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Page 1 of 2  Plus: this week’s Register & Win prize: 233 cigars for Independence Day!
Los Angeles, July 1, 2009 – The venerable MATASA factory is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a new cigar, blended by the “next generation” of the Quesada family. If the combined talents of the five “young ones” are represented by the new blend they introduced at a gala party on Madison Avenue in New York on Monday evening, MATASA has a bright future indeed.
The six members of the fifth generation of the Quesadas to be involved in tobacco were the stars at the launch, held at Davidoff of Geneva’s elegant Madison Avenue store and hosted by its effervescent manager Michael Herklots, unquestionably the Beau Brummel of the cigar retail trade. A full house was on hand for the unveiling of the new Quesada 35th Anniversary cigar, introduced by Patricia and Raquel Quesada (pictured on the home page, from left: Raquel, Esther and Patricia Quesada).
“Smoking is an enchanting experience that can instantly bring you back to a favorite moment or a fond memory,” said Patricia Quesada. “It is something that only those who love cigars can appreciate and understand.
“Tobacco has been an essential part of our lives since the day we were born; the aroma of a cigar instantly transports us back to our childhood. As children, our grandfather would take us to the warehouses and the factory so we could play on top of the bales and among the cigar makers.”
Raquel Quesada, who also had a leading role in the creation of the Fonseca Cubano Limitado, described the cigar itself by noting:
[T]here’s always been something familiar, something comfortable about the cigars made by MATASA.
As the 5th generation, we’ve become more and more excited about taking that familiarity to a new level and a new direction . . . not to take away from what has been done over the past 35 years, but rather to add something new to the mix.
That is the Quesada 35th Anniversary cigar.
It’s important to note that this new blend is identified as a “Quesada” 35th Anniversary cigar as opposed to the “MATASA” 30th Anniversary cigar issued in 2005. It’s designed to be identified with the six family members of the fifth generation: the three Quesada women plus three men (pictured above): Jose Manuel “Blondie” Bermudez, Terrence Riley and Hostos Quesada, all of whom contributed to the project.
The development of the cigar was carried out by the fifth generation and they kept MATASA founder Manolo Quesada at arm’s length throughout the creative process. More than two dozen blends were tried and the candidates for the final selection were given the names of well-known international and Dominican-made chocolates. The youngsters preferred the “Godiva” blend as the best and overruled Manolo, who voted for the blend named after Dominican chocolate brand Munne.
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