08/12/2026
What an extraordinary day for Connecticut Valley To***conist! 🌿💨
We had the incredible opportunity to spend a full day with Nick Melillo and the Foundation Cigar Company team, getting a private, behind-the-scenes look at the to***co, the process, the people, and the passion that go into every single cigar.
As a Connecticut cigar shop with 30 years in this industry, Connecticut to***co is more than something we sell—it’s part of our history and something we are incredibly proud to represent. We’re located right down the road from the fields that have produced some of the most iconic to***co in the world for generations.
While Connecticut Shade may not be grown here at the scale it once was, Connecticut Broadleaf and today’s hybrid to***cos are very much alive—and making a tremendous impact throughout the cigar industry. Seeing that process firsthand and understanding the countless hands, years of knowledge, and incredible investment that go into producing just ONE cigar gives you an entirely different appreciation for what we smoke.
A huge thank you to Nick Melillo, John from Dunn & Foster, and the entire Foundation team for welcoming us into such an intimate space and sharing your knowledge with us. Nick’s commitment to Connecticut to***co, its farmers, its history, and its future is something we have tremendous respect for.
We’re proud to stand alongside other Connecticut cigar shops and Foundation to help keep this history alive, educate our customers, and remind people that Connecticut has deep roots in to***co—and that story is still being written today.
We’ve carried Foundation since its early days, and watching what the brand has become makes us even prouder to have it on our shelves.
And now we get to bring some of that experience to you.
Join us next week at Connecticut Valley To***conist with Phil from Foundation for an evening of Connecticut to***co history, education, incredible ci**rs, and great people.
Come learn about the to***co growing right here in our backyard and gain a whole new appreciation for the cigar in your hand.
Connecticut grown. Connecticut history. Connecticut proud.
