Meet the Foundation The Tabernacle CT Broadleaf Toro - a 6x52 Nicaraguan powerhouse wrapped in Connecticut's darkest broadleaf. Priced around $277 for a box of 24, this toro delivers a medium-full smoking experience that'll make your taste buds sit up straight. Master blender Nick Melillo packed this stick with Mexican San Andrés binder and Nicaraguan fillers, then slapped Haile Selassie's face on the box just to remind you it's fit for royalty.
This ain't your grandpa's Connecticut shade. The oily Broadleaf wrapper comes straight from Nick's home state, fermented to chocolatey perfection. Underneath lurks a Mexican San Andrés binder hugging Estelí/Jalapa/Jamastran Nicaraguan fillers - basically a flavor demolition crew assembled at AJ Fernandez's factory.
Right off the bat: black coffee bitterness cutting through dense earthiness. Hints of molasses sneak in around the inch mark, trying to civilize the rough Nicaraguan edges.
The Broadleaf wrapper flexes its muscles - expect dark chocolate notes wrestling with black pepper. Retrohale reveals burnt caramel struggling to survive the onslaught.
Nicaraguan fillers drop the hammer: charred oak, leather, and a nicotine kick that'll fuzzy up your vision. About 20% of smokers tap out here - the rest ride it down to nub city.
That maduro wrapper? Pure Connecticut River Valley dirt magic - same soil that grows those pricey shade crops, but let go feral. The Nicaraguan fillers hail from Estelí's volcanic plots, bringing that signature pepper wallop. Rolled in AJ's factory where they measure humidity in worker sweat percentages.
