Foundation The Upsetters Review

Foundation The Upsetters Review

Today I’m hoping for tears of joy in our review of the Upsetters line from Foundation Cigars. Ironically, this infused cigar has nothing to do with turning on the waterworks, instead inspired by Jamaican cow tongue tobacco and the country’s love for the underdog. Many people don’t know that Jamaica has a long history of growing tobacco that rivals Cuba, with Foundation cigars president Nick Melillo being a longtime admirer of Jamaican culture and tobacco.

Melillo traveled to Jamaica in 2015 to celebrate Bob Marley’s 70th birthday. After the festivities, he searched for the great cigar tobaccos and blending traditions of the island. Thankfully, his luck was in, as the mountains outside Montego Bay, Kingston, and the town of May Pen brought him to one of the oldest cigar tobacco growers on the island.

As well as learning about the indigenous Jamaican cow tongue leaf, he also mastered a centuries-old technique known as “Caribbean atmospheric herbal fusion.” This old infusion method significantly enhances the flavor profile of the Upsetters blend, which also includes tobaccos from northern Nicaragua.

The east coast of Nicaragua is also known as the Reggae coast. When you realize how close Jamaica and Nicaragua are, both historically and geographically, it’s a two-nation blend made in heaven.

Brand overview

Melillo previously worked for Drew Estate — arguably the household name in the industry for exceptional flavored cigars. He decided to sprinkle some of that magic on the Foundation Cigar Company’s second line, after their award-winning debut stogie El Güegüense (meaning ‘Wise Man’).

Available in three different wrappers, connoisseurs are spoilt for choice with this stick, with each in the line named after Jamaican underdogs of the 1960s. Whether it was defeating Goliath or giving us the distinctive sound of reggae, cigar names such as “Rock Steady” and “Small Ax” reflect this resilience to adversity. However, this Foundation The Upsetters cigar review looks at the 5 x 54 Robusto size in the line-up — The Upsetters Django.

Cigar specs

Cold draw

Colors of green, red, and yellow sit over the band’s black background, with the silhouette of a gunslinging, dreadlocked man, depicting the character Django who appeared in numerous spaghetti western films. It should be noted that this traditional Rastafarian-influenced artwork is used throughout the Upsetters line.

The natural Sumatra wrapper has a slightly spongy feel, with minimal veins and a minty/menthol quality from the infusion process. There is an immense sweetness to the pre-light draw, with sweet spices and cloves purring once I’d removed the well-applied, thick double cap.

First Third

The sweetness from the cold draw coats my tongue and lips throughout the first third, with doses of honey, light wood, and herbal tea on every draw.

They work in perfect harmony with the dark, rich flavor combination of the Jamaican and Nicaraguan tobaccos, which between them are known for their earthy spices and underlying nuttiness.

Second Third

I detect some faint black pepper and spice at a quarter inch in, which pulls through into the retrohale. However, the irresistible sweetness refuses to fade from the cap. Generous hits of dry cedar, citrus, and earth also join the profile, with the body and strength sitting at a solid medium.

Final Third

Some divine floral notes light up the final third, with nuances of toast, baking spices, honey, and orange shuffling up a similar flavor wheel to the first and second thirds. I couldn’t help thinking you could elevate this smoke even further by puffing on it alongside a botanical gin or spiced rum. For now, however, I was more than happy to savor the even burn and flavorful draws.

Conclusion

Although the infusion was more dominant than the original blend, I could still enjoy the uniqueness of the Jamaican cow tongue tobacco, particularly when notes of earth and spice touched base.

There was certainly nothing upsetting about this smoke, offering a completely different infused cigar smoking experience and unorthodox flavors. Adopt the underdog mentality and pick up your box of 20 Foundation Upsetters from Cigars.com today.

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