Staff Review: The Tabernacle Lancero
Introduction:
Today I will be reviewing Foundation Cigar Company’s The Tabernacle Lancero. This is one of several blends from the company that has been well received by critics and consumers alike.
First time reading our reviews? Check out our guide to how we consider blends here. Otherwise, feel free to skim the quick hits or dive deep into any section below and find the full details on this cigar. Let’s go.
The Quick Hits:
- Debuted in 2016 at IPCPR
- The Tabernacle was the first Foundation blend to utilize Connecticut Broadleaf (Charter Oak Maduro also debuted at IPCPR in 2016)
- Main tasting notes consist of dark chocolate, earth, and a generous but not overwhelming amount of pepper
- Recommended for: fans of anything produced by AJ Fernandez, Liga Privada, Ashton VSG
- Priced mid-tier in comparison to higher end Broadleaf-wrapped cigars
The Story:
Nick Melillo is an interesting “character” to say the least, and I mean this in only the best of ways. The self-proclaimed “chief of the broadleaf” is a tobacconist through and through, and this is pretty evident when you hear him talk about tobacco. As a longtime cigar smoker, Nick completely immersed himself in the culture of the industry and spent years gaining hands-on experience with tobacco while he lived in Nicaragua. This understanding, paired with 11+ years of working at Drew Estate and blending highly esteemed cigars like those in the Liga Privada line, has helped him master the art of all things cigars.
In 2015, after Nick announced Foundation Cigar Company, his first release, El Gueguense hit the market. It was a bit surprising that the El Gueguense blend didn’t include any broadleaf tobaccos, but it nonetheless garnered almost unanimous praise from across the industry.
The Tabernacle was next which seemed almost like a homecoming of sorts - a robust and rich blend wound tightly (but not too tightly) in a thick Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. As much as I enjoyed El Gueguense, I quite literally let out an audible sigh-of-relief when I saw the “chief of the broadleaf” was launching a line with tobaccos that he had so expertly mastered over the years.
When I think of Foundation Cigar Company or my idea of the perfect Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, I think of The Tabernacle.
The Build:
Let’s just jump right into it. The Tabernacle starts with a toothy and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper (as you may have picked up on) that sits atop a rich San Andres binder and filled with delicate yet bold tobaccos from Jamistran in Honduras and the Jalapa and Esteli Valleys in Nicaragua. This may seem like a complex blend, but all you really need to know here is that this combination provides for a uniquely delicious smoking experience.
The Look:
Aside from a good blend, one of the things I love most about cigars is the packaging. Starting with the primary band, you’ll see an image of the 225th king of Abyssinia, whose lineage has traces to King Solomon. Just a disclaimer here, Nick Melillo is somewhat of a history buff, and you’ll be able to see this in his other products. But I digress. The image on the primary band is understated but also somewhat regal. I think the overall darkness of the primary band plays well with the color of the cigar; the gold accents on the crown and the border of the band really complement this.
The box itself is sturdy and while it may seem relatively standard, I think the absence of stickers aside from the box seal does justice to the overall feel of the box. There isn’t any fluff or gimmicks when it comes to the packaging which I think gives it more of a traditional, stripped-down feel that fits my impression of the cigar. Inside the box, the 24 cigars are wrapped neatly and snug in a black ribbon, which is a nice touch.
I want to note that aside from the packaging, the cigars, especially in this 7” x 40 lancero size, look extremely elegant. Before I untied the ribbon to pull a cigar out of the box, I had to give myself a moment to admire their beauty.
The Experience:
Before I get into the nuances of The Tabernacle, I am going to sum up the overall flavor profile in three words – rich, rich, and rich.
Even before the initial light, there is a noticeable aroma of dark chocolate coming off the foot of the cigar. To my delight, this intensifies even more after a few cold draws and this flavor and aroma will be persistent throughout the duration of my time smoking the cigar.
The first third of the cigar was full in terms of body, flavor, and strength. I was a bit nervous that the amount of nicotine would keep me out of commission for an hour or two, but this strength quickly mellowed out once I got into the second third where it fell more into the medium range at most.
Aside from the dark chocolate notes that kept up through the entire cigar, there was a noticeable earthiness that was accompanied by a good amount of natural sweetness that tied everything together. Background notes of coffee, leather, and black pepper helped to make this blend uniquely complex and balanced at the same time.
The Tabernacle, like a lot of broadleaf wrapped cigars, put off a healthy amount of smoke due to the thickness of the wrapper leaf. The cigar, when squeezed, felt a bit tight which caused me to have some reservations at first, but the draw was almost perfect – not too loose, not too tight. To add to this, I had absolutely no issues with the burn and didn’t have to pull out my lighter again after the initial light for any touchups.
One thing I do want to point out is that this size is a surprisingly long smoke. Granted, I do smoke relatively slowly compared to some others, but the 7” x 40 lancero that I smoked for this review took me almost two hours to smoke. I would’ve have been happy to smoke this blend for four hours - maybe Nick will release this blend in a 12” x 40?
The Value:
All things considered, The Tabernacle Lancero is a relatively reasonably priced cigar for what it is. A top-tier Connecticut Broadleaf cigar can easily cost you upwards of $20. I would absolutely put this blend towards the top of my list in comparison to similar cigars, and the fact that it costs about $12-$13 in this size per cigar (you can get a corona for about $9) pushes it even higher up that list. Hopefully, this won’t cause an uproar, and it shouldn’t, but I honestly would put The Tabernacle in the same tier as any of the Liga Privada lines.
Final Thoughts:
The Tabernacle is one of the quintessential blends of its kind. I think people will look back at it in 10 or 15 years from now as a prime example of the mastery of Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco blending. In my opinion, the lancero is the best size of The Tabernacle and does a good job of highlighting the blend and profile. Though this is the most expensive size of The Tabernacle in terms of price per cigar, some of the smaller sizes come in below $10 which makes it more manageable for me to keep in my regular rotation.
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