At the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Foundation Cigar Company will introduce the Menelik Toro, the second size under the Menelik line.

Menelik was originally an event-only cigar that first was released in 2016. In 2019, the Menelik switched to a limited production line in a Petit Robusto size.

Menelik was the name of an ancient emperor of Ethiopia, who was said to be the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Menelik was also known as Ibn al-Hakim, which translates into “Son of the Wise Man.”  This ties to two of the company’s flagship brands El Güegüense (The Wise Man) and The Tabernacle (the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant which was said to be dismantled by King Solomon).

The Menelik Toro measures 6 x 52. It features a San Andres Maduro wrapper over a Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 binder and all-Nicaraguan fillers. The cigars are presented in 12-count boxes with pricing set at $16.50 per cigar. The cigars are expected to ship to retailers in the late summer/early fall of 2022.

“I wanted to create a unique blend in limited quantities for those tobacconists that support all of our brands. It started as an event-only blend and has now become its own line,” commented Nicholas Melillo, owner and blender of Foundation Cigar Company in a press release.

At a glance, here is a look at Foundation’s Menelik line:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: San Andres Mexico
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 Jalapa
Filler: Nicaragua (Condega, Estelí, Jalapa)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A.

Vitolas Offered

Toro: 6 x 52
Petit Robusto: 4 1/2 x 52