I first talked about this incredible cigar in 2018, but with El Gueguense getting a makeover I wanted to remember it one last time. If you recall, El Gueguense has been discontinued and The Wise Man Corojo will start arriving soon from the My Father factory.
“The New Wise Man blends are offered in two distinguished variations, each showcasing the finest tobacco leaves meticulously chosen for their unique characteristics. Aficionados can savor The Wise Man Corojo, an all-Nicaraguan blend with filler tobaccos from Pepin Garcia’s farms in Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa Nicaragua.” – Foundation Press Release
Read the original Cigar of the Week writeup from 2018 by clicking the image above
Remarkably, I still have a few cigars from the original release and they are STILL firing on all cylinders. The heat on a retro hale kind of blows me away if I’m being honest. It’s only been a year or so since I last pulled from this box but I still assumed time would’ve taken it's toll a little faster. Aside from the wasabi-like sinus heat, I’m also getting a sophisticated nuance of chocolate that I don’t remember from my first few boxes of El Gueguense back in the day, yet it looks like I did call it out in the first Cigar of the Week.
Cherry, hickory, and molasses – these three sensations will forever be in my mind as the first things I tasted from Nicholas Melillo. Almost a decade later, cherry still shows up to show out from puff to puff yet hickory is notably absent these days. I was worried that I might have waited too long to return to this box, but it is absolutely flourishing with time in the humidor. I wonder if Nick could have guessed at how well these would hold up even then?
Read our first interview with Nicholas Melillo by clicking the image above
On a separate note, I’ve carried this box of cigars through four countries over the years and several states. It’s always had a warm place in my heart since Foundation came online about the same time that I began writing for Small Batch Cigar. And it has served as a reminder for many years that a cigar should be experienced multiple times before making up my mind. Whereas my first impression of El Gueguense was confused since it was such a unique profile, my subsequent interactions cemented it in my personal Hall of Fame.
Learn more about just one way that Nick impacted the cigar world by clicking the image above
I’d like to take a moment and recognize how great of a journey it’s been watching Nicholas Melillo’s rise in the industry. I love seeing great people succeed, and he’s such a fantastic voice in the cigar community. Nick never shies away from dropping knowledge on us, always goes the extra mile to make an exceptional product, and has given so much to the cigar world in terms of his experience and the community he builds. He’s as genuine as they come and I wish him incredible success.
Thankfully, we still have some of these in stock even though they've been discontinued. You can view what's left with the link below.
Leave your comment