Foundation Cigar Co. Begins Shipping El Güegüense & The Wise Man Maduro Macho Raton, Menelik Toro

Three new cigars from Foundation Cigar Co. are on their way to retailers today, as Nicholas Melillo, Foundation’s founder, told halfwheel that he has the first shipments of the El Güegüense Macho Raton, The Wise Man Maduro Macho Raton, and the Menelik Toro ready to begin shipping to stores.

The Macho Raton is a 4 3/4 x 60 figurado vitola that is being added to the El Güegüense and The Wise Man Maduro lines. The two lines have similar blends, as both use fillers from Nicaragua’s Estelí and Jalapa regions, with the El Güegüense line using a Nicaraguan corojo 99 wrapper and a Mexican San Andrés binder. The Wise Man Maduro reverses the placement of those leaves, with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and a Nicaraguan corojo 99 binder.

It is priced at $14 per cigar in both blends, and is offered in 12-count boxes priced at $168.

The Menelik Toro is the second size it what debuted as an event-only cigar. The 6 x 52 toro, which has an MSRP of $16.50 per cigar and offered in 12-count boxes, uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, a corojo 99 from Nicaragua’s Jalapa region, and fillers from Nicaragua’s Condega, Estelí and Jalapa regions.

As for his other new lines, those are slated for the coming weeks and into the fall months.

Melillo told halfwheel that Olmec, a line that is a tribute to Mexico and its ancient Mesoamerican people, is scheduled to begin shipping in mid-September. The Highclere Castle Senejter, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in November 1922, is scheduled to be released in either October or November. That line uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Brazilian mata fina binder, and an undisclosed filler, and has an MSRP of $33 per cigar.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.