Cigar News: Highclere Castle Senetjer to Launch at PCA 2022

At the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Foundation Cigar Company will release its third blend with Highclere Castle, the Highclere Castle Senetjer. It’s a cigar that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and famed archaeologist Howard Carter. The cigar is the most premium offering in the Foundation Cigar Company portfolio to date.

The name Senetjer, the ancient Egyptian word for “incense,” literally translates as “of the gods.” The box of the Highclere Castle Senetjer is a replica of the storage boxes discovered within Tutankhamun’s tomb. The packaging contains a scarab representing the Egyptian god Khepri who was the symbol of rebirth. This scarab incorporates the equivalent of a modern-day monogram representing the name Tutankhamun.

Developed by Nicholas Melillo, the blend for the Highclere Castle Senetjer features a 7th priming Habano Ecuador wrapper along with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper and undisclosed filler tobaccos aged for three years. The cigar comes in one size – a 6 3/4 x 52 perfecto. The cigars will be presented in 12-count boxes with pricing set at $33.00 per cigar. Production comes from AJ Fernandez’s factory in Nicaragua.

“This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of my Great Grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s extraordinary discovery of the Pharoah Tutankhamun’s tomb in November 1922. To celebrate the centenary of this amazing find, we have created the Senejter blend, which is a homage to the cigars enjoyed by my family in the roaring twenties,” said George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon, in a press release.

Highclere Castle Cigar co-founder Adam von Gootkin hired famous Egyptian archaeologists Colleen & John Darnell to advise on the project. “As a result, we have translated the Highclere Castle name into ancient hieroglyphics as presented on the box facing. The hieroglyphs express the exact translation of Highclere Castle into 3,000-year-old Egyptian as follows: “The Great Domain; she who is high, she who is bright, she who is clear,” added Von Gootkin.

The PCA Trade Show opens July 9th in Las Vegas, Nevada. At a glance, here is a look the Highclere Castle Senetjer:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: 7th Priming Habano Ecuador
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Undisclosed – Aged 3 years
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: A.J. Fernandez – Undisclosed