Fonseca Cigars

Don Francisco E. Fonseca, the creator of Fonseca cigars, was a man very much concerned with appearance.  Born on the island of Cuba, he established a Cuban cigar factory in his early twenties, as well as his own brand.  Like many of his peers at the time, he chose his own name to be stamped proudly across his creations.  His adherence to contemporary convention ended there.

Where other brands chose lithographic art showing fanciful scenes – of Cuba, of the vegas where tobacco was grown, of the great literary works (in the case of Romeo y Julieta) the name was borrowed from – Don Fonseca selected his own image.  This was a man proud of his presentation, who paid keen attention to his tailoring and style of dress.  He also applied this to his cigars.  Each and every stick leaving the Fonseca factory was wrapped in a fine tissue paper, the cigar band applied to the paper covering rather than the cigar itself.  This practice not only served the purpose of protecting the wrapper leaf from damage in transit, but also offered an extra elegance and luxury to the presentation of the product.  It is a practice which continues today.

This paper – a traditional Japanese product, crafted by hand like the cigars it sometimes dresses, and able to cover the cigar without affecting flavour the way a cedar sleeve can – is not the only innovation Don Francisco is credited with.  He opened in his factory a ‘tasting room’, allowing valued clients to come and sample several different blends before deciding on their favourite.  This allowed Fonseca cigars to follow the examples of Don Francisco’s revered tailors, creating bespoke cigars to order for special events, celebrations and banquets.  In 1910 he began to package cigars in tin tubes, the precursor to the aluminium tubos we have today and a vital method of storage and protection for cigars smoked on the go.  While Don Francisco may have had a reputation for maintaining his looks, he was far from an empty-headed model.

These days Fonseca cigars are all handmade, most with Tripa Larga (long filler tobacco) and one with Tripa Corta (short filler tobacco).  All tobacco used comes from the Vuelta Abajo region, and is formed into a light strength blend.  While modern tastes are generally geared towards powerful, large format smokes, Fonseca cigars have shown remarkable staying power in having only 2 of the original 6 vitolas discontinued.  The rest have been in almost constant production since their launch.

Fonseca Cosacos: A corona cigar of 42 ring gauge by 5 ⅜ inches long, smoking for around 30 minutes.  This cigar will bring toasty, spicy notes, and an elegance in your hand which befits the tissue wrapper.  A favourite of all Fonseca fans.

Fonseca KDT Cadetes: This slender and short panatela is only 4 ½ inches long by a 36 ring gauge, making it perfect for novice smokers just beginning their cigar journey, or experienced aficionados beginning their day.  Sweet, earthy notes will flow from this stick for around 20 minutes.

Fonseca No. 1: The largest cigar in the Fonseca vitolario at 43 ring gauge by 6 ⅜ inches long, the No. 1 was officially discontinued in 2012 but still appears on Habanos’ official website and was in production until at least 2017.  For however long it remains available it will produce notes of pepper and wood for around 35 minutes.

Fonseca Delicias: The short filler stick in the selection, 40 ring gauge by 4 ⅞ inches and will smoke for about 25 minutes.  Notes of shortbread, buttery sweetness and mild nutmeg make this the ideal smoke for early in the morning.

It is perhaps surprising, given the opportunity for elaborate presentations presented by the Fonseca trademark tissue, that they have been chose so rarely for special edition cigars.  No Limited Edition has come from the marca – which is less surprising, given the enormous stature of the few brands which have been chosen to participate – and only two Regional Editions.  Having chosen Fonseca for their territorial exclusive, France in 2011 and Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands) the year before are the sole recipients of extremely small amounts of cigars rolled in a larger size than the brand typically produce.

The usual procedure for marcas which produce very few Regular Production sticks is for them to make up the bulk of the one-off orders, but nothing about Fonseca has even been usual.  Don Francisco Fonseca himself left Cuba for America at a time when most of his compatriots were staying put to take advantage of their land’s natural resources; he became a citizen of the USA and resident of New York in 1903, operating a second factory in his new home city and returning to Havana periodically to oversee his original business.  He was a man of style and panache, as well as an entrepreneur of savvy, courage and innovation, and the brand which is his legacy cannot be expected to behave exactly as the others.  Part of the beauty and appeal of Fonseca cigars is their rarity; the same small production that causes the rarity also offers greater time and opportunity to ensure a higher quality of cigar.  Fonseca are not the biggest brand in the world, but they are one of the best, and worthy of a place in any smoker’s collection.

Brand Founded: 1892

Strength: Light

Construction: Handmade, Tripa Larga; Handmade, Tripa Corta

Continuous Production Cigars: 4