IPCPR 2017: Foundation Cigar Co.

This was the third year for Nicholas Melillo’s Foundation Cigar Co. at the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, and the company had a couple of new releases to show off, as well as a brand new collaboration with a very interesting backstory. In addition, Foundation won the Best in Show award in the medium booth category.

Foundation Chest Collector Humidor

One of the most interesting items in Foundation’s booth this year was the Chest Collector Humidor, a new limited edition humidor containing 30 exclusive Tabernacle Coronas. The new cigars will feature a secondary band and will be composed of a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper covering a Mexican San Andrés binder and filler tobaccos from the Jamastran Valley in Honduras as well as the Estelí and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Mexican San Andrés
• Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua

• Tabernacle Corona Chest Collector Humidor (5 1/4 x 46) — $16.60 (Boxes of 30, $500)

The Wise Man Maduro

The new line extension is named The Wise Man Maduro instead of El Güegüense Maduro in order to further differentiate the two blends. There will be five box-pressed vitolas, all packaged in boxes of 25 and all rolled at TABSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua (Condega, Estelí & Jalapa)

• The Wise Man Maduro Churchill (7 x 48) — $11 (Boxes of 25, $275)
• The Wise Man Maduro Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) — $9.90 (Boxes of 25, $247.50)
• The Wise Man Maduro Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $10.50 (Boxes of 25, $262.50)
• The Wise Man Maduro Toro Huaco (6 x 56) — $11.50 (Boxes of 25, $287.50)
• The Wise Man Maduro Torpedo (6 1/4 x 52) — $16 (Boxes of 25, $320)

Launch Date: September 2017

Highclere Castle

Tucked in the corner of Foundation’s booth was a small addition from last year. Named Highclere Castle, the cigar is a collaboration between Melillo and George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon and current owner of Highclere Castle in England.

Available in five different vitolas, the new line incorporates a Connecticut shade wrapper, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and filler from the Jalapa and Ometepe regions of Nicaragua, including criollo, corojo, and a hybrid seed called Nicadán.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
• Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
• Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa & Ometepe)

• Highclere Castle Churchill (7 x 48) — $16 (Boxes of 20, $320)
• Highclere Castle Corona (5 1/2 x 46) — $13 (Boxes of 20, $260)
• Highclere Castle Petit Corona (5 x 42) — $12 (Boxes of 20, $240)
• Highclere Castle Robusto (5 x 50) — $14 (Boxes of 20, $280)
• Highclere Castle Toro (6 x 52) — $15 (Boxes of 20, $300)

Launch Date: September 2017