it's 2024. >> Speaker B: Unless you're in Ethiopia, then it's like 20, I don't know, 17. Yeah, they're behind. It's weird. Anyway, we're
the best thing on at 02:00 a.m. Right before home medicine with doctor Kevorkian and just after dumpster fires with our congress. >> Speaker C: Yeah, that's for sure. >> Speaker B: As you know, as well, I hope most of you know, our smoke segments are all about cigars or, well, anything that you can smoke. For today's segment. Drum roll, please. We're having tea with a Matilda takeover. >> Speaker C: Oh, I have this english accent coming over me. >> Speaker B: Let's.
>> Speaker C: Let's have a tea with Matilda. >> Speaker B: That's right, isn't it? So strap on and hang in tight. >> Speaker C: Whoa, wait a second. This is a family friendly cigar show. Strap on and hang on tight. >> Speaker B: That's right. Okay. >> Speaker C: Yeah, we're going into stuff. >> Speaker B: We're gonna have fun today. But don't worry if you missed any personal lube. >> Speaker C: Do I need for this show? That's what I need to know right.
>> Speaker B: Now, we're gonna go with banana flavored. >> Speaker C: Banana flavor. >> Speaker B: That's right. Bananas today. If you miss anything, folks, you can download the full episodes from anywhere you have podcasts or anywhere you listen to us. You can download them, take them on your drive, get on that airplane, do it offline, whatever you want to do, folks. But before we dive into the shallow end of the pool, remember the buddy system? Where's your buddy? You got
a buddy? Who's got body? Who's got the body? Nobody. >> Speaker C: Yeah, I only see somebody standing on the side of the pool with a strap on and fresh lube. That's all I see at this point. >> Speaker B: And we're swimming. >> Speaker C: And the embutzman has been triggered again. >> Speaker B: That's right. If you're a cigar newbie, fret not. We got you covered on our cigar 101, where all of the cigar speak will
be decoded. Just search sip suds and smokes cigar 101, and that episode should pop right up for you on the link band. Yep, that's right. So good old boy myself is gonna be giving you our new smokes rating. So over the smokes rating, we'll be discussing with our sip suds and smokes new rating system, plus our signature sounds. Here are those ratings. Now, one, that sucked before it was lit. Two, hey, at least I lit it. Three, I would smoke this again. Four. All right, how much you want for him?
I really like magnificent. And five. Where are they? I need a box. That's right. Now, the cigars we'll be reviewing today are the Matilda Maduro, the escuro, uh, the quadrata, and the Connecticut, uh, the serena Connecticut. Right. Is that Serana? >> Speaker D: Serena. >> Speaker B: Serena Connecticut. Yeah. >> Speaker D: Serena. >> Speaker B: And there might be a couple at the end that are a little, uh, little, uh, extras there.
>> Speaker C: Serena's the one that with the big booty down at the cluck and chuck. >> Speaker B: Yeah. Is she the one with the fish feet? >> Speaker C: That's why we're saying Serena, not.
¶ Matilde Maduro
>> Speaker B: We'Re gonna let Nate kick us off with the Maduro. Nate, why don't you tell us a little bit about the Maduro? Good luck. Yeah. >> Speaker D: So the Matilda Serenae Maduro is a bolder, darker version of the original serenae. The Maduro features an oily mexican Maduro wrapper, a dominican criollo 98 binder and a nicaraguan and dominican filler. Uh, when lit, the serena Maduro offers a deep intensity of flavors while providing a well balanced smoking experience.
The cigars are handmade in dominican republic. The binder is dominican republic. The fillers, dominican and nicaraguan. And then the wrapper leaf is going to be mexican san Andreas. >> Speaker B: Hmm. What do you think about that cigar? >> Speaker D: I really enjoy it. To me, it's a nice, just mellow, rich, chocolatey Maduro. >> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker D: Nothing too intense. I love it. >> Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I'm a fan as well. I don't think
they're over oily. I don't think they're over, you know, I think it's a nice baseline Maduro to go with. You know, even it's. It's a non Maduro smokers. Maduro almost. Yeah. >> Speaker D: No, I agree. >> Speaker B: Benjamin, what do you think? >> Speaker E: Uh, absolutely. This is one of those full body, right? You get all of the flavor profile that you're looking for, but not overwhelming on the strength part of it. A lot of that, like cafe Mocha. Cool
chocolatey notes. Uh, these things are super, super tasty, Mike. >> Speaker C: Little spicy, uh, up front. Um, you know, I caught a touch of kind of oil and leather. Uh, it actually feels really dense, you know, as you're smoking through it. Um, and I like to finish off this, but I thought the way you started it, I thought was a good way to describe it. It was just a good average Maduro. You know, I don't think there was anything, you know, amazing
about it or bad about it. I just thought it was a good middle of the road, you know, it's, um, something to throw in the bag, you know, with the. >> Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. >> Speaker C: You know, for the wedding guests and, you know, absolutely. Uh, or whatever. >> Speaker E: Golf gar worthy. >> Speaker C: There you go. Sure. >> Speaker B: Yeah. So what are we going to rate? Looks like it's a four. It's a good maduro, folks. Check out
magnificent. It's gonna be fun time, man. For sure. So here a little bit. Let's take a little couple minutes, and let's talk about matilda. So, uh, Benjamin is gonna tell us a little bit about him. Yeah. >> Speaker E: Uh, so matilda is a resurrection brand. Uh, they're one of the first brands to be established in the dominican republic. Uh, originally founded in 1876 in santiago de los caballeros, uh, but then revived by the
Sejas family in 2014. Uh, so the versions that we're smoking today. >> Speaker B: Um, now, Nate, you were talking to us earlier about the Sejas family, right? Yeah. So why don't you tell the listeners a little bit about what you were telling us. Yeah. >> Speaker D: So the. Essentially the father, um, was the master blender for Altidus for about 30 to 35 years. Um, they're the manufacturers who make
Monte Cristo. They make Romeo and Juliet, you know, a lot of Hldis is a big umbrella brand, big umbrella, and it's a very classic dominican factory. And so he was the master blender there for a long time, like even before the cigar boom in the nineties. And so, uh, he wanted to retire and he retired. And then, you know, from as I know it, he got bored and essentially decided to start this company with his son Enrique.
And, uh, Enrique and I got to meet, uh, years ago for the first time and sit down and have a cigar. And it's cool because he grew up in the cigar industry with a dad who did it for a living. And I love that perspective. I've met a lot of people who've grown up in this industry with parents and that it's such an interesting perspective because for him, even I remember him just talking about how it's like at first it was like he had no interest
in that. He went to college, he had kind of a different plan for his life, never to join the family business. And then now his dad stepped down and he's running the whole company now for multiple years. And so it's cool to see how the family passion comes full circle, um, with it. >> Speaker B: Yeah, I got to meet him at PCA. He was a really nice guy. Really nice guy, for sure.
>> Speaker C: That's just a very common, you know, storyline that you have with a lot of different, you know, brands that, you know, I think a lot of people think that the cigar industry is like, you know, thousands of people that are involved, you know, with making a lot of these brands. It's really not, I mean, the cigar industry is really held in a very small number
of families. I mean, when I think of, you know, it's really, it's really more like 100, 150 people that really, you know, are involved in a lot of, you know, across, you know, whole generations and different brands. And so I, I think the storyline here is a very common one. And I like the fact that this is turning into passing, um, down.
>> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker C: You know, that skill set, which is something that you see also, you know, quite a bit within this, you know, cigar world as well, is that there's this multi generational feel. Even if the son wanted to walk away, you know, I'm glad that he decided to come back around and at least leverage, you know, the skill and experience, you
know, from his father. Even if he, you know, even if he walks away from it at some point in time, time, you know, later in life at least he's embodied, you know, that skill and experience. So that he can pass it on, you know, to, you know, his children or other, you know, family well, and I think that's. >> Speaker D: That's the cool thing. Cause it is. I do love meeting the people where, like, you grew up with it at. Ah, you know, none of us have had that experience. We have parents who
grew up with all different professions. But cigar rolling is probably not that. And so it's weird because, you know. >> Speaker C: Part of our family was involved in strap ons and personal lube products, but other than that. >> Speaker B: And swimming. Right? And swimming. >> Speaker D: Right. But, yeah, so you think about, like, I know barger. He, like, if the moment he had the chance to roll a cigar at the family factory, he would have done it. But so that's.
>> Speaker B: Right. >> Speaker D: You have that contrast, and then it's like, then you kind of, as an adult, as you get mature and stuff, and you start to grow into that, it's cool to see that contrast. >> Speaker C: I knew somebody had to make the strawberry switcher sweets. >> Speaker B: That's right. I'm gonna talk about it. It's a dark time in my family's history. Awesome, Nate, thanks for sharing. What. What else you got for us, Benjamin, on the, say, house family?
>> Speaker E: Well, yeah, uh, just to lead off of where, you know, Nate left us talking, uh, about, uh, Jose, say has. He is a member of the cigar. Cigar aficionado hall of Fame class of 2012, which would have been, uh, just a year before he retired and then jumped right back in the game in 2014, both feet, and gave the, uh, the rebirth of Matilda and originally released, uh, the matilda Renaissance, uh, which we are going to get into a little bit later here.
>> Speaker B: Um, and big shout out to them for sending us these cigars and really making this happen. >> Speaker C: Thank you. >> Speaker B: Thank you very much. You guys have been great. Their correspondence is great. Their whole team that I've dealt with has just been amazing the whole time. >> Speaker C: We will return some strawberry lube in return as a token of our gratitude. >> Speaker B: I wouldn't go that far.
>> Speaker C: Uh, uh, one of those prototype strap. >> Speaker E: Lines, one of the quotes from Jose that they have on their website that really does a great job of surmising this very. >> Speaker B: We'll be right back with that quote. And we're back. Thank you for waiting and hope. Those commercials were fun. Uh, Benjamin's gonna finish that quote for us, though. What you got?
>> Speaker E: Yeah, we just wanted to drive home, uh, that feel of, you know, the generational, um, experience and the. The homage to, um, not only the family, but where the families are from. Right. And so on their website, they have a quote, uh, from Jose say, has. Making the best cigar in the world is what drives me, Matilda, is how I pay homage to my country, uh, which is. Which I think is. Is, uh, absolutely the. The bow on this present, if you will.
>> Speaker C: I was gonna say it's the first step towards indictment. >> Speaker E: Um, but. >> Speaker B: But it just. >> Speaker E: I think it drives home again, it drives home the fact of how. How small, but at the same time, like, um, prideful, impactful and passionate. These, uh, people are about something that is. I mean,
absolutely handmade. This is something that comes from the soil that is touched hundreds of pairs of hands from its inception to curing to aging, to being rolled, uh, blended and, uh, then aged again. Um, and just having that level of care and attention to detail and it being such a part of your being that after you've had almost a 30 year career in an industry and literally made it to the hall of fame, that it's still not enough. You know,
you still. You still don't want to hang it up and you want to get back out there and, uh, make an impact in the right way by resurrecting a brand, you know, from the 18 hundreds. >> Speaker B: Yeah. That's awesome. So up next, we've got the escaro. And continuing to speak more on that is going to be Benjamin. >> Speaker E: Yes, sir. >> Speaker B: Tell us about the escuro.
¶ Matilde Oscuro
>> Speaker E: Yeah, so we've got the Matilda skirt here. I was released in 2015 by Jose say, us and his family. The second release from matilda cigars buses a dark san Andreas rapper with a Sumatra sumatra binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua in Pennsylvania. Uh, be prepared to enjoy a medium bodied, flavorful cigar with notes of cocoa, espresso cream, and cedar. The binder on this is Sumatra filler. Dominican, nicaraguan. >> Speaker B: Demonic.
>> Speaker E: Sorry, I'm having a case of the bargers over here today. Dominican, nicaraguan, and the USA. That would be the Pennsylvania, uh, wrapped in a mexican san Andreas wrapper. >> Speaker B: I love that San Andreas wrapper on that thing. >> Speaker E: Amen. >> Speaker B: That is such a good cigar. Yeah. Rating what you go. >> Speaker D: Well, I was just gonna get. I was gonna say no, this is
a tiny, short, little personal story about this cigar. So y'all been to PCA? >> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker D: So the first year that they released this cigar at PCA, IPCPR, whatever. Um, the first day. Now, you guys have been to the show. The guys in the room have. And you smoke a lot of cigars. >> Speaker B: Yep. >> Speaker D: When they first released that cigar, I was so stoked to smoke it that. That was the first cigar I smoked on the first day of the
show. And I feel like after tasting that cigar, uh, I couldn't taste anything. But that was the first cigar of the trade show I chisel, huh? >> Speaker E: Yeah. >> Speaker C: Well, I think if. When you hear some of our, you know, tasting notes, you know, about this cigar, I think you'll understand why. Because it really is, um, an embodiment of both a really good scur. Um, you know, with the San Andreas wrapper. I mean,
it's really brought an awful lot of. The thing that I wrote in very, very big letters is mint. This was a mint factory through and through, all the way from the point it was lit until, you know, it finished out. It just stayed. And it wasn't like a menthol, you know, kind of, uh, uh, an alcohol induced kind of, you know, mint. It was just. It literally tasted like somebody had just stuck your head in a big bowl of mint and rubbed it, you know, back and
forth in those oils were. I wasn't. I actually had this, you know, this is. >> Speaker E: This is mojito all day, every day. >> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker E: A nice, beautiful aged rum, some fresh mint. A little bit of cake, for sure. >> Speaker C: Big flavor bomb. >> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker C: Yeah. >> Speaker B: Well, what I love about that, man, I think that it blends the Oscar. Oh, and
with the San Andreas wrapper, it just. Those spices blend together to just, uh. I absolutely love this cigar. This was absolutely. So what's our rating? We're gonna go five with that first five on the new rating. Congratulations, Oscar. Uh oh. >> Speaker D: Get you that box of escaros. >> Speaker B: Come on. >> Speaker E: Gotta get them. Um, where's. >> Speaker B: Feel free to send us a box.
>> Speaker E: Where's a box? I think the other thing that, uh, really, Nate and I had a small conversation about San Andreas rappers earlier today, uh, and we were talking about a little bit of that minerality, almost metallic kind of taste. And 300%. >> Speaker B: Yeah, that. >> Speaker E: That is what runs through this. And that mint just evolves that into something that is as deep and as bold as this cigar is. It has this nice, cleansing, refreshing finish.
>> Speaker B: Yeah. It's not pungent and beats on your flavor like. Like, it beats on your palate like a typical Oscar. Oh, would. >> Speaker E: Right. >> Speaker D: But the thing I. >> Speaker B: One. >> Speaker D: The thing I love is, like, as you guys are describing the cigar, if somebody on, um, the interwebs had never seen it in person, you know, you might think it's a lot
lighter of a shading. That it is. And that's the thing, too, is I do find that it has a good amount of nicotine strength to. To carry forward with that refreshing kind of aspect to it too. So it is. It's just a night. It's. I don't know. It's not what you expect. >> Speaker B: Yeah. Uh, I will definitely be revisiting this cigar again. All right.
¶ Matilde Quadratta Habano
Up next, we're gonna have, uh. Let's see. We're gonna have. What are we doing? >> Speaker E: The quadratic. >> Speaker C: Quadrata. >> Speaker B: Oh, that's me on the quadrata, isn't it? Oh, hey. Oh. Got my notes mixed up here, folks. Sorry about that. But the, uh, the quadrata is the Matilda quadrata.
What I've got is it's a medium bodied cigar blend by the, say, host family in la Romana, dominican republic using ecuadorian habana wrapper, dominican binder and fillers from Dominican Republic in Nicaragua. And this is the third line released by the company. And, man, that ecuadorian habana rapper is great. So good.
>> Speaker C: Um, I wrote down smokey, um, spice, kind of like almost like a chipotle, um, you know, kind of that smoke that you would get when you typically, you know, would smoke a, uh, uh, jalapeno, um, um, wood that would have kind of a subtle spice on it. There were, like, hints of meant through this. So there was a little bit of a cornucopia. There was a lot going on here. >> Speaker B: Um.
>> Speaker C: Um, this was, you know, kind of middle of the road for me. I didn't think it was, you know, like, amazing, but I didn't think it was bad either. I was definitely something. I felt like it was just, you know, it was good. It wasn't a good representation of the rest of the product line. >> Speaker E: Did you pay for the extra guac at Chipotle? >> Speaker B: No, he gets it. And for free. >> Speaker C: It's because I bring the strap on and their favorite lube.
That's the reason why I get all the good stuff in Chipotle. >> Speaker B: That's his. >> Speaker C: Don't you know? That is the secret. >> Speaker B: That is his. Just the. >> Speaker C: Did you not get the company minimum once again? Absolutely. >> Speaker B: For sure. That's right. >> Speaker D: I get a really strong, like, nutmeg kind of presence on this cigar. >> Speaker B: Really?
>> Speaker D: Yeah. >> Speaker B: I was kind of in the allspice family on, uh, it. It was, it was good. >> Speaker E: This one, for me is the. The, like, nice toastiness, uh, of like, fresh roasted almonds. Like it is. It is very much so. Uh, we're not talking Marcona here. These are skin on, kind of waxy, um, almonds. A lot of that, like, toasty,
nutty, uh, finish comes all the way through this. I think one of the other things that's one of my favorite flavor nuances to Matilda is they all seem to have, like, this really well balanced spice undertone, uh, though it's not necessarily pungent or, or well expressed. You definitely get it on the retro hell. But they all have this just, like, real nice, almost cleansing palate resetting spice that are underneath a lot of their blends, which I really, really enjoy.
>> Speaker B: Yeah, I definitely enjoy the retro on that one, for sure. It's definitely very, uh, it's, it's very clean for a habano, you know, and I think the Gary on you, the Gary to carry our point, you know, it was very crisp and clean, kind of just all around good Habano. >> Speaker E: And I've been on the Habano train this year. >> Speaker B: Oh, man, I love it. I love them. >> Speaker E: Habano. >> Speaker B: Yeah.
¶ Matilde Serena Connecticut
All right, so what's our rating on this, guys? So we're gonna go with a four. Magnificent. All right, so up next, Mike is gonna go over the Serena Connecticut. And that's, uh, yeah. What do you think about that? Tell us a little bit. >> Speaker C: So the Matilda Serena offers your palate a mild to medium smoke with earthy, dark cocoa, black pepper, and sweet notes made in the Dominican Republic at the Matilda factory. The cigar
has excellent burn construction and draw. The binder is Dominican, filler is Dominican Nicaragua. The wrapper is ecuadorian Connecticut shade. So, uh, some of my own notes around this. I have to say, I am a sucker for this, you know, combo. Um, I wrote down, like, a fresh can of mixed nuts with creamy, uh, cashews dominating the flavor. Big, uh, marshmallow puffs to fill the mouth with all that sweet, creamy mouthful. Um, there's no lube involved with this, by the way. Um,
I got a little barnyard in the last third of the stick. Um, kind of horse blanket hay, some tack leather. Um, m I really liked it. Uh, uh, this is a complete ecuadorian, you know, Connecticut wrapper and doctor filler experience. I mean, if somebody walked in the shop and said, hey, this is, you know, this is what I'm looking for, I would have no problem in saying this is one of many. This is probably going to be in the, you know, in the top 10% of, you know, that combo
for sure. So I would absolutely go back to this. Great. >> Speaker E: This is, this is breakfast all day long. This is, this is that first cup of coffee, right? You know, get that latte going. Uh uh, this one is a great way to start your day. Uh, uh, still with, like, this nice kind of fresh hay, kind of crisp finish on the end of it. It doesn't necessarily like linger. It's not super
oily on the palate. Uh, uh. So it's something that you can smoke first thing in the day, you know, afternoon, but it's not going to cling to you, not really going to ruin the rest of your day. Love, um, this Connecticut also too. Um, since starting with the sips, suds and Smokes podcast, I've really brought. >> Speaker B: He was gonna say posse there for a minute. >> Speaker E: So close. I, uh, really thought he was gonna. >> Speaker C: Say strawberry lube, but that's okay.
>> Speaker B: How many times can we fit that in this podcast? >> Speaker E: Yeah, right. >> Speaker C: Seven if you're counting. >> Speaker B: But. >> Speaker E: That'S gonna, there's gonna be a drinking game for that. But yeah. So this is, this is just one of those smokes, right? It's, it's a, it's an all day kind of thing. It's uh, it's something that you can get into, you know, it's not going to cling to you.
Uh, you can go on about your day, um, after smoking this thing. >> Speaker B: Um, I thought it was the lot. It was a lighter side, but it was also real earthy. Yeah. Like I got a lot of earth tones out of it. A lot of like dirt, soil, kind of just really what I like about a, ah, good Connecticut cigars like that. It was very much in my profile for Connecticut. >> Speaker C: Well, the one thing I'll add is this. That, ah, was actually my favorite
stick of the entire flight. And really, so, yeah, I did, I thought it was that good, and I ended up smoking it down to the nub. I was like, wow, I am disappointed this is over. You know? What, uh, you think of it, Nate? >> Speaker B: Yeah, uh, yeah. >> Speaker D: I mean, I, to me, I really like this one. I find it's a, ah, what I'd call a utility Connecticut, where it's just like you, uh, can stand by it, but also like for uh, me, it's just the thing I
love about it too, is how easy it burns. Like, it's got a good draw, it's got a good burn. And especially when you talk about morning cigars, like part of a morning cigar is being able to ease into your day and being able to take that breath a lot of times before the morning. And so to me, that cigar is always flawless for just smoking perfectly too. >> Speaker B: Yeah, I. What? Here's one of the things that I've found that I really enjoy about the Matilda family
cigar lines. Okay. Um, um, one is they're very approachable. So if you have a friend or you know someone that's just getting into cigars and you're like, I don't know if I like this. I don't know if I like this. Or they're home about certain things. You can go, let me put you onto this. This is a, you know, the Connecticut, this is the Maduro. This is, these are not overly, these aren't going to turn you off to any of the shades that they have. Like, it will help you come into what
you're finding out about cigars. So what you're, it's a very, very much approachable brand is what I'm trying. >> Speaker E: To say, and not just approachable from the flavor of standpoint. Price point? >> Speaker B: No price point. >> Speaker E: This, uh, hundred percent, you know, we in the, in the whiskey industry, you talk about those bottles, you know, that are the, the daily drinkers, the ones that are underrated, overlooked, but at the right price
point, right, he's bang for your buck kind of sips. This is the smoke for that. >> Speaker B: These are daily smokers, 100%. These are $10 and under most of the time. >> Speaker D: Um, I mean, the biggest size is pretty much 1011 bucks and under. >> Speaker C: Yeah, I actually think this is a good product line, you know, entry point for, you know, people that not really quite sure what you like and what you don't like. I mean, this is, uh, well, even.
>> Speaker B: If you do like cigars and you know, like, uh, as, uh, avid cigar smokers, all of us, we're smoke this brand. Smoke this brand like this brand is. Yeah, but absolutely on to something. >> Speaker C: But, you know, Nate gets to see this all, all day long. And a lot of, you know, things to talk about here on the show that people are very, you know, brand, you know, rut consistent. They, uh, fall in, you know, in love with one or two things and.
>> Speaker B: Then I'm guilty of that. >> Speaker C: They just, you know, they'll, they'll wear it out to death and they won't look, you know, to the left or the right. This is what I call the step beyond the rut, which is, you know, what I don't think we, you know, what, you don't know. And you know, I think without, you know, doing a swan dive in concrete and taking your down some path where it's going to be, you know, uh, uh, you know, a real departure from what you have been
enjoying. If you were to go through this full product line and then go back to your tobacco store and say of these, you know, five or six sticks, I like these two. These three are okay. This one is awesome. That is really going to give you a kind of a reference card to say, I like this flavor profile and I like these sticks, but I know there are going to be other people that are going to have some similar things
like this. I think, uh, that's how I look at, you know, a lot of what they've done in this product line is I don't think they've really gone after things that are on the extreme end, you know, for a lot of these combinations and almost pushing the envelope of, you know, what the tobacco is going to give up in some of these combos, I think they're going with good, solid choices. I think they're sticking with what works and it's really showing through in a lot of the quality.
>> Speaker B: I actually had that same conversation that you're talking about with stump at the abbey earlier today on my way in. Um, uh, about another brand that I'm not gonna say now, but, you know, we'll have them on. But it, it was interesting. He was asking me about them and what I thought, and I was like, well, this is neat, having this back and forth about,
you know, well, this brand. Like, there's a couple of solid sticks and then there's a couple of sticks that are just like, man could do with or without, you know. But that's just my, my profile, you know? So don't just take one person's profile and go, well, I'm gonna stack my humidor off one person's profile because that's just silly, right? >> Speaker E: Buffalo trace anybody?
>> Speaker D: Well, and, and honestly, and something we don't always talk about too, on this podcast, but is, is the packaging is really user friendly, I would say, in a sense, where I like the colors. Yeah, the colors are nice. And the boxes all, they have the boxes that match the colors. To me, it's just if you want to get into this brand and start smoking through it and diving through it, it's just some brands make it real difficult to tell what is what.
And this one, it's really super straightforward, coordinated, super easy. And so if even from a packaging standpoint, it's really easy to dive into Matilda. >> Speaker C: So part of what we were talking about is, uh, so each of these, uh, cigars and the associated box have a very distinctive color. And so, you know, I think it's very easy for people
now. In fact, when we were going through this, I was like, well, did you have the blue under the green one, you know, or did you have the orange one, you know, even so, even as we were kind of talking about our own notes and playing, you know, some of the show, we were actually using those color references. It was a little bit easier than, you know, what did the band say? Because, you know, sometimes the way in which the branding, you know, the band, it's like they all have the same name and the
same color. And then there's one small bit on the band that tells you what that particular stick is. And this is really apparent right under. >> Speaker E: That major band that is. That is color coded and has that classic, well known Matilda logo. Uh, right underneath that is the name. >> Speaker B: The name of the state of the. >> Speaker E: Stick, which leads into its profile and just, like, makes it. >> Speaker B: I'm very much a sucker for branding, and their branding
is on point. Well, after this commercial, we're going to come back and talk about a couple more. Welcome back. As always, I'm sure those commercials were riveting, and I hope you enjoyed every one of them. But up next here, we got a couple of, uh, special delights. >> Speaker C: We're going to rate the Connecticut. >> Speaker B: Oh, that's right. >> Speaker C: We got to see. >> Speaker B: I'm getting ahead of myself. I love checks and balances,
folks. This is why we are together in one room. So we're going to rate the Connecticut. What'd you guys think about the Connecticut? There's. That is a resounding, resounding, resound across the board. Five. We all give it a five. That is a great cigar, great stick. And we'll take a box if you send them to us. >> Speaker E: But what was that, uh, term for across the board? Again with. >> Speaker B: I don't know. Listen, words are hard sometimes the english language.
>> Speaker C: My words are not the same as that. >> Speaker B: That's right. Thank you, Kentucky, for my education. >> Speaker C: Can he say that properly with a strap on? >> Speaker B: That's right. That's right. But the strap on, what you were saying. >> Speaker C: Oh, matilda.
¶ Matilde Renacer
>> Speaker B: All right, so, Nate, we're gonna. We have a couple treats here that they didn't send us for this podcast, but we're gonna go ahead and talk about them because we love this brand. Uh, Nate's gonna tell you about the renaissance. I'm horrible at pronouncing that. That's why I let him say it. >> Speaker D: I said it. I said it too wrong the first time.
Anyways, uh, Jose cejas, the legendary master blender who oversaw the production of Monte Cristo, H. Upman, and Romeo and Julieta, uh, for years, comes back to the industry with the brand of his own, Matilda Renaenzer. Renaenzer means, in Spanish, means rebirth. And this, uh, portrays both the resurgence of Jose Cejas and the rebirth of an old dominican brand made by tobacco,
Lera la Matilde. In 1876 in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Matilda renancer cigars are made in predominantly dominican filler with a bit of nicaraguan and dominican binder and an ecuadorian habano wrapper. The binder is dominican, the filler is dominican and nicaraguan, and the wrapper is ecuadorian habano. >> Speaker B: So tell us a little bit about this cigar. >> Speaker D: First off, this is their first cigar they ever released. >> Speaker B: This is the flagship. Yeah.
>> Speaker D: So this is the first cigar they ever released. And the thing about this one is, compared to the quadrata. Cause on paper, they look like the same blend. >> Speaker B: Yep. >> Speaker D: The quadrata is completely box pressed. This is completely round. But to me, this one has a lot more depth and a lot more. A little bit power behind it. I get strong caramelly notes. So have you. Have you guys, uh, smoked it? Has anybody else smoked?
>> Speaker E: You have smoked this? >> Speaker D: So you, Ben? You guys have. >> Speaker E: Okay, so I think I've smoked everything that they have. >> Speaker D: So, yeah, so that cigar, to me, though, it's just, it's a really rich, flavorful cigar. I don't know, when they first came out, they had that cigar out by itself for at least a year or two. It was super solid to me because it's just, it was very, like, old world, old style. Um, but very flavorful.
>> Speaker B: Very. I was. I was very earthy with it, so very earth notes, very cocoa. Very, very much what I wanted. A habano very much. Words are hard for me. Uh, not to. >> Speaker E: Not to use the. The over burdened industry term, but terroir. This thing is a taste of the soil where it grows absolutely right in the best ways possible, because it definitely has those nice, earthy, you know, um, soil rich flavor profiles. But you also get
that nice little bit of, like, sweet molasses. You get a little bit of the dark coffee. Um, and those of you that may not know, like, Dominican Republic's rum country also. And so this thing, like, I could just imagine sitting with a nice dominican rum with all of those earthy vegetable flavors and pairing the renaissance, uh, with it and having an experience. >> Speaker B: I will say, if you have not had a renascear, go get one. Go get to get three. Get three.
>> Speaker E: Might as well. >> Speaker B: You're gonna. You're gonna love it, and you're gonna thank us later for it. Um, let's go with a rating on that, guys. What do you. What do we got? So we're gonna go with a four. So I've. Magnificent. I always forget it. Says that at the end I'm gonna catch them. We can tell on the next episode. I'm not gonna say a word till I hear that. That's right. You'll see. Folks, listen to the next episode and hear me screw up again on today's episode.
So I've got a wild card for you guys. They, um, at the PCA, I got one of their limited exposures, uh, which. Have any of you guys had a chance to smoke with it? >> Speaker D: Which one? One or two? >> Speaker B: It was red. >> Speaker E: It's number one. >> Speaker B: It's number one. Number one. No. Number one. That's what I thought. So, um, but the three of us, have you, did you not? Okay. You didn't partake.
Banned. Once again, Mike. Yep. He always complains how he feels about. So let me tell you about this limited exposure. It's, ah, written that
¶ Matilde Limited Exposure No.1
the limited exposure is a series of limited release premium cigars by this brand, Matilda. Uh, the cigar of the series will be available in limited quantities and offered a certain times throughout the year. Each cigar in the series bears the blends number of the year that it was produced. The beautifully crafted cigar features mouthwatering, oily, dark mexican maduro wrapper placed over a binder and filler made of dominican republic.
Uh, it's handmade in the Dominican Republic by Matilda the tobacco lera la asla isla isla factory, uh, which is owned by hostess Fernandez. Quesada. Quesada. Quesadilla. I'm horrible with names. Yeah. Quesada, quesada. Thank you for having cigars. >> Speaker D: Hopefully, uh, you sponsor us. >> Speaker B: Yeah, sponsor us. Let's go. Cassada, man, they made back in the day. Not. Not to, uh. Well, we'll talk about that another day. We'll talk about that another time.
Uh, so the binder and filler, Dominican with a Mexican, uh, rapper. Um, so what did you guys think? I'll tell you what I think. What do you guys think? >> Speaker D: First off, I do want to know a little bit about this factory. Just because this factory is a sleeper factory, in my opinion. Well, there they opened up a couple years ago. Uh, he. I'm not sure the dude is somebody connected to the quesada family, but, um, he. So first cigars he put out limited, uh, with
was warped. He's done two cigars for warped. He's done a couple for Mathilde. There's somebody else I'm blanking on. But the thing about it is it's a really, really small factory. And if you know anything about, like the el Titendell bronze factory in Miami, I get similar vibes off of that where it's just you have like, a handful of people working there. Everything is really quality control about that place versus, you know,
a bigger factory where you're going to be pumping out cigars. This is, this is about special projects, I would say. >> Speaker B: Yeah, kind of. Everything's lte. >> Speaker D: Yeah. I mean, pretty much so. I mean, the warp stuff is regular production, but it's still, it's, it's small production stuff. >> Speaker B: Yeah. Uh, well, what would you say their productions are? >> Speaker D: I don't know. I'm not, I'm not going to guess on that today.
>> Speaker B: I thought you knew everything. >> Speaker D: I don't. >> Speaker B: Nate knows it all, folks. That's on the next episode. >> Speaker E: He definitely tries. >> Speaker B: He tries. So what does the interweb say about this factory? >> Speaker E: Yes, I'm just, uh, looking through here about quesada cigars. Um, the Cassada family has been a part of the tobacco industry for over a century. Um, when they first arrived from Cuba and Spain, they were
bakers. Um, but in the early two thousands, Manolo, um, Quesada assembled a new management team around him, which included general manager Julio Fajardo, Manolo's brother, Alvaro Quesada, who's vice president, um, and the company's farms. And, um, they were in charge of a fledgling cigarette operation. >> Speaker B: Okay. >> Speaker E: Um, 2002, a plane crash took the lives, unfortunately, of all three, just leaving Manolo m
to run the company. Uh, today, uh, Manolo Casado works with his two daughters, Patricia and Raquel, and his niece, Esther Quesada, Alvaro's, uh, daughter. The fifth generation of the Casada family. >> Speaker B: That just goes on. I'm sorry to interrupt, but not sorry. That just goes on to what Mike was talking about earlier, how the families continue to pass these things down. Oh, yeah. >> Speaker D: And I don't know who this guy is because this guy is somebody in that family.
>> Speaker B: Sure. >> Speaker D: I mean, yeah, but all that to say, it's a really cool factory. >> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker D: Check him out. >> Speaker B: No, I think it's great. So what are we gonna rate this guy? Absolutely love this. And it's a five across the board now. Ah, they also released the number two recently, and the number three is out, coming out that march.
>> Speaker D: Well, they've all. I don't know about their plans, but they've only done one and two, like. >> Speaker B: Yeah. >> Speaker D: Ah, each year they essentially release one, uh, in like spring and one in the fall. But they've never done a three. There's never been talks of. >> Speaker B: Well, hopefully they've got a three coming in the mix because I'm ready to smoke it for sure. So just like everything, life is good and worth discussing.
What did you guys pair with these things? Mike, we're going to start with you. >> Speaker C: Hmm. Well, you know, um. Um, there were a couple sticks that I had with, with a few different things. I actually started off with um. Um, the um, quadrata I actually had with a uh, rom that was from Guyana. And um, it was okay. Um, I thought that rum was a good choice. >> Speaker B: Where. No, uh. >> Speaker C: Um, the uh, guy in a rum that I had uh, was. I forgot who the independent
bottler was off of this. I want to say it was a um k. Uh, Scott k uh. >> Speaker B: Okay. >> Speaker C: The um. Uh. So I thought rum was a good choice. Uh, with the, with the quadretta, I probably would have picked a different rum to go with. Um, you know, something was probably a lot sweeter than that particular uh, rum that I chose. Um, let's see. I actually had a scotch with the uh, Serena Connecticut and that was spot on. Um, I went to a uh,
kalila, um. Um, that had been uh, finished in a sherry, uh, but as well. And that was uh, a ah, perfect combo. >> Speaker B: Yeah. Um. >> Speaker C: Um, you know, the Connecticut is just a ah, great way to set things up where you can really go after a huge flavor bombs, you know, to be able to pair with that. I probably would have even gone for even an ila, uh, um, you know, base Scott would have been probably good. I can see it laphroaig that working really well with that.
Um, would have went with that. Yeah, I think uh, I probably would even gone, you know, some products in the art bag line. Alligator, uh, heavy. What uh, if what uh, if worked out, I don't think I would have gone full blown, you know, Octamore, you know, paint, uh, thinner, but maybe like. >> Speaker E: Like a brick lottie. Something that's got a little salinity to it. >> Speaker C: Uh, well Brooklyn's not peded.
Um, but you know, I, I think that that is a general, a good pairing choice is when you have something that is, you know, really sweet like those, you know, in a Connecticut wrapper, is that you can really go after things that are really good flavor bombs. And I tend to go after things that have um, a lot of wood or have in this case, you know, a lot of you know, peat or something that's
finished that's really going to. To really bring in a tremendous amount of flavor, you know, with this um, actually had a wine with uh, the um, not the askura, but um, forgot uh, the other stick. >> Speaker B: Talking about wine the renancer. >> Speaker C: Uh, yeah, no, the serena maduro. Serena maduro. Uh, I actually had good. Yeah, I actually had a red zen with that, and I thought that was a really good choice. Um, it actually, uh, I thought
it really enhanced the wine, you know, quite a bit. I actually enjoyed that combo. >> Speaker B: I would have went carbonier or cab frock. >> Speaker C: Yeah, those are blending grapes. Um, but, uh, like, blending grape, I think you needed something that was a bit more beefier to kind of stand up to it all. >> Speaker B: I'm not a wine guy. Just throwing that out there.
>> Speaker C: That's okay. But obviously, um, I'm impressed you knew the word franc without saying, you know, a flavor of lou. >> Speaker B: You mean. >> Speaker E: Frank don't make wine. >> Speaker B: No more dogs. >> Speaker C: Um, you know, I think that's probably, what if I had to maybe summarize some of the pairing choices again, very good. Hand in hand, I really think of that product line is, um,
a very good reference guide. I mean, I think you can sit down and say you're going to find good pairing, uh, elements with things that you like. You may not, you know, with some of those cigars that maybe you just had with nothing else with it. If it was paired with something, you actually might enjoy the cigar a lot more and would really enhance
the entire experience. So, I mean, I think that's why I really tend to think of, you know, this product line is a good reference set, is to say, sit down and, you know, have two cigars and three different products that you pair with all three of them. Uh, and you're going to go, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no. And you're going to figure out, you know, pretty quickly, a bit of some process of elimination,
both what you like and what you don't like. So, you know, that's what I like about this product line in general. >> Speaker B: It's funny. Cause I did a rum as well. I was Havana club, uh, seven. Okay, so which was great with it. >> Speaker C: With which stick, do you remember? >> Speaker B: Uh, that was with the Maduro. And I thought it went really good well with it, but I also did, like, coffee and root beer and, and, and I went irish whiskey with them.
>> Speaker C: Huh. >> Speaker B: So I was in there like a red breast. >> Speaker C: Yeah. >> Speaker B: Like, uh, you know which one? Um, so I did two different red breasts. I did one of them 15. Well, no, one was a little style. >> Speaker E: Nice. >> Speaker B: Which was great. Yeah. With it. And then the other one was the. The 15. Yeah. >> Speaker E: I think that the style sherry cass.
>> Speaker B: Would be super tasty mead or hogshead cherry cask or whatever. >> Speaker E: Hogs hogs. >> Speaker B: Meadow, dude, let me start it. >> Speaker C: Yeah, I think that's a good setup in general, you know, for Maduro's, um, lend itself pretty well to a lot of, you know, broad range virus whiskeys. Yeah, yeah, I think that's a, uh, that's a good go to. >> Speaker B: I would encourage people not to. To hold yourself to one. One different to one only
taste profile. When you're drinking something, pairing with a cigar, branch out if you've got multiple bottles. Tries to try different things. >> Speaker E: Oh, comparative and contrasting. Tasting is a big, big thing. >> Speaker B: Yeah, because they'll pull out flavors, they'll pull out other nuances that you didn't even know was there, you know? What about you guys, real quick? We only got a short amount of time here. What is.
>> Speaker E: But I was on a heavy dose of liquid, um, death lime flavored soda waters for this. >> Speaker B: There you go. >> Speaker E: Clean, crisp, refreshing. The lime brings on that kind of island vibe. And just a great reset as you smoke through these cigars. >> Speaker B: Nate. >> Speaker D: I'm just going to say some nice old filtered h two. >> Speaker B: Oh, there you go. Some water, some agua. All right, well, this has been a
great show. Product line, been a great, absolutely hands down. Love this stuff. But. But great stuff for the episode today, you guys, I want to thank our guest and our co host, good old boy Mike. >> Speaker C: Hey, thanks for joining us on this episode of Sip sudden smokes. I'll ask you to come back, enjoy another episode, and to keep on sipping. >> Speaker B: Good old boy Benjamin. >> Speaker E: Smug him if you got him. >> Speaker B: Good old boy Nate.
>> Speaker D: Come and see us again. >> Speaker B: Come and see us again. That is great words, folks. Thank you so much for taking your time out of your day to listen to us. And I would encourage you to hit the like and subscribe button so you can see what we're doing. Every day. We come out with a new episode every week. >> Speaker C: Oh, hang on, I just got a text message. Oh, yeah, we have a new sponsor for Banana Loop.
>> Speaker B: Ooh. Oh, well, we'll get with them and talk about the, uh, fiscal responsibilities from them. >> Speaker C: What would you pair that with? >> Speaker B: We'll talk about it later. Thanks, folks. Have a good night. And I'm going to tell you to keep on smoking no matter what it is. >> Speaker F: We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you're listening to us online, do yourself a favor and tap. Just tap the subscribe button.
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of life. From the dude in the basement studios, your host, the good old boys, will see you all next time.