Foundation The Wise Man Corojo (Formerly: El Güegüense)

Once again, it’s a pleasure for me to compile and share this information! The founder of Foundation Cigars is none other than Nicolas Melillo, whom we had the chance to meet back in the early 2000s during the early days of Drew Estate Cigars in Nicaragua. At the time, he was part of the small team surrounding founder Jonathan Drew, helping to launch this “wild” and unconventional brand. During our visit with apprentices and colleagues in 2005, he took truly heartfelt care of us. Since then, we’ve enjoyed reconnecting at the annual tobacco trade shows and sharing a cigar together. That’s why I’m especially happy for him now that he has made such a successful debut in the U.S. with his “own” cigars.

The Origins of Foundation Cigars and Nicolas Melillo’s Influence on Modern Cigars

In early 2014, he left his long-time employer and made a spectacular comeback at the IPCPR trade show 2015 in Las Vegas. The El Güegüense cigars are Nicaraguan puros made exclusively from tobaccos grown by the renowned AGANORSA company and were produced until 2024. The name El Güegüense certainly took some getting used to — I’m still not entirely sure how it’s pronounced. What’s certain is that it refers to a traditional Nicaraguan costumed and satirical play. It roughly translates to “The Wise Man” or “The Wise Elder.” The wrapper is a Corojo 99 from the Puntalito farm in Jalapa, the binder a Corojo 99 from the San Jose farm in Jalapa, and the filler tobaccos are a mix of Corojos and Criollos from the Estelí and Jalapa regions. The cigars were produced at Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The Wise Man Corojo: Rebranding the Foundation Puro with a My Father Blend

In 2024, Nicolas had a change of heart and renamed the unpronounceable El Güegüense to “The Wise Man Corojo.” The Maduro line had already been released earlier under The Wise Man Maduro. As part of this rebranding, he moved production of both lines “down the road” to My Father Cigars, run by the Garcia family. The current Foundation Cigars The Wise Man Corojo use a Nicaraguan Corojo-seed wrapper, two binders from Nicaragua grown in the Estelí and Jalapa regions, and a filler blend from Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa.

Flavor and Character of Foundation Cigars The Wise Man Corojo

In terms of flavor, these cigars start out fairly intense with pronounced woody and leathery notes and even a bit of pepper. As they progress, they develop more roasted notes while retaining a subtle sweetness similar to the beginning. The finish is rich in flavor with “woody roasted aromas” — it may sound odd, but that’s the closest description of the cigar I smoked. In addition to this line, there are several other cigars by Nicolas available in Germany — you can find an overview of all Foundation Cigars cigars here.