Cigars.ie

The Lonsdales of Christmas, Day 7 - Fonseca No.1

Fonseca is one of the less popular brands of Habanos. Their cigars are the only Cuban cigars that are presented wrapped in fine tissue paper. All Fonseca cigars have been presented this way, since Francisco Fonseca opened his cigar factory in Havana in the 1890’s. The brand has been popular in Spain as well as Canada, since the 1960’s. Even today, Fonseca cigars are smoked during bullfights in Spain, while still wrapped in the tissue! I would not recommend that though, and this is not the case, and it is not the method I would use to smoke today’s Fonseca!

The Fonseca No.1 is the largest vitola of the brand and is considered the most flavorful in the brand. It is a Cazadore, measuring 6.4″ in length by 43 ring gauge and like all Fonsecas, the No.1 is presented in dress boxes of 25. This is my first ever Fonseca and I dont know what to expect from it…

Appearance 12 / 15

The Fonseca cigars have the most unusual appearance of all Cuban cigars. When the tissue is unwrapped a smooth light brown claro wrapper is revealed. The veins are very smooth and there are no wrinkles. However, there are quite a few white spots on the wrapper, nearer to the head of the cigar. The bunch is firm and the prelight draw is tight.

Flavour & Body 21 / 25

The cigar starts with a mild to medium body and some peppery and creamy flavours. It is a mild and pleasant cigar with a sweet character, but the tight draw is not really helping it. On the second third the cigar opens up. Although it is not too complex, it’s sweet flavours make it very pleasant. Vanilla, honey, with some chocolate and a hint of cinnamon, make this cigar a very enjoyable and pleasant surprise! In the last third, the cigar keeps its sweet profile. The body is medium towards the end and the cigar gets slightly hot in the last inch.

Draw & Burn 22 / 25

The Fonseca struggles a little with the draw for the first inch or so, but after that it opens up and produces a good amount of smoke. The burn is good and even and the cigar starts going off only on the last third. The ash is flaky and dark grey in colour and falls off very soon, when it reaches about half inch.

Overall 31 /35

I was not expecting much from this cigar and I think it exceeded my expectations. It might not be showing great complexity or balance, but it has some very pleasant flavours and it is very easy to smoke. A good cigar for a beginner, or when you are in a mood for something mild. The cigar I smoked looked young, but I feel that this cigar will be a lot better with 4 to 5 years of age . It is probably the cheapest of all the Lonsdales out there and you should not just ignore it when you come across it in your local store; it deserves a chance…

Total 85 / 100