You may not know it, but many of you have seen Highclere Castle before. The older you are and the more you like movies, the more you've seen it. In Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, it was the castle Kevin Costner and his crew had to storm to put an end to the Sheriff of Nottingham’s reign of terror. In Eyes Wide Shut, it was the site of a weird orgy of hooded elites. In Downton Abbey… well, you get the idea.
But it’s also a cigar, and now the Foundation Highclere Castle Victorian blend is here to take things in a new direction.
If you had the original blend, you might remember the smooth and creamy smoke. It was a supremely chill cigar. As the current Lord of Highclere Castle, the Earl of Carnarvon, explained, lighting up one of these on a warm summer night on the castle lawn, you “couldn’t imagine a more perfect sense of the relaxed enjoyment of life.” From our yards here in the U.S., we’re right there with him. It’s hard to beat a stogie on a summer night for kicking back and watching your worries and cares float away in the swirls of smoke.
The Foundation Highclere Castle Victorian cigar changes things up quite a bit from the original. This is really a new blend. The holdover is the Brazilian Mata Fina tobacco in the binder. It’s a Drew Estate thing. For example, it was a big part of what made the complex Liga Privada No. 9 cigar so legendary. Foundation cigars owner Nick Melillo left his position at Drew Estate as head of international operations years ago. As we’ve seen, however, you can leave Drew Estate, but Drew Estate never leaves you. The culture of the company makes its mark on anyone who is a part of it, and you’ll see little hints of it in blends for years to come, like this love of Mata Fina leaf.
In the Foundation Highclere Castle Victorian cigar, you now get a Nicaraguan long-filler blend and everything is capped off with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that’s been fermented to perfection. It’s a Maduro cigar, but it really doesn’t smoke like one. The sweetness is barely there. Instead, you get a punchy pepper note that leads the way, followed by a lingering earthiness that forms the core of what this Victorian cigar blend is all about.
The original Highclere Castle cigar was a blend meant to be more of a 1900s cigar than anything else, and we think that spirit is still here in this second release. This cigar steps right out of a time machine, and offers a smoking experience that you won’t find in every cigar on the market today.
As a side note, the box is also gorgeous, with Highclere Castle rendered in golden inlay on red looking quite regal.
Please browse our selection of Foundation Highclere Castle Victorian cigars at your leisure.
Foundation Cigar Co Highclere Castle Victorian FAQ's
Foundation Highclere Castle Victorian cigars are for those who want to smoke a cigar from a different time. This one is for the oldest of old school smokers out there.
Step down to the wine cellar and pick up something appropriately subdued to counteract the pop of the Victorian flavor profile. We recommend an Argyle Nuthouse Riesling.
