The Particulars

The Review

This review for the Foundation Tabernacle Knight Commander - Perfecto (6.75 x 52) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-03-28

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

Nicholas Melillo operates Foundation out of his home state of Connecticut in an office located on a tobacco farm. This allows him to work closely with Dunn & Foster, selecting the tobacco he wants sent to AJ Fernandez, who purchases the tobacco directly from D&F to be used in Foundation cigars. So if you’ve ever wondered how Foundation has such amazing quality Connecticut Broadleaf in so many of their cigars, now you know.

And it fucking shows in the Knight Commander. This Broadleaf is a dark chocolate brown that just shines with a heavy, oily sheen. The tooth on this is so thick and craggy it might as well say “hallo guv’nah!” There are only a few thin veins running through the leaf, the seams are tight, and it’s well-rolled with a nice firmness and density. AJF always seems to deliver on a high level of quality with these more expensive Foundations. The band is gorgeous and simply adorned with the Order of the Star of Ethiopia.

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Great (4)

Perfectos always make me smile when they shoot flames straight out the foot during light-up, and this one didn’t miss the opportunity. As expected, the draw starts a little tight but opens up nicely as it burns past the taper on the foot. The ash starts bright white and cools to a light gray with medium-sized spacing between the tight cracks. That heavy toothiness translates to a ton of oil crystals in the ash. The burn line is razor-sharp and close to dead-even, with just a little waviness to it. The ash almost held on to the midpoint before falling.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Excellent (5)

This starts with that classic Broadleaf profile. Smoky, charred hickory, earth, baking spice, dark chocolate, and coffee creating a mocha, black pepper, and a dried black cherry to raisin fruit sweetness that has a moderately creamy finish. Nothing is dominating; the overall impact in the first third is fairly moderate. I’m not getting that full flavor robustness or indicators that I’m going to get walloped with nicotine either. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is a medium, possibly medium-full strength cigar. But the offset is that it allows all the flavors room to play, giving nuance and complexity a chance to shine.

With the second third, the black pepper has pulled back some, with an increase in baking spice, more creaminess, and stronger charred oak. There’s a subtle mustiness and some vegetal notes mixed into the earth that come and go. These flavors make me think of fall—the leaves turning and that smell of everything falling to the ground. Earthy, but crisp with a hint of decay as things return to the ground. That mocha flavor has separated back into espresso and reduced dark chocolate, bringing in more natural anise and licorice-like bitter notes.

The final third sees pepper return, but more red, hitting the front of the tongue and mouth rather than the back of the palate like black pepper. That earthiness has increased while the musty aspect stays light. The vegetal notes continue with a light starchiness. The dried fruit is still a mix of black cherry and raisin, but it’s dry, not syrupy and thick on its sweetness. I’m still getting that black licorice aftertaste as the espresso notes charge to the forefront, blending into the creamy finish. Complexity is on point with this blend, though it’s still very nuanced and medium on intensity overall.

Overall Experience (0-5):  Excellent (5)

This is a fantastic, nuanced blend, but I’m struggling with the value proposition. If this were a $25, maybe $30 cigar, I’d be all over it, but at $40+ I’m not able to say it’s a “must-buy” cigar. When you consider there’s also the 10 Year Aniversario and Senetjer that are similarly priced Perfectos with more robust profiles, I’d personally opt for those first. But if you’re a big Connecticut Broadleaf fan and haven’t had the Knight Commander, then definitely put it on your list.

Review Base Rating (0-5):

5.00

Would I Buy It Again?

Most likely (good stick, but look for a deal)

Review Final Score (0-10):

9.00

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.