If you show up at a Foundation Cigar Co. event sometime soon, there’s a new cigar you need to try, but you cannot buy it.

Menelik 1

Last night, the company debuted Menelik, a 4 1/2 x 52 box-pressed petit robusto that features a bun cap. It uses a Nicaraguan corojo maduro wrapper from Jalapa over an undisclosed filler blend.

The cigar is available only at events and is not for sale.

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Menelik refers to an ancient king, Ebna la-Hakim. He is believed to be son of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba and his Arabic name translates to son of the wise. Foundation’s first release, El Güegüense translates into the wise man.

Nicholas Melillo, Foundation’s founder, declined to comment on where the cigar is being made.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.