The Tabernacle Cigars

The Tabernacle cigars are another superb creation from Nicholas Melillo, owner of Foundation Cigar Co. and former production head at Drew Estate Cigars. If there ever was a cigar of "biblical proportions," The Tabernacle is it. Using a blend of prime Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on A.J. Fernandez's La Soledad farm, plus filler from Honduras and a Mexican San Andrés binder, the star of this line is the dark, flawless Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that completes this latest masterpiece, which is also made at Fernandez's factory. The result is a full-flavored bevy of earth, spice, red pepper, sweet cedar, and chocolatey notes. Born and raised in New Haven, CT, renowned for producing the world's best Broadleaf cigar tobacco, Melillo says that his Tabernacle cigars are a way to "show my love for Connecticut Broadleaf," and adds, "Broadleaf is more than tobacco for me. It is something sacred." Then there's the packaging that features the image of Haile Selassie, the 225th emperor of Abyssinia (Ethiopia today), and the deity of Rastafarians who is said to be a direct descendant of King Solomon. It was in Solomon's Temple where the Tabernacle that protected the sacred Ark of the Covenant resided. If you've had the pleasure of Nick's work on his past cigars like Liga Privada No.9, or his more recent, 91-rated El Güegüense, add a box of The Tabernacle to your cigar collection.