Cigar Review: Foundation Tabernacle

A while now since my last cigar review. Must keep my fan-base happy. Not everyone into philosophy?

So up today is the Tabernacle Corona (4.25″ x 46) from Nicholas Melillo’s Foundation Cigar. If you don’t know that name, Nicholas, along with Steve Saka were among the luminaries responsible for so many blends delivered to us from Drew Estate. Now his own company, this is one of his two first releases and it is nothing short of wonderful! I’ve smoked 8 of a box of 24 so far. All have been excellent.

The Tabernacle is rolled at the AJ Fernandez Factory in Esteli Nicaragua. They have the rolling skills to build a great cigar and they deliver here.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan

Prelight aroma: Sweet, nutty, hay, and mild barnyard
Cold draw: a little salt, perfect draw, light but something there to notice.

No soft spots, wrapper is flawless, let’s light it up.

Draw great and remains perfect throughout the smoke. No burn issues, nice even burn all the way down. Copius smoke output. Construction by the AJF folks is flawless.

First taste produces only a smidgen of pepper, sweet hay, light barnyard flavors, leather, and roasted nuts. Throughout the first third these flavors are all present, changing places in strength. The cigar is very smooth with little pepper at this point. Retrohale is amazingly rich and nutty. At this point the cigar is a medium.

As I get to the half-way point the pepper comes up just a little, the nutty sweetness dials back, but the flowers are still there and some mint and licorish makes its appearance. Slightly fewer transitions here, but the distinct sweetness is still present now transferring from nut to mint or wintergreen. Now we’re at medium-full strength.

In the last third the pepper gets stronger and all the flavors dial back but do not disappear. The mint and licorish still remain and become more dominant. All the way through the stick I’m smoking now (about 4 months in my humidor) the draw and burn stay perfect. This has been the case with all the Tabernacles I’ve smoked so far; kudos again to the folks at Tabacalera Fernandez! The cigar reaches its full strength in the last third, but it never becomes overwhelming. In the final inch the pepper gets quite strong and the smoke gets flatter, but the flavor never completely vanishes. Excellent smoke!

At about $8 (box level) the stick has become a little expensive for my retirement budget, but as these things go, that is an excellent price for a cigar of this outstanding quality. In the last couple of years I’ve discovered outstanding cigars in the “under $10” price range. If you can afford it, this is one not to miss!

The pairing here is the last of a bottle of Foursquare “Port Cask Finish” (link to the review). I notice the rum very much enhances the wintergreen sweetness of the cigar. I take note of this because this rum and cigar go well together, each distinctly affecting the flavor of the other. I’ve smoked these with coffee (also excellent) and other rums, but this one seems to stand out.

Not to be missed. I wish it was a dollar less expensive, but I will save my pennies for another box. Meanwhile I’ll smoke the rest of these slowly!