June 20, 2017 (Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England/Bristol, Connecticut, USA) – Globally recognized as the iconic face of the award-winning television drama, Downton Abbey , Highclere Castle is now producing a cigar reminiscent of those enjoyed at Highclere Castle during the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. To create and produce the cigar, Highclere Castle Cigar Company has partnered with world-renowned cigar producer Nicholas Melillo, the former head of Drew Estate Nicaragua. Nicholas formed Foundation Cigar Company in 2015 to craft hand-made
cigars in Estelí, Nicaragua, and this is the latest in Foundation’s exceptional line.
AllBlind Cigar ReviewsCoronaFeaturedFoundation CigarIPCPRMaduroMatthew T.Mexican San AndresMickey T.NicaraguaNicholas MelilloZane G.
·"The cigar for filled my appetite for a hearty smoke that would be great after any meal. It reminds me of one of my favorite cigars with a different wrapper and an amped up strength. I cannot wait to find out what it is so I can try the other sizes of this fabulous smoke." -John A. (John A.)
Draw, burn, and construction were spot on and should be a mile marker what the quality of how a cigar should be rolled and constructed. The flavor profiles of chocolate, coffee, and leather appeared to be the dominate flavor profiles throughout the cigar which provided a nice relaxing experience. While I did not pair it with anything, a mocha latte or hot chocolate would pair wonderfully with this cigar as they would compliment each other immensely. Complexity was not in full force, however the profile was enjoyable enough to keep me happy throughout the duration of the session. Definitely something you should pick up if ever given the chance to attend a Foundation event!
At the 2018 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas, Foundation Cigar Company will release the Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142. Nick Melillo shared the information on social media about this line extension for the Tabernacle. It will be available in four vitolas and prices will start at $9/cigar up to $13/cigar. It uses a very unique wrapper that is grown right in the Connecticut River Valley, along with a Mexican San Andres binder and filler leaves from Esteli, Jalapa, and the Jamastran region of Honduras.
Here are just a few of our favorite live videos from IPCPR including interviews with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars and Nestor Plasencia of Plasencia cigars.
Windsor, CT – July 5 th , 2017 - Foundation Cigar Company announces the release of The Wise Man (El Güegüense) Maduro, for IPCPR 2017 in Las Vegas, NV. The release provides for a line extension to Foundation’s premier brand released during IPCPR 2015, where the Nicaraguan puro enjoyed a highly successful launch, going on to find inclusion in Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 list for 2016.
AJ FernandezAllAVOCaldwellCamachoCarson SerinoClaudio SgroiCornelius & AnthonyCrowned HeadsDavidoffDominican RepublicDon Pepin GarciaDrew EstateDunbarton Tobacco & TrustErik EspinosaFeaturedFred ReweyH. UpmannHector Alfonso Sr.Hendrik KelnerHondurasIPCPRJaime GarciaJon HuberJonathan DrewMy FatherNicaraguaNicholas MelilloNomadPete JohnsonRobert CaldwellRobert HoltRoMa CraftSerinoSkip MartinSouthern DrawSteve SakaTatuajeTop 25Willy Herrera
·Each of our panelists were given 10 votes to towards our top 25. Order mattered on their votes as their #1 vote is worth twice as much as their #10. Our list is made up of cigars that had a wide release this year. The cigars that are eligible do not have to have been reviewed on Blind Man's Puff, but the reviewer must have smoke it at some point to vote for it.
This year, at the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas, Nick Melillo will release an extension to his release from last year's The Wise Man Maduro in a lancero format. The cigar scored a 95 in our blind review and earned #1 Cigar of the Year.
Foundation Cigars has announced that ATOL will become Foundation's new creative team and will debut their work at their year's IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas 2018.
AJ FernandezAllArturo FuenteAtabeyBlack Label Trading CompanyBlk WksCarlos Fuente JrCasa FernandezCrowned HeadsDavidoffDieselDon Pepin GarciaDrew EstateDunbarton Tobacco & TrustEl ArtistaEladio DiazEmilio CigarsFeaturedFoundation CigarHendrik KelnerIPCPRJaime GarciaJames BrownJon HuberJonathan DrewJuan MartinezKyle GellisMax FernandezMBombayMel ShahMLB Cigar VenturesMy FatherNewsNicholas MelilloPete JohnsonRobert HoltSouthern DrawSteve SakaTatuajeTop 25Warped
·Each of our panelists were given 10 votes to towards our Top 25 Cigars of the Year - 2018. As with previous years, the order of their votes mattered as their #1 vote is worth twice as much as their #10. Our list is made up of cigars that had a wide release this year. The cigars that are eligible do not have to have been reviewed on Blind Man's Puff, but the reviewer must have smoke it at some point to vote for it.