Foundation Cigar Co. will have a new line extension to show off at the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show this week, as Nicholas Melillo has announced the El Güegüense Maduro.

The line uses a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos from Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa, which the company says creates “an independent and unique flavorful profile from the original El Güegüense.” A press release describes the flavor profile as offering bold flavors of black pepper, dark roast espresso and cacao, with a nutty finish.

“I was looking to create a line extension with a whole different level of complexity and the San Andrès wrapper brings just that,” said Melillo in a press release.

The cigar is called The Wise Man Maduro as opposed to El Güegüense Maduro. Melillo told halfwheel that the name change was done to create a ying yang effect between it and the original cigar. El Güegüense refers to a centuries old story centered around a wise man. 

It is being released in five box-pressed sizes, all coming in 25-count boxes:

  • The Wise Man Maduro Churchill (7 x 48)
  • The Wise Man Maduro Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46)
  • The Wise Man Maduro Robusto (5 1/2 x 50)
  • The Wise Man Maduro Toro Huaco (6 x 56)
  • The Wise Man Maduro Torpedo (6 1/4 x 52)

The cigars are being made at the TABSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua and will come priced between $9-13 per stick when they arrive at stores in September.

It was two years ago that Foundation debuted with El Güegüense, a name that means the wise man and comes from Nicaraguan folklore. The character comes from a satire that dates back upwards of 500 years to the days of arriving Spanish conquistadors and is considered to be Nicaragua’s signature work of drama and the ultimate expression of its history.

“This cigar is a tribute to Nicaragua, its culture, its people, its land and the bridge between old world traditions and the new,” said Melillo in a press release.

Shortly after this story was published, Melillo clarified to halfwheel the cigar was called “The Wise Man Maduro” and not “El Güegüense Maduro.”

Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2017 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.