The Return Of Tabernacle Knight Commander
Nick Melillo, of Foundation Cigar Co., has brought back Tabernacle Knight Commander, a limited-edition cigar introduced last year for a good cause: all of its net profits go to charity. This year’s allotment of the philanthropic smoke is shipping to retailers now and should start reaching shelves as early as next week.
Knight Commander is available in one size, a double-tapered Perfecto measuring 6 3/4 inches by 52 ring gauge. The blend is based on the company’s core Tabernacle line and consists of a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper atop a Mexican San Andrés binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí and Jalapa. According to Melillo, the cigars spent an additional 15 months aging in cedar after rolling.
Presented in boxes of 12, Knight Commander is made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez and has a suggested retail price of $40 each, or $480 per box. Only 700 boxes have been produced.
The funds raised by the sale of Knight Commander go to the Royal Ethiopian Trust (RET), a nonprofit organization that s educational scholarships, cultural restoration projects and community development initiatives across Ethiopia. Melillo has a personal connection to the organization. The Ethiopian Crown Council dubbed Melillo Knight Commander of The Ethiopian Star of Honor. Established by Emperor Menelik II in 1889, the title recognizes extraordinary service to the country.
“Receiving the Ethiopian Star of Honor is one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Melillo says. “The Knight Commander cigar is my way of giving back, and I am honored that all net proceeds will the Royal Ethiopian Trust, contributing to projects that make a tangible difference in the lives of Ethiopians.”
