Ten years is an important anniversary in any industry. This is especially true in the cigar world, so Foundation Cigar Co. is celebrating a decade in business with the Foundation 10 Year Aniversario. It’s a large Salomon-style smoke made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez and features a hybrid wrapper grown in Connecticut. Those going to the PCA trade show next month will get an advanced look at the cigars before they ship later this year.
The double-tapered Aniversario cigars measure 7 inches long by 58 ring gauge at their fattest point. Dark and imposing, these figurados are covered in a wrapper from the Connecticut River Valley that company owner Nicholas Melillo says is a hybrid between broadleaf and Habano seeds. Underneath is a Brazilian Mata Fina binder that holds together an entirely Nicaraguan filler blend, a combination of tobaccos from Estelí, Jalapa and Condega. The Nicaraguan components are grown by A.J. Fernandez.