First announced by Cigar Aficionado leading up to the 2018 IPCPR trade show, Foundation Cigar Company is now shipping the highly anticipated followup to the company’s 2016 release of The Tabernacle cigar, The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142.
Like the original The Tabernacle, the cigars are rolled at A.J. Fernández’s factory in Estelí. But where the 2016 release focused on a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, the sequel is being praised for its more unique wrapper, also stemming from the Connecticut River Valley. This tobacco is Havana Seed CT No. 142 (for which the cigar is named), a heavy, oily leaf that was brought over from Cuba and has been grown in the U.S. since the 1800s (between 1860–1870). According to Nick Melillo, founder of Foundation Cigar Co., this is an extremely difficult leaf to work with, one that has been processing for three years at Fernández’s facility in Nicaragua.
Master Blender, Nicholas Melillo, has been working with choice farmers in the Connecticut River Valley since 2014 to develop the Havana Seed CT #142 wrapper. The seed is extremely rare and unlike any other tobacco in the world. Due to the incredible amount of oil from the plant, it takes 3yrs to undergo the fermentation process. The results make for a delicious medium to full-bodied blend with hints of cedar, spice, rich earthiness and natural sweetness.
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These difficulties with wrapper processing have lead to delays in the cigar’s release, as Melillo would not release the cigars before the wrapper was ready. The accompanying tobaccos in the cigar’s blend are similar to the 2016 Tabernacle, using Mexican San Andrés in the binder and Nicaraguan (Estelí and Jalapa regions) and Honduran (Jamastran) leaves throughout the filler.
The cigars have been rolled in four sizes, with prices ranging from $9 to $13 (MSRP). Cigar enthusiasts can expect to begin seeing The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 cigars in brick and mortar stores by the end of this week.
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