Foundation Cigar Co. Ships New Charter Oaks
Oct 25, 2023 | By Thomas Pappalardo
Photos/Foundation Cigar Co.
A pair of new cigars from Foundation Cigar Co. began shipping to retailers on Monday. Called Charter Oak Pegnataro and Charter Oak Pasquale, the cigars were created by brand owner Nick Melillo in tribute to both of his grandfathers as well as the state of Connecticut, where the different wrappers were grown and where the company is headquartered.
“My love for handmade cigars exists only because of my grandfathers,” Melillo says. “One was an avid Connecticut broadleaf smoker and the other loved Connecticut shade.”
Topped with pigtail caps and softly pressed, the two cigars share the same size (5 1/2 inches by 48 ring gauge), but have different wrappers. The Charter Oak Pegnataro, which is medium-bodied, is draped in a light leaf of Connecticut shade, whereas the full-bodied Pasquale is rolled in a dark Connecticut broadleafwrapper. The rest of the tobacco in both cigars is all Nicaraguan with a Jalapa binder and mix of Estelí and Jalapa fillers.
According to Melillo, the new blends are richer and more complex than the core Charter Oak lines.
Made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez, the cigars have a suggested retail price of $13 apiece, or $156 for a 12-count box (before taxes). The new Charter Oaks are intended to be a limited production, with quarterly releases of 500 boxes of each.
For a rating on the new Charter Oaks, see a future issue of Cigar Insider.