Foundation Leaves AGANORSA, Announces New Blends from My Father Cigars S.A.

Foundation Cigar Co. has announced that it is discontinuing its El Güegüense and original The Wise Man Maduro blends, the first two regular production lines the company introduced, and is replacing them with two new blends. These moves are part of a larger shift from the company which has ended its relationship with the Aganorsa factory in Estelí, formerly known as Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A., i.e. TABSA—and has started a new one with the García family’s My Father Cigars S.A. factory.

According to a report from Cigar Aficionado, the company is introducing the Wise Man Corojo and a new Wise Man Maduro, both of which will be made by My Father. The Wise Man Corojo uses a corojo-seed wrapper from Nicaragua, while the Maduro uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper. Underneath, both cigars use tobaccos from Nicaragua: binders from Estelí and Jalapa, while the fillers come from Condega, Estelí and Jalapa. Each will be offered in the same four sizes:

• Wise Man Corojo / Maduro Corona (5 x 48) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
• Wise Man Corojo / Maduro Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $11.50 (Box of 20, $230)
• Wise Man Corojo / Maduro Toro (6 x 52) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
• Wise Man Corojo / Maduro Double Corona (7 x 54) — $13.50 (Box of 20, $270)

Both cigars will be shown off to retailers at the 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which takes place March 23-25 in Las Vegas, and are expected to begin shipping in April. Many of Foundation’s other lines are produced by AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua and are seemingly unaffected by today’s announcement.

“We are excited to introduce the new Wise Man Corojo and Wise Man Maduro to our lineup,” said Nicholas Melillo, owner of Foundation, in a press release. “Working with Pepín García and his family has been a dream come true, and we believe that cigar enthusiasts will appreciate the craftsmanship and flavor profiles of these new offerings.”

El Güegüense was the first blend from Nicholas Melillo’s new Foundation Cigar Co., introduced in 2015. The cigar was inspired by a Nicaraguan folk dance of the same name. A year later, the company added The Wise Man Maduro; El Güegüense is Spanish for the wise man.

Melillo told halfwheel that this website would receive a press release announcing the changes on Tuesday.

Update (March 12, 2024) — Added images and quotes from a press release.