At the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, Foundation Cigar Company and Nicholas Melillo will bring their American-grown Habano seed offering known as the Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142. The cigar is the second blend under Foundation’s Tabernacle brand.
The Tabernacle Havana Seed No. 142 features a unique a hybrid wrapper grown in Connecticut. In a press release, Melillo commented, “I’ve been working with particular farmers in the valley since 2014 to help optimize the plant’s overall health while maintaining the seeds unbelievable flavor characteristics. The culmination of these efforts involved combining the seed with Havana Seed #38 and Havana Seed #1207, also known as Page-Comstock — The end result is Havana #142.”
Melillo also added that there was an extended fermentation process the Havana #142 leaf required, “While the leaf is incredibly oily and full flavored, the leaf itself is quite thin, making for an extended fermentation process, and at lower heat. The tobacco has been curing for almost 3 years in Nicaragua under the watchful eyes of Abdel Fernandez and myself. The tediousness involved in developing Havana Seed CT #142 is well worth it, as the leaf is incredibly flavorful and unlike any other tobacco in the world.”
In addition to the Havana Seed #142 wrapper, the blend consists of a San Andres Mexican binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco — very similar binder and filler components to what is found in the Connecticut Broadleaf portfolio. The cigar is available in four sizes: Corona, Robusto, Toro, and Double Corona.
The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142 features similar artwork to the original Broadleaf Tabernacle cigar including an illustration of King Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
The first Tabernacle brand was a Connecticut Broadleaf offering. Melillo worked with another pair of Connecticut Broadleaf/Connecticut-grown Habano blends while at Drew Estate with the Liga Privada No. 9 (Broadleaf) and Liga Privada T52 (Habano).
At a glance, here is a look at the Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No. 142:
Blend Profile
Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Havana Seed #142 Grown in Connecticut
Binder: San Andres Mexican
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí, Jalapa), Honduran (Jamastran)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Tabacalera Fernandez)
Vitolas Available
Corona: 5 1/4 x 46
Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 52
Double Corona: 7 x 54
Photo Credits: Foundation Cigar Company
