Foundation Cigars

Boasting a portfolio full of top-rated blends, Foundation Cigars found success by consistently providing quality blends with balanced, deliciously good flavors. Nick Melillo is also a huge history buff, and his passion for history shines through and inspires every blend in the Foundation Cigars portfolio. The cohesive theming combined with top-notch cigars has made Foundation Cigars a memorable household name.

More than that, Melillo has helped lead a bit of a renaissance among younger smokers who are starting to find their own footing amid a boutique industry that is rapidly changing the way we interact with the cigar business and purchase smokes. An example: Melillo is the favorite cigar maker and blender of podcast superstar and legendary comedian Joe Rogan, who has extolled the premium taste of Foundation cigars on some of his widely-viewed episodes. Unlike other blenders who come to the cigar industry from business success outside the industry, Melillo found himself on the ground in numerous locales, not only getting to know about what makes a successful cigar but the people who make it. This direct connection between the master blender, the agricultural experts and those with a connection to the land and to the roots of old world cigarmaking produces a noticeable difference, much like a native cuisine made by someone who lives and breathes the food and lives among its ingredients.

Because of his journey, Melillo has unique connections to and relationships with some of the best growers of tobacco on planet earth. He has certainly shown a command of Nicaragua, which has become the post-Cuban hotspot and the central hub of the cigar industry. But even with so many other major companies moving in, so few could demonstrate such a mastery of the medium at such a young age. For example, the zestiness and pepperiness knowingly associated with Nicaraguan tobacco seems to truly come to life when smoking a Melillo blend. It’s evident that his steady hand is on every part of the operation, from procurement to factory production all the way to the blending of each and every line.

Foundation’s first release was Foundation El Gueguense, launching to huge success and cracking into Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2016 list. El Gueguense, or “The Wise Man,” is inspired by an old Nicaraguan work that satirized the newly arriving Conquistadors. El Gueguense is a Nicaraguan puro brimming with vintage Cuban-seed tobaccos that deliver rich medium-full bodied flavors of leather, cedar, leather, and sweet toffee. Check out this El Gueguense cigar review for a closer look.

2016 saw an expansion of the Foundation Cigars portfolio with the introductions of The Upsetters, The Tabernacle, and the Charter Oak lines, and all were well received. Charter Oak cigars, a trio of affordable blends that cater to any aficionado, are some of the best cigars out there for the cost and are cornerstones of my weekly rotation.

Another big year for Foundation Cigars was 2018 when it released the top-rated The Wise Man Maduro cigars. These gems are a maduro expression of El Gueguense that uses a top-quality San Andres Mexican wrapper in place of the Nicaraguan Corojo. The Wise Man Maduro delivers a bold medium-full bodied tapestry of chocolate, pepper, leather, coffee, and sweet cream that earned it the #3 cigar of 2018 from Cigar Aficionado. Take a look at this The Wise Man Maduro cigar review for a deeper dive on this brand.

Foundation’s most recent release, Olmec cigars, has swiftly won over the palates of discerning aficionados. This two-blend line honors the ancient Olmec people with the use of two unique Mexican San Andres wrappers, grown in the same area that the Olmecs once lived long ago. Be sure to check out Olmec and the rest of the Foundation Cigars lineup by ordering them online with Cigars.com!