Tabernacle Havana Seed CT No.142 Lancero

Cigar ReviewNicaraguan CigarFoundationTabernacleHavana Seed 142Lancero

9 Dec

📌 Brand: Foundation Cigar Co.
📌 Line: Tabernacle Havana Seed 142
📌 Size: Lancero (7" × 40)
📌 Weight: 10.7 g
📌 Age: 3 years
📌 Origin: Nicaragua

Tasting Notes

Dark Chocolate – Dense, rich core
Espresso – Bitter-sweet roasted depth
Cedar – Sharp, clean structure
Black Pepper – Intensifies cleanly on retrohale

First Impressions

The Havana Seed 142 Lancero carries a dark, oily wrapper with the signature sheen of the hybrid Havana seed leaf. Pre-light aromas give barnyard, cocoa, and sharp cedar. Cold draw is perfect — smooth resistance with pepper warmth and sweet earth.

Smoking Experience

First Third – Dark chocolate and espresso hit immediately, followed by pepper building through the retrohale. Burn razor-sharp.
Second Third – Cedar brightens the profile, pepper softens slightly, and complexity deepens. Smoke output thick for a thin ring gauge.
Final Third – Strength rises, espresso becomes dominant. A small touch-up needed to correct a wavering burn, but flavors stay bold and clean.

Pairings

Alcohol – Dictador 20 Year Colombian Rum - Dark caramel, cocoa, and roasted coffee sweetness pair seamlessly with the cigar’s chocolate–espresso core.
Tea – Chinese Golden Monkey Black Tea - Smooth, rich, with natural cocoa and malt notes that echo the cigar’s depth without overwhelming it.

Music Pairing

“Inner Fire” – Ibibio Sound Machine
Energetic rhythm and complexity match the cigar’s bold pepper and espresso kick.

Final Thoughts

The Tabernacle Havana Seed 142 Lancero is rich, balanced, and elegant. Chocolate, espresso, cedar, and pepper stay well-defined with excellent transitions. Aside from one touch-up in the final third, it performs nearly flawlessly.

Final Score: 9/10
Why not a 10?
Required a single touch-up near the end, keeping it just short of perfect execution.

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