Foundation Cigar Company owner, Nick Melillo, is known—among many talents—for his deep appreciation of diverse cultures, as evidenced with cigar lines such as El Güegüense (Nicaragua), The Tabernacle (Ethiopia), and The Upsetters (Jamaica). This theme continues with the Foundation Olmec cigar line, which pays homage to the Olmec people of modern-day Veracruz, Tabasco, and San Andrés Tuxtla, Mexican regions. The Olmecs pre-date the Mayans and Aztecs, and are considered the first people to smoke cigars.

With the Olmecs originating in Mexico, the Olmec cigar boasts a wrapper selection from the very same region of San Andrés Tuxtla, where virtually all Mexican tobaccos are grown (considered one of the oldest seed varieties in the world). This includes maduro and claro selections of the same leaf, showcasing two variations of the Olmec blend: Olmec Claro and Olmec Maduro. Crafted out of A.J. Fernández's famed Nicaraguan factory, the Olmec cigar begins with the finest Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from the Estelí and Jalapa valleys. Aged for three years prior to rolling, this hearty core is bound with a Nicaraguan leaf and finalized in the aforementioned Mexican wrapper(s), which are fermented slowly at low temperatures to preserve the natural oils and flavor.

Olmec Maduro Toro earned the No. 1 spot on Cigar Snob's Top 25 The Best Cigars of 2022.

What do the Foundation Olmec cigars taste like?

With two wrapper shades, the Olmec cigars offer differing experiences that center around a familiar core. The Olmec Maduro cigar is medium-full (or more) in body, offering gritty-sweet flavors of earth, cocoa, touches of black pepper, and mocha. Meanwhile, the Olmec Claro is also medium-full in body (though slightly less than the maduro), offering classic complexities of cabinet spice, fresh-cut cedar, toasted bread, and candy-coated nuts.