Foundry Elements, Compounds & Musings Xenon

📌 Brand: Foundry Tobacco Co.
📌 Line: Elements – Xenon
📌 Size: Torpedo (6 1/4" × 54)
📌 Weight: 19.1 g
📌 Age: 12 years
📌 Origin: Dominican Republic

Tasting Notes

• Cedar – Clean, woody backbone

• Toasted Grain – Warm, bready note

• Light Cocoa – Subtle sweetness beneath the surface

• White Pepper – Mild, crisp retrohale

First Impressions

The Xenon 54 features a bronze-toned wrapper with a smooth, metallic-styled band typical of Foundry’s experimental lines. Pre-light aroma brings cedar, grain, and faint cocoa. Cold draw is noticeably tight, hinting at airflow restriction.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Cedar and toasted grain open the profile. Tight draw limits smoke output but keeps the burn steady.

• Second Third – Light cocoa joins, adding gentle sweetness. Draw remains tight. After midway, burn begins to waver and needs touch-up.

• Final Third – White pepper becomes more present. A relight is needed to continue, and flavors flatten slightly toward the end.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Chamucos Añejo Tequila , offering vanilla, spice, and roasted agave that brighten the cigar’s mild cocoa and cedar notes.

• Tea – Sri Lankan Nuwara Eliya Black Tea, brisk and citrusy, giving lift and freshness against the cigar’s tight, muted character.

Music Pairing

“Golden Age” – TV on the Radio

Warm, layered tones matching the cigar’s toasted grain sweetness.

Final Thoughts

The Foundry Elements Xenon 54 shows a pleasant, gentle flavour profile built on cedar, grain, and light cocoa. However, a consistently tight draw and a touch-up plus relight after halfway held it back from showing its full potential.

Final Score: 7/10
Why not a 10?
Tight draw and post-midpoint burn issues disrupted otherwise clean, balanced flavours.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.