Master Blenders Pt. 2: Nick Melillo, Founder of Foundation Cigars

An Interview with the Maker of Charter Oak, Highclere Castle, Olmec Cigars

The last time Cigar Advisor had a chance to sit down with Nick Melillo was 2018. At the time, Foundation Cigar Company had only been in business for three years. It was a very good year for Foundation, too. Their 95-rated The Wise Man Maduro Robusto made the Top 25 again as the #3 Cigar of 2018, and the 93-rated Charter Oak Connecticut Shade Rothschild made the “Best Buys of 2018” list, and the hits have just kept on coming.

In this, our second Master Blenders sit-down with Nick Melillo, Nick dives into the cultural influences that have inspired him to create cigars like El Güegüense, which stems from a centuries old Nicaraguan cultural tradition. (Earlier this year, Nick crafted a custom El Gueguense Exclusivo box-pressed Toro for Famous Smoke Shop, something he has rarely, if ever, done for a retailer.) Then there was the release of Olmec, which stems from the history of an ancient people, now extinct, who lived in what is now Mexico. Nicaraguan culture is also front and center for Foundation’s new Metapa cigars, inspired by the legendary Nicaraguan poet, Rubén Darío.

El Gueguense Famous Exclusivo

Not only does El Gueguense Exclusivo expertly marry flavors of caramel, spices, wood, and peppers, but it also earned a Top 10 Cigars of the Year spot on our 2023 list!

Nick has also created cigars that call attention to other countries. For example, the Highclere Castle Senetjer an opus magnum made for the 100^th anniversary of Lord Carnarvon and archaeologist Howard Carter who discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt. Menelik offers a particular resonance with Ethiopia’s history. The Upsetters line celebrates the diversity of global tobacco and Nick’s passion for Jamaica.

Then there’s Nick’s home state of Connecticut where he grows the Connecticut Shade and Broadleaf wrappers used on his Charter Oak cigars, including the new Pegnataro & Pasquale cigars. There’s an interesting story behind those cigars, too.

Charter Oak Pegnataro

Charter Oak’s been both an affordable and flavorful staple of the Foundation lineup. We love its sweet, creamy disposition that smokes perfectly with coffee.

Unfortunately, time didn’t allow us to go deeper into Foundation’s catalog, but I think you’ll enjoy this peek into how Nick gets into a proper headspace for his projects. Plus, we found a few surprises along the way, too! See the full video to find out.