First released in late 2007, the Fundacíon Ancestral line is comprised of five different cigar lines, each being a "puro" from the tobacco region for which they are named. John Vogel, the mastermind behind Tabacos de la Cordillera, uses ancestral, pre-embargo seeds originating from the Cuba Land seed bank. Only 380 boxes in each vitola were produced, for a total of 8000 cigars in each line.

The rolling process uses the "entubado" method, where each filler leaf is rolled into a "straw," rather than bunched. Then, the ligero is also rolled into a straw and placed in the center of the filler, eliminating the tendency for the cigar to burn off to one side.
The entubado method enhances the burn characteristics, and prevents "plugs" in the cigar.

As I released this puro from it's cellulose packaging, the warm aroma of roasted nuts and light spice are sensed via the olfactory bulb. The wrapper color was a beautiful walnut shade with no blemishes noted. A small vein was sighted running the length of the cigar wrapper, while the smaller vein patterns of the leaf resembled that of a Cameroon wrapper; At least by my observation.

After clipping an ample portion of cap, the pre-light draw provided light flavors of nuts, with just a touch of cocoa sweetness. The draw itself was easy, but not too loose.

This cigar begins with a pleasant floral aroma, with accompanying flavors of nuts and light spice. The spice in the profile is best detected in the “retrohale”, and is somewhat peppery. A soft “woodsy” flavor is noticed as the smoke progresses toward the first half mark. Occasionally, the cigar takes on a grassy taste, but quickly goes away. It is not until the last third that the profile deepens somewhat, and takes on more coffee-like flavors.

This cigar finishes somewhat medium in body, with full flavors. The lingering aftertaste of coffee and wood is accompanied by a slight sweetness.

This cigar performed well in that it had none of the usual burn issues, while developing a nice long, dark gray ash.

This cigar's character profile has changed slightly over the year of additional aging. These tobaccos are still very delicate and susceptible to being overheated when smoked too quickly. I have found that purging helps restore the lighter flavors within this cigar. It is still a challenging cigar that takes time and patience to fully understand and appreciate. We will review this cigar again in another three months.

~ Blake