Foundation Cigar Company

Nick Melillo's own company, built on the Broadleaf and Nicaraguan expertise he developed at Drew Estate.

Melillo spent close to a decade as Drew Estate's head of tobacco before starting Foundation. The company is young but the blending is not — The Tabernacle established the brand almost immediately, and Charter Oak has become one of the most recommended budget lines on the market. Foundation's range is deliberately narrow, which is part of why the quality stays even.