Foundation Cigar Company: Charter Oak Connecticut Toro Cigars

Foundation's founder and master blender Nicholas Melillo wanted to offer "an economy-minded, everyday smoke for connoisseurs — something tasty and delicious but didn't break the bank." Enter the Charter Oak line. Featuring Cuban-seed fillers from Estelí and Jalapa, Nicaragua, Charter Oak Connecticut cigars are then covered in a Sumatran binder and Connecticut Shade wrapper — the latter coming from the same Connecticut valley where Melillo was born and raised (and where he still owns a 50-acre tobacco farm shared by Foundation's company headquarters).

As for the name and oak tree graphic on the band, Charter Oak pays homage to a specific white oak tree in Hartford, CT. The tree dated back to the 12th or 13th century before succumbing to a storm in 1856 and held a significant place in local history, having been sacred to the Native Americans and shared with early settlers. In 1687, when the English Crown sought to confiscate Connecticut's Royal Charter, the townsfolk hid the document in this special tree: Charter Oak.

A medium-bodied smoke, Foundation's Charter Oak Connecticut offers a nuanced profile of vanilla, herbs, and woodsy notes — the perfect everyday cigar and fit for any occasion.