Foundation Cigars is adding a 6 x 52 Toro to the Menelik line. The new size will be shown off at the PCA trade show next month. Menelik has been around since 2016 and was originally a event-only cigar. In 2019, it became more widely available in boxes of 12 as a limited release. The original size was a 4 1/2 x 52 short robusto.
I wanted to create a unique blend in limited quantities for those tobacconists that support all of our brands. It started as an event-only blend and has now become its own line.
Nicholas Melillo, owner and master blender
Menelik, the ancient emperor of Ethiopia, was said to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Menelik also translates into “Son of the Wise Man.” The Menelik Toro is presented in a burnished gold foil band with traditional Ethiopian iconography. The box interior contains artwork of Menelik looking poignantly into the distance, almost as if to protect the cigars within.
The blend for Menelik uses a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Nicaraguan Corojo 99 Jalapa binder, and Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa, Nicaragua fillers. Each cigar has an MSRP of $16.50.
