Foundation releases limited El Guenguense. The cigar is created to celebrate the first lustrous of the cigar company. Nick Melillo started Foundation Cigars in 2015 after leaving his position at Drew Estate. The chief of broadleaf came out with El Guenguense, which was an instant success.

Special size and a special box

The El Güegüense 5 Year Aniversario is a short and fat perfecto. The 4 ¾ x60 Perfecto shape is also used for the JFR Lunatic Loco Perfecto Maduro. Both cigars come from the same factory, Tabacos Valle de Jalapa which is better known as TABSA. It’s the factory of Aganorsa Leaf, where many private labels are made. Illusione, Viaje, Warped, and Gurkha are amongst the clients of TABSA. Aganorsa Leaf’s brands are also produced at TABSA.

The box, created by Foundation’s art director, Thief Operandi, is a piece of art. The box opens with two wings. Twenty cigars are hiding in the box. Only 500 boxes are made. The cigar is Mae with Nicaraguan filler and a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper. The binder comes from the San Andres region of Mexico. 

Nick Melillo said in a press release that “This box is one of the most unique I have seen in all of my years in the industry. Foundation’s art director, Thief Operandi, did an amazing job on the artwork. It perfectly complements this rich, elegant, and complex blend. This is a true collector’s piece.”

International expansion

As of recently, Foundation cigars is expanding internationally. The cigars from Nick Melillo are heading to Angola in Africa and Malaysia in Asia. Several European markets recently saw the arrival of Foundation Cigar Company as well. The 500 boxes of the El Güegüense 5 Year Aniversario are only available in the United States though.