I had not planed to light up a cigar on New Years Day but that plan didn’t last long. The urger for Tabernacle was strong, and I decided that one was just not enough. So this morning I lit up another from Foundation Cigar Company. The company which was born in 2015 is the brainchild of Nick Melillo, who was responsible for a lot of the great blending at Drew Estate prior to the arrival of Willy Herrera.
Cigar Review: The Tabernacle
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: San Andres (Mexico)
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Vitola: Robusto
The Look: It’s a new cigar, but the cigar has a season look to it. The dark band of black and gold matches has some gold power to it giving it a nice look. Inside the cabinet style boxes the cigars sit without sell and are tied together with a ribbon. The dark chocolate looking broadleaf wrapper is flawless with some tooth to it. Looking at the cigar it is reminiscent of a Liga Privada from back in the day.
The Notes: Prior to lighting up the cigar has a rich sweetness off the wrapper and nose of the cigar with a touch of leather as well. Those aromas transition to the cold draw which also has some earthy elements of tobacco.
After the cigar is lit it is the classic Connecticut Broadleaf. There are notes of dried fruit with a hint of chocolate sweetness that helps cut the power of the wrapper. As the cigar progresses the sweetness remains dominant with hints of black pepper and earth that grow in intensity as the cigar progresses.
In the second third of the cigar the dried fruits transition to a note of fig but it is beginning to be overpowered by the leather note that slowly begins to balance out. The retrohale of the cigar has some black pepper and sweetness to it creating a well-rounded modern-day cigar.
The last third of the Tabernacle sees the leather note slide to the background as fruit and fig slide to the forefront. The leather remains on the lingering retrohale with a hint of earth and pepper to close things out.
The Finish: One of the best broadleaf cigars since the release of the original Liga Privada, a cigar which was blended by Nick Melillo. It’s chock full of flavor and strength and of my favorite cigars to come out in 2016 though the availability of them has been difficult to find as they tend to sell out rather quick.
Score: 93
Price: $10.69 / $226.99
Tabernacle Robusto
Tabernacle Robusto Foot
Tabernacle Robusto Burn
