The Tabernacle Knight Commander

Fans of Foundation Cigar Co. will likely know that Nicolas Melillo tends to draw on three main sources of inspiration for the names of his cigar lines: Connecticut and its history with tobacco, Nicaragua and its cultural heritage, and Ethiopia and its heritage, in particular that of Haile Selassie.

It was due in part to his celebration and recognition of Ethiopia and its history that the Ethiopian Crown Council honored Melillo with the title of Knight Commander of The Ethiopian Star of Honor, an order of Knighthood that was established to honor both foreign and domestic people for their service to the country of Ethiopia. The Council said that Melillo was honored “for his ongoing energy in supporting the cause of Ethiopian unity and the restoration of its honour.”

“Receiving the Ethiopian Star of Honor is an extraordinary privilege and an honor of a lifetime,” said Melillo in a press release.

 

It was that honor that inspired Melillo to create a new cigar for Foundation’s The Tabernacle line, a 6 3/4 x 52 perfecto that uses the same blend as the other The Tabernacle releases, with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés binder and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. Unlike the other sizes in the line, the Knight Commander gets 15 months of aging in cedar.

“The Knight Commander vitola is my tribute to this esteemed recognition, and I am proud that 100% of all wholesale proceeds will be contributed directly to charity, making a meaningful difference in the lives of Ethiopians.”

The Tabernacle Knight Commander is priced at $40 per cigar and $480 for a box of 12 cigars. The company said that production is limited to 700 boxes per year, which are produced by Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. and scheduled for release in the fall months.

• Cigar Reviewed: The Tabernacle Knight Commander
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
• Binder: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 3/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Perfecto
• MSRP: $40 (Box of 12, $480)
• Release Date: October 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

When the cigars were still sitting in the bag in which they were sent to me from the office, I thought they might have been more of a salomon vitola, as the tapered head got me thinking in that direction, However, once in my hand it is clear that the majority of the cylinder is straight, finished off by the tapered head and foot to give it is perfecto shape. The cigars have some varied densities, the first is firm below the band and a bit softer above it, while the second is rock hard from top to bottom, and the third cigar is quite firm but not to the level of the second cigar. The wrapper is a fairly dark brown, evenly colored with just a handful of small veins and a smooth yet not oily texture to my fingers. The leaf has an aroma that is a bit waxy with scents that remind me of dried, fallen leaves and unsalted, mixed nuts. The tiny opening of the foot offers a bit earthier profile as well as a bit of damp coffee grounds. As usual, I take a conservative cut of the heads, and the cold draws on two cigars are about as firm as I expected, given the narrow head and foot, while the third is a few ticks more open. Regardless, I am optimistic that things will be better once the burn line hits the thicker part of the cigar’s foot. The flavor has a slightly damp woodiness that is fairly singular, with no pepper, sweetness or other notable complementary flavors.

The Tabernacle Knight Commander starts on a fairly tame note with a bit of creaminess, some earth, and a touch of pepper, a profile that quickly settles in on my palate both for its familiarity and approachability. That pepper varies a bit, as one cigar really tingles my taste buds out of the gate. Not long into the cigar, I pick up some peppery heat on my tongue, and once again, one cigar stands out with that sensation, but it’s also not the cigar that had the most vibrant pepper at the start. About five minutes into the cigar, the draw begins opening up, a fascinating change that happens on puff-by-puff basis, making for an increasingly positive progression when it comes to how air moves and how much smoke I’m able to get from the cigar. A bit further into the cigar, some familiar creaminess emerges on the palate, with white pepper and crackers in the background, and the occasional taste of a slightly oily potato chip. Retrohales have a drier creaminess with a light amount of pepper, just enough to tingle my nostrils a little bit. Flavor really ranges, shy of medium at points, medium-plus at others. Body is medium-minus, while nicotine strength is mild. Construction is pretty good on the whole, especially once the draw opens up, which increases smoke production and seemingly helps deliver the whole profile of the cigar.

The start of the second third is a bit milder than I expected, though I can’t say exactly what I was expecting from The Tabernacle Knight Commander. It’s a fairly refined and nuanced smoke, letting restrained but focused amounts of creaminess and mixed pepper provide most of the stimulation on my taste buds, while that potato chip flavor reemerges at times to give the profile a bit of oiliness. Retrohales move the pepper more into the forefront while also shifting it to more of a black pepper sensation. The resting aroma has an absolutely fascinating smell at times that reminds me of a fresh-cut lawn on a warm spring day, though it’s a heavier aroma that lacks the brighter vegetal notes that might be inferred from that analogy. It’s also not a long-lasting one, at least as a primary aroma, but it might well be the most memorable and distinctive part of the profile. Retrohales are just a bit more peppery as this section comes to a close, though still fairly tame on the whole, which allows the nuances of the cigar to shine. Flavor is medium in this section, body is medium, and strength is fairly mild. The draw, burn line and smoke production are all good, but the cigar begins to show some issues with staying lit. It’s not outright problematic, but it is a bit concerning going into the final third.

The most notable change I find as The Tabernacle Knight Commander gets into its final third is a change in the creaminess, losing the creamy texture but keeping a good bit of the flavor. The change gives the cigar a touch more of a dry, powdery texture, yet it keeps the flavors subtle, nuanced and precise as it has done to this point. Combustion really struggles in the final third of the first cigar, and I have to think that the frequent relights are adversely affecting the flavor, as it picks up a slightly chalky and metallic flavor that leads me to look for some tar at the head, which I thankfully do not find. The second does a bit better with combustion, though I still find myself reaching for my lighter much more than I would like to as I watch the minutes go by and drag out the smoking time. The combustion issues also overshadow whatever flavors the cigars are trying to offer, or at least nothing new stands out from the puffs I’m able to get out of the cigar. The third cigar does much better, even though it didn’t get any dryboxing, a difference that truly reveals the variance that exists among cigars despite them looking the exact same and coming out of the same humidor. Flavor-wise, it develops a bit of dry earthiness as the smoke continues to dry out, leading to a mouth-drying sensation that is almost more noticeable for the physical reaction than to any specific flavors. At its best, it finishes around medium-plus in flavor intensity, medium-plus in body and just strong enough to be called medium-minus.

Final Notes

• I’ve generally thought that Foundation Cigar Co. does a pretty good job in identifying its cigars via its bands. Yet in this case, while the Foundation logo appears on the back of the band, there is nothing else that identifies what this is.
• One cigar had a small piece of tobacco sticking out from the foot, leading me to wonder if it left the factory that way or if it popped out somewhere along its way to me.
• After smoking the first cigar, I really thought about dry boxing in hopes of drying the other two cigars out a bit and aiding combustion but decided against it. While I used to be more open to the idea, I generally believe that cigars should be shipped in such a manner that they are ready to smoke. While I don’t advocate smoking a cigar right off the truck, I don’t think a consumer should be obligated to air out a cigar prior to smoking it.
• That said, I do understand that consumers do bear some responsibility for preparing things properly. For instance, I have heard numerous recommendations to stand a bottle of wine up for a few hours up to a day prior to drinking to help and sediment settle at the bottom of the bottle.
• I can’t say I found any strength from The Tabernacle Knight Commander.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was all over the place, with the one cigar that burned properly taking two hours and 55 minutes to get through. The other two cigars with the burn issues were closer to three and a half hours.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigar Hustler, Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co., Famous Smoke Shop and JR Cigar carry The Tabernacle Knight Commander.