Foundation Cigars Rebrands Metapa, Introduces Aksum
After just a brief stint on the shelves of retailers, Foundation Cigar Co. is giving its Metapa cigar a makeover. The original branding paid homage to the famed Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío, with specific reference to his hometown. But now, Foundation is changing Metapa to Aksum, taking on a biblical angle, with a focus on one of history’s long-lost relics, the Ark of the Covenant. The cigars have a new name and a new face on the bands, but the cigars themselves will stay the same, including the blend, sizes, box size and where they’re made.
The new brand name, Aksum, refers to the Aksumite Kingdom, an ancient civilization located in present-day Ethiopia. According to local legend, the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Aksum by Menelik the First, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The same theory posits that it was here, under the Aksumite Kingdom, where the Ark of the Covenant was laid to rest. The brand imagery now features Ras Makonnen, once the governor of Aksum, who is considered one of the great leaders of the Ethiopian Empire.
While the brand name and the face are different, the color scheme on the bands is just about the same after the rebranding.
As for the reasoning behind the decision to rebrand, Foundation chalked the matter up to a complication regarding the intellectual property. “Unfortunately, there was an issue with the trademark, and we decided to rebrand and move forward,” says owner Nick Melillo.
Like Metapa, Aksum will be a regular production line available in both Maduro and Claro versions. The cigars come in four, soft-pressed sizes: Robusto, measuring 5 inches by 50 ring gauge ($15.50); Corona Gorda, 5 1/2 by 48 ($14.50); Toro, 6 by 52 ($16.50); and Double Corona, 7 by 54 ($18). Even the prices remain unchanged, and all sizes are packed in boxes of 10 cigars.
The blend still features an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper with Connecticut broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan fillers grown in Estelí and Jalapa. The cigars are made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez.
Aksum will begin shipping to retailers later this week. The cigars will also be on display at the PCA Trade Show, coming this March in Las Vegas.
