Ten years into Foundation Cigar Company, Nicholas Melillo is marking the milestone with a release that feels top tier from blend to presentation. The Foundation 10 Year Aniversario cigar is a limited, 7″ x 58 Salomon made at Tabacalera A.J. Fernández, with an eye-catching format and a fanned, wedge-style box design that leans hard into the celebratory nature of the project.
The blend pulls from Melillo’s wheelhouse, pairing a Connecticut Broadleaf Habano hybrid wrapper grown in the Connecticut River Valley with a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega, grown by A.J. Fernández. Production is capped at 27,500 cigars, and the packaging is finished with St. George slaying the dragon, a visual meant to reflect the challenges and perseverance behind building the brand over the past decade.
What does the Foundation 10 Year Aniversario cigar taste like?
The experience is regal meets grit, with the Salomon shape concentrating a dark, syrupy core while the profile builds in layers. Expect medium-full or more, opening on damp soil and black pepper before shifting into dark chocolate, brown sugar glaze, and a sweet-fruit note that lands like blackberry jam. As it settles in, the darker tones deepen with leather and a lingering black licorice edge, giving the finish a bold, brooding character that feels fitting for a 10-year celebration.
