The Tabernacle Broadleaf Cigar Review

The Tabernacle Broadleaf cigars from Foundation Cigar Company is built around one of the great American cigar tobaccos — dark, thick and naturally rich Connecticut Broadleaf. And this cigar doesn’t hide it.

The Broadleaf wrapper is the main attraction, sitting over a Mexican San Andrés binder with Nicaraguan tobacco from Estelí and Jalapa and Honduran tobacco from Jamastran. Foundation classifies the blend as full strength. It’s dark. Heavy. Rich. But there’s enough sweetness underneath the strength to keep things interesting instead of simply overpowering the palate.

Cocoa, espresso, earth, leather, pepper and dark tobacco sweetness are all part of the experience.

The original Tabernacle Broadleaf has also performed well with Cigar Aficionado, with several of the core sizes earning 90-point ratings.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Sizes & Ratings at a Glance

Tabernacle Broadleaf Corona – 5 1/4″ x 46 – 90 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Doble Corona – 7″ x 54 – 88 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Robusto – 5″ x 50 – 89 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Toro – 6″ x 52 – 90 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Torpedo – 4 1/2″ x 52 – 90 Points

Tabernacle Broadleaf Sizes, Ratings & Reviews

Here are the five Tabernacle Broadleaf sizes available at NH Cigars, including dimensions, blend information, tasting notes and published ratings.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Corona – 5 1/4 x 46 – 90 Rated

Size: 5 1/4″ x 46
Cigar Aficionado Rating: 90 Points
Strength: Medium-Full to Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras

The Tabernacle Broadleaf Corona puts plenty of emphasis on that Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

At 5 1/4 inches with a 46 ring gauge, the Corona has a greater wrapper influence than some of the larger sizes. That matters with a cigar like this. The Broadleaf is where much of the dark sweetness, earth and heavier tobacco character comes from.

Cigar Aficionado awarded the Corona 90 points.

Expect plenty of spice up front, followed by cocoa, roasted tobacco, espresso and a little sweetness as the cigar settles in.

Small ring gauge. Big cigar.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Doble Corona – 7 x 54 – 88 Rated

Size: 7″ x 54
Cigar Aficionado Rating: 88 Points
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras

The Tabernacle Broadleaf Doble Corona is the long smoke of the group.

At 7 inches by 54, there is substantially more filler tobacco working alongside the Broadleaf wrapper. That changes things. The cigar can develop slowly, with the different tobaccos getting more room to show themselves.

Cigar Aficionado rated the Doble Corona 88 points.

Expect dark earth, wood and cocoa early, with roasted tobacco, pepper and heavier flavors developing deeper into the cigar.

This isn’t something to rush through. Give the Doble Corona some time and let the Broadleaf work.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Robusto – 5 x 50 – 89 Rated

Size: 5″ x 50
Cigar Aficionado Rating: 89 Points
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras

The Tabernacle Broadleaf Robusto is compact, balanced and loaded with flavor.

The classic 5 x 50 format gives you a strong ratio between wrapper and filler, allowing the Connecticut Broadleaf to stay noticeable while the Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos provide plenty of power underneath.

Cigar Aficionado gave the Robusto 89 points.

It tends to start quickly. Pepper. Earth. Dark tobacco.

Then richer notes begin appearing — espresso, leather, cocoa, spice and a little Broadleaf sweetness.

If you’re trying The Tabernacle for the first time, the Robusto is an easy place to start.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Toro – 6 x 52 – 90 Rated

Size: 6″ x 52
Cigar Aficionado Rating: 90 Points
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras

The Tabernacle Broadleaf Toro gives the blend plenty of room to develop.

At 6 x 52, there’s enough length for the cigar to change as it burns while the ring gauge keeps the Broadleaf wrapper heavily involved.

Cigar Aficionado rated the Toro 90 points.

The profile is deep and unmistakably Broadleaf.

Dark cocoa. Coffee. Earth. Leather. Pepper.

Then a little sweetness behind everything.

The Toro also gives the Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos more room to open up than the smaller sizes. Smoke it slowly and you’ll usually notice the blend getting darker and richer as you move toward the final third.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Torpedo – 4 1/2 x 52 – 90 Rated

Size: 4 1/2″ x 52
Cigar Aficionado Rating: 90 Points
Strength: Medium-Full to Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras

Short cigar. Serious blend.

The Tabernacle Broadleaf Torpedo measures only 4 1/2 inches long but carries a thick 52 ring gauge with a tapered head.

Cigar Aficionado awarded the Torpedo 90 points.

The shape changes the smoking experience a little. Because the smoke is concentrated through the tapered head, some of those darker flavors can come across with more intensity.

Rich wood. Cocoa. Espresso. Pepper.

And that dark Broadleaf sweetness underneath everything.

Don’t let the length fool you. There is plenty happening here.

What Is the Tabernacle Broadleaf Blend?

The tobacco recipe is one of the reasons The Tabernacle has developed such a strong following. Foundation Cigar Company lists the CT Broadleaf blend with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and fillers from Estelí, Jalapa and Jamastran.

View the official Tabernacle CT Broadleaf blend at Foundation Cigar Company.

Connecticut Broadleaf Wrapper

The outside leaf is genuine Connecticut Broadleaf.

This is nothing like the pale Connecticut Shade wrapper commonly associated with mild cigars.

Broadleaf is thicker. Darker. Rougher. More powerful.

Good Broadleaf can produce an unusual combination of earth, strength and natural sweetness. Cocoa, espresso, black pepper, dark fruit, leather and molasses-like flavors can all show up depending on the blend and size.

The Tabernacle lets that wrapper do a lot of the talking.

Mexican San Andrés Binder

Underneath the Broadleaf is a Mexican San Andrés binder.

Another substantial tobacco.

San Andrés brings earth, body and darker flavors of its own, which makes it a natural match for the heavier Connecticut wrapper.

Nothing delicate here.

Nicaraguan and Honduran Filler

The filler tobacco comes from Estelí and Jalapa in Nicaragua along with Jamastran, Honduras.

Those tobaccos give The Tabernacle its backbone.

Nicaragua brings strength, pepper and richness. The Honduran tobacco adds another dimension to the earthier side of the profile.

Put everything together and you get a cigar with real weight.

What Does Tabernacle Broadleaf Taste Like?

There isn’t one single flavor that defines The Tabernacle.

That’s part of what makes it interesting.

Early in the cigar you can expect black pepper, earth and dark roasted tobacco. The blend is usually pretty direct from the start.

Then it opens.

Espresso. Dark chocolate and cocoa. Leather. Wood. Spice.

There is also a natural sweetness running behind those heavier flavors. Sometimes it comes across like molasses or dark chocolate. Other times it’s simply a sweet finish behind the pepper and earth.

The exact balance changes depending on the size you choose.

Which Tabernacle Broadleaf Size Should You Choose?

It depends on how you like to smoke.

Want more Broadleaf influence? Go with the Corona 5 1/4 x 46.

Want something traditional and compact? The Robusto 5 x 50 makes a lot of sense.

Want the blend to stretch out and develop? The Toro 6 x 52 gives the tobacco plenty of room.

Have plenty of time? Grab the Doble Corona 7 x 54.

Want something shorter with a concentrated tapered draw? That’s where the Torpedo 4 1/2 x 52 comes in.

Same core tobacco. Different experience.

Tabernacle Broadleaf Ratings

Tabernacle Broadleaf Corona – 5 1/4 x 46 – 90 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Doble Corona – 7 x 54 – 88 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Robusto – 5 x 50 – 89 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Toro – 6 x 52 – 90 Points
Tabernacle Broadleaf Torpedo – 4 1/2 x 52 – 90 Points

These are published Cigar Aficionado ratings associated with the individual Tabernacle Broadleaf sizes. You can also search the Cigar Aficionado cigar ratings database.

Is Tabernacle Broadleaf a Strong Cigar?

Yes.

Foundation lists The Tabernacle Connecticut Broadleaf as a full-strength cigar.

But raw strength isn’t what makes the blend good.

It’s the balance between the strength and the sweetness.

Connecticut Broadleaf provides the richness. Mexican San Andrés adds another dark, earthy layer. Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos supply the pepper, depth and backbone.

It gets heavy.

It just doesn’t get boring.