Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the salomon shaped Foundation 10 Year Aniversario is dark brown, with a lighter shade finishing the foot. There are some lightly raised veins, but some thick raised veins protruding from beneath the wrapper. The seams are smooth and the tapered head and foot are well finished. The band is primarily dark blue and gold and denotes the company and line names. The aroma from both the wrapper and foot is just a mellow mix of earth and wood. The pre-light draw brings cedar and dusty earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Foundation 10 Year Aniversario is a nice looking salomon. The coloring of the band pops against the dark wrapper, and the wrapper is Maduro in coloring with some dark Colorado aspects here and there. Espresso bean coloring. The wrapper is oily and thick, and there are small to medium-sized veins throughout the cigar. It has a nice aroma of rich earth, tobacco, warm spices and barnyard.
John: The Foundation 10 Year Aniversario does not come in cellophane and does not feature a UPC sticker. The cigar displays a single, primary band. The cigar weighed 19.2 grams, and I measured the humidity at 65.6% using the Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included aged wood and mild tobacco with hay sitting underneath. From the foot, which was only slightly exposed, I was only able to pick up tobacco.
Jiunn: The Foundation 10 Year Aniversario has a beautiful oily, toothy, maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the tapered torpedo style head is well executed. Pre-light aromas give baking spices, cocoa and anise.

Foundation 10 Year Aniversario

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with lightly toasted oak, earth and mild black pepper. At a half inch in, some chalkiness joins the profile. The retrohale is lightly toasted oak, chalkiness and mild earth. At an inch and a half in, the earth and chalkiness are pretty integrated. At an inch and three quarters, the earth increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front, just ahead of the earth, with chalkiness a bit further behind. There is some black pepper in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with barnyard notes paired with espresso and dark chocolate. Wood and earth notes are present along with some pepper and warm baking spices. Tobacco notes are present as well, and the cigar is medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with creamy espresso and tobacco, with mild baking spices following. The finish shows mild wood that carries into the post draw. As the first third settles in, sweet wood, tobacco and light-plus baking spices move more clearly into the post draw. A malty sweetness develops through the center of the profile, adding body and richness. As the first third continues, that malty sweetness begins to define the finish, combining with the wood to create a cohesive and satisfying close to the opening portion.
Jiunn: The first third’s flavor profile is prominent and tasty with cocoa, baking spices, leather and milk. The texture of the smoke is viscous and chewy, giving off full tannins. Retrohaling gives mild dried red pepper spice and cherries. The finish is long with milky tannins and cocoa. Strength is medium and body is medium-full.

Foundation 10 Year Aniversario

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper increases a bit as the chalkiness mellows a bit. At a half inch in, the toast level of the oak increases. At three quarters of an inch in, mustiness joins the middle of the profile. The retrohale is now toasted oak, mustiness and earth. At an inch and three quarters, a bit of dark roast coffee joins in. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front with earth right behind, mustiness in the middle of the profile with chalkiness, dark roast coffee and black pepper all in the back half. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. In some ways, the spice levels are softer. Wood and earth notes are present to make that barnyard quality pop, and it is paired with some tobacco, dark chocolate and espresso notes. Faint spice qualities on the finish. In terms of strength and body, I would classify the cigar as medium-full.
John: The second third begins with creamy tobacco and bread, followed by malty sweetness, and finishes with wood and delayed tannins lingering into the post draw. Some espresso returns to the center of the retrohale as the second third settles in, reinforcing the cigar’s darker flavor base. By the halfway point, toasted earth begins to join the finish, adding depth without overwhelming the balance.
Jiunn: The primary change within the second third is the profile becoming slightly drier. But this doesn’t really impact it negatively because the flavors are intact with the same cocoa, baking spices, leather, milk and full tannins. Strength and body remains medium and medium-full, respectively.

Foundation 10 Year Aniversario

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth becomes even with the toasted oak up front. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth and light mustiness. At an inch in, the chalkiness becomes pretty light. As the cigar comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth are even up front, with mustiness in the middle and black pepper, dark roast coffee and chalkiness in the back half. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is nearly identical to the second third. Wood, earth, barnyard, tobacco, dark chocolate and espresso. Very little spices. Like before, medium-full in strength and body.
John: The final third opens with creamy earth and espresso, with medium-strength earth finishing each puff. Dry wood joins the finish as the cigar progresses toward the midpoint of the final third. By the halfway point, the profile has become distinctly earth-forward, with the earlier sweetness and nuance fading into the background.
Jiunn: The final third mimics the second third. Still a drier profile but matching great full tannins. Flavors of the same cocoa, baking spices, leather and milk. Strength is almost a click higher but I’ll still tag it at medium. Body finishes the same medium-full.

Foundation 10 Year Aniversario

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any intervention. The ash held on in near two inch increments.
Seth: Burn was good from start to finish. Not perfect, but to be expected with a cigar of this nature.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review process.
Jiunn: Burn performance was great. Even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Foundation 10 Year Aniversario

Draw

Aaron: The draw was a bit tighter than I prefer, but can be a bit expected from the tapered head.
Seth: Solid draw from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 40 inches of water using the Cigar Medics Draw Machine. Subjectively, the draw registered at roughly 1½–2 notches toward the resistant spectrum until the burn line reached the shoulder of the cigar, where it opened up to about one notch toward resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was also great, giving the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with lightly toasted oak, earth and mild black pepper. Some chalkiness joined in fairly quickly. The earth increase a bit later. The second third saw the pepper increase a bit and the chalkiness mellow. Later, the toast level of the oak increased. Then, some mustiness joined the middle of the profile. Later, some dark roast coffee joined in. The final third saw the earth become even with the toasted oak up front and the chalkiness became pretty light. The Foundation 10 Year Aniversario had an average flavor profile throughout. Nothing really exciting about the blend, and not what I would expect for an anniversary release. The size is fun, but the price is really high and it’s not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to.
Seth: I was not blown away by the Foundation 10 Year Aniversario. In fact, I was disappointed. I expected this cigar to perform better than the Highclere Castle Senetjer, which was great, but it did not. In fact, the Senetjer was light years better than this. This was an average cigar at best, and a typical American Salomon offering. Boring. There was no change in flavors, and the flavors delivered were lacking all around. No depth. I don’t really have a problem with an anniversary Salomon retailing for over $30.00, but it needs to be good. This was average.
John: The Foundation 10 Year Aniversario delivers a composed and confident smoking experience that feels intentionally restrained rather than showy. The cigar’s early focus on espresso, malty sweetness and creamy tobacco creates an engaging first impression, one that balances richness with control and never feels heavy on the palate. That malty character, in particular, provides a throughline that ties the first and second thirds together in a way that feels deliberate and well-executed. The middle portion continues to perform well, layering bread, espresso and toasted earth while maintaining a smooth texture and excellent combustion. There’s a sense of maturity to the profile here, where transitions are subtle and incremental rather than dramatic. It’s a cigar that rewards attention rather than demanding it. By the final third, however, the profile narrows as earth and dry wood take over, pushing the earlier sweetness and nuance into the background. While the cigar remains technically sound and well-balanced, it loses some of the complexity that defined its stronger moments earlier on. Even so, the impeccable burn, excellent draw and steady progression leave a positive lasting impression. In the end, the Foundation 10 Year Aniversario comes across as a thoughtful, well-built celebratory release, one that leans more toward refinement and consistency than bold evolution. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 18 minutes.
Jiunn: A long, consistent and tasty cigar with deep rooted flavors. For such a big smoke like this Foundation 10 Year Aniversario, it’s hard to ask for any more than that. While at times I didn’t like the dryness, the flavors upheld the positive experience. Overall, a great cigar that shouldn’t be missed.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$6.36

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.23

Cost/Point

$6.69

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$5.13

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$4.88

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Foundation 10 Year Aniversario