Foundation Aksum Cigar is rebranded from Metapa

Last year, one of the most anticipated releases from Foundation Cigar Company was the Foundation Metapa. Using a high priming of Ecuadorian Sumatra, this line was introduced much like the Olmec was, with a Claro and Maduro version. Needless to say, it was a banger- I mean what cigar blended by Nick Melillo isn’t? A bevy of flavors from black pepper, cocoa, leather, toasted nuts, toffee, medium roast, and light sweetness simply envelope the palate. It’s a dream to smoke. The blend is incredible, but the branding perhaps wasn’t? Or at least according to Foundation Cigars. It now returns with a new face! Introducing, the same cigar but now with a different name, the Foundation Aksum Maduro and Aksum Claro.

Why the change? In a press release, the company stated the following: “The decision to rebrand reflects a deeper connection to the brand’s inspiration—the Ark of the Covenant—and its symbolic journey. According to local legend, the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Aksum by Menelik the First, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. To this day, one priest guards the Ark his whole life, day and night.” The name does seem to fit in with the rest of the company’s cigars, however, I suppose this will confuse the average consumer.

Let me state it plainly. The new Foundation Aksum Cigar is the same blend as the Metapa, just a different label. Using an Ecuadorian Sumatra Wrapper over a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, there have been no changes to the process. This cigar was so rare to find when it was first created and still is difficult to find. Foundation Aksum is available both in Maduro and Claro wrappers, and offered in four sizes:

Foundation Aksum 7 x 54 Double Corona: Soft Box Press
Foundation Aksum 6 x 52 Toro: Soft Box Press
Foundation Aksum 5 x 50 Robusto: Soft Box Press
Foundation Aksum 5.5 x 48 Corona Gorda: Soft Box Press