Rare Finds Cigars
Foundation Rare Finds — Titans of Tobacco Collection
Foundation Rare Finds — Titans of Tobacco Collection. Nick Melillo doesn't follow trends. He sets them. As the founder of
Foundation Rare Finds Ceremony — a Foundation Cigar Co. collaboration exclusive to The Tobacconist of Greenwich. Two years in development. Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper grown in the same River Valley soil that has produced the world's finest wrapper leaf for centuries.
The Connecticut River Valley has been growing tobacco longer than the United States has existed. Long before it became the cradle of world-renowned Broadleaf, its soil was tended by the indigenous peoples who understood tobacco as something more than agriculture — a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, a vessel for prayer, gratitude, diplomacy, and communal ritual.
Ceremony returns to that origin.
The Collaboration
When The Tobacconist of Greenwich approached Nicholas Melillo about building something for the Rare Finds Collection, the conversation didn't start with wrapper grades or ring gauges. It started with history. With the Connecticut River Valley itself. With the iconic Indian emblem that has graced The Tobacconist of Greenwich brand for over fifty years — a symbol that demanded a cigar worthy of what it represents.
Two years later, Ceremony is that cigar.
The Leaf
The wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf grown in the same fertile River Valley soil that has defined American tobacco cultivation since before the nation existed. This is the leaf that built the Broadleaf reputation — dark, oily, substantial, capable of carrying a cigar while contributing its own distinct character. The binder and filler are drawn from Nicaragua, creating a medium to full-bodied profile that is at once grounded and complex.
Earthy. Layered. Deeply satisfying.
The Presentation
Ceremony arrives in what may be the most striking packaging in Rare Finds history. A hand-crafted leather presentation box — embossed, laced, and centered with a medallion bearing The Tobacconist of Greenwich's iconic emblem. The box is a collector's object before you've touched the cigars inside. Every detail of the presentation reflects the reverence this project demanded.
The Maker
Nicholas Melillo founded Foundation Cigar Co. on a belief that great cigars begin with great tobacco, great land, and unrelenting respect for the craft. Lines like The Tabernacle, Olmec, and Charter Oak have earned Foundation its place among the most respected independent cigar companies in the world. With Ceremony, Melillo has created something that honors both the history of the leaf and the partnership that made it possible.
Why This Cigar
Ceremony is more than a cigar. It is an invitation to pause — to recognize tobacco not merely as a leaf, but as something that has carried meaning across cultures and centuries. The Connecticut River Valley gave American tobacco its foundation. Ceremony pays that debt.
400 boxes. 14 cigars per box. Once they're gone, they're gone.
Now available exclusively at The Tobacconist of Greenwich — trusted purveyors of rare and exclusive cigars since 1974.
| Strength | Medium-Full |
| Shape | Perfecto |
| Origin | Nicaragua |
| Binder | Nicaragua |
| Filler | Nicaragua |
| Length | 5 3/4 |
| Ring Gauge | 56 |
| Product Line | Foundation by Rare Finds |