Foundation Cigar Company is rebranding its Metapa line as Aksum. While the blend will remain the same, it’s getting a new name and packaging less than a year after its debut. Foundation will showcase Aksum at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

Cigar Coop has confirmed the issue is due to a trademark issue.

Foundation has said the change will pay homage to the Ark of the Covenant. This concept is used in the company’s Tabernacle blends. Aksum is the name of an ancient city in Northern Ethiopia. Some say Aksum is the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. The image on the box and band of Aksum is that of Emperor Haile Selassie’s Father, Ras Makonnen. Makonnen who was a governor of Aksum and confidant to Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II.

“Aksum represents a significant chapter in our journey, paying homage to the sacred history associated with the Ark of the Covenant. The blend remains the same as Metapa & testament to our unwavering dedication to providing a unique and memorable smoking experience,” commented Foundation Cigar Company owner and blender Nicholas Melillo in a press release.

Like Metapa, Aksum is being released in a Claro and Maduro Ecuadorian Sumatra.  Connecticut Broadleaf binder and fillers from Nicaragua are also featured in the blend. The cigar is available in the same four sizes for both the Claro and Maduro blends: Corona Gorda (SRP $14.50/cigar), Robusto (SRP $15.50/cigar), Toro (SRP $16.50/cigar), and Double Corona (SRP $18.00). All sizes are ten-count boxes.

The PCA Trade Show opens on March 23, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Photo Credit: Foundation Cigar Company