Foundation Cigars Olmec Claro

If you're a fan of the gritty, savory-sweet qualities of Mexican wrapper, you're likely familiar with the San Andrés region—where virtually all Mexican tobacco is grown. Foundation Cigars owner, Nick Melillo, sure is, and with the Olmec brand he seeks to home in on the region with a pair of fine-tuned smoking experiences. The Foundation Olmec is named for the Olmec people that inhabited the land as early as 1600 BC. Predating the Aztecs and the Mayans, the Olmecs are considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, thought to be the first to smoke cigars.

Known for his deep appreciation of history and ancient culture, Nick crafted the Olmec brand around select San Andrès Negro wrapper leaves from the Olmecs' homeland. This includes both the Olmec Claro and Olmec Maduro cigars, differentiating the two blends with light (Claro) or dark (Maduro) sorting of the tobaccos. This refined ingredient is joined by Nicaraguan leaves from the country's famed Estelí and Jalapa valleys, both of which have been aged for three years prior to the rolling process. With the Foundation Olmec Claro cigar, the lighter wrapper makes for a medium-plus intensity, lingering long on the palate with deep complexities of cedar, cabinet spice, buttery coffee bean, and semi-sweet toffee.