Search the Community

"They wrap em in toilet paper for a reason". For the uninitiated (which includes me) the Fonseca cigars are named after its Spanish founder Don Francisco Fonseca, and the current lineup consists of light strength cigars with tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo region. All vitolas in the Fonseca portfolio are presented with the characteristic wrapped tissue feature, for both regular production but also for their special releases. This 2014 Fonseca No.1 is from my first box, bought earlier this year from our gracious host, from what I recall sourced from the PCC aged programme. The factory name is Cazadores and measures 43 x 162 mm, more commonly known as a Lonsdale and one of the few cigars remaining Lonsdales in the HSA lineup. The (T)issue Let’s begin by addressing the elephant in the room – the tissue wrapper with the band on top. It is the only brand in the Habanos portfolio that is currently available with a distinct tissue paper wrapper. In fact, among all Cuban brands it should be the only one, even though custom Cuban cigars unconventionally come sometimes rolled in newspapers, this is a different thing. I am leaning towards it being a unique feature or marketing gimmick – or perhaps the story is true that Don Fonseca (allegedly a handsome fella) wanted his brand to represent and reflect elegance and class. Some say that the tissue wrapping adds protection from damage and helps to maintain an optimal humidity level but that could just be broscience. The quality of the paper reminds me of plasticky rice papers used to wrap ginger candies. In fact, the sleeve on my Starbucks straw has a better-quality feel to it. The paper on the straw actually has a function and purpose: to protect the straw. Will the tissue paper make a huge difference in a box or humidor? Personally, I don’t think so, on the contrary, I have seen aged examples of Fonseca cigars where the tissue paper becomes discolored with brown stains looking more like skid marks. So, while the tissue may be left on the cigars in a humidor… it must be removed before smoking. (No way...!) The occasional Lonsdale fan, I enjoy this cigar size. It is pleasant to hold, just like a longer Petit Corona. The cigar feels well-constructed, with an overall a solid impression to it and no indications of underfilling or obstructions. When I first opened this box, I must admit it was the best smelling cigars I had ever experienced. The individual sticks though are much lighter, yes, the wrapper has some aroma, there is a freshness to it – floral or citrusy – but nothing that reminds me of the initial box opening. The draw after cutting it is firm but acceptable. The cold draw has little to no taste – maybe that freshness again? It is easy to light it up, but during the session I had to relight it a couple of times – nothing that bothered me to be fair. The burn was reasonably even despite being outdoors with a bit of wind. In terms of flavors, the Fonseca No.1 must be one of the mildest and smoothest cigars to come out of Cuba, and most would agree that it is a very light cigar. It offers an elegant and delicate flavor profile, with a smooth blend of tobaccos which I prefer as a morning cigar, even on an empty stomach. I almost get a feeling of smoking pipe tobacco from this one. It has a very pleasant and clean tobacco smell with a clean taste, some Caribbean spice blend of clove or nutmeg that forms the underlying base flavor (some might call it floral or citrusy) with hints of sweetness that shines through occasionally. I do understand it is not everyone's cup of tea though. For the most part of the 1+ hour session, it remains the same with little development, which is not a bad thing. The band stays in place until the end accompanying whatever little flavors are left. Overall, I like the cigar and the flavors are pleasant enough for me to want to go back and smoke one soon again. Some final thoughts. The Fonseca #1 is a straightforward cigar that gets some love, but it is not universal and not everyone appreciates it. Some say that older Fonseca No 1's are amazing – I just don’t know how much more ageing it needs before losing what little flavors are left. The tissue wrapper presentation does make it stand out, and I am willing to say it does matter, as you not only eat with your eyes, but you also smoke with your eyes. (What?) I have added the Fonseca No.1 to my regular rotation and if I am looking for a decent morning cigar, I know I can rely on this one to always deliver. I am also glad I “won” another box recently which I will treasure too. Overall, this is a great cigar for my taste. Maybe not everyone's though.

Who doesn't like marshmallow? I'll admit I had been eager to give one of these a try. I added this single among others when I picked up the Blind cigar lot, so no idea date code on it. Had a nice sheen to it, seems well constructed, nice smell. V cut, toast and here we are smoking. I didn't get the marshmallow. Perhaps a bit in the first third, there was some lightness to it, I wouldn't call it marshmallow flavor, but had that hint. Of course that's what I always hear about these, so may be biased to that. But after the first third it was pretty harsh to me, and that lightness went away. Didn't help that it started raining so had to adjourn to the garage. I'll try one of these again, but not so eager to grab a box unless the next one I try is much better. Wouldn't call it bad, just not great and I'd choose many other cigars over this one. 86-87 maybe?

I have to say these are without doubt one of THE most underrated cigars on the market for me, with a couple of years age on them ..they are superb ..and the best bit…they are CHEAP !! supposedly discontinued in 2012 but still about! Its a Lonsdale size which is perfect for me. COLD DRAW - slight woody/cedar taste with some floral bread/toast notes…slight tug I have punched this stick..but its a good draw. the cigar has oily complexion or a mottled look to it with a well packed foot. FIRST THIRD - nice opening of a honey sweetness and wait for it..no surprise toasted tobacco moving onto a wonderful biscuit character which I adore in cigars. SECOND THIRD - the biscuit element is still here along with the sweetness there is now an arrival of a mild white pepper and slight saltiness from the wrapper which combined with the honey is a fabulous flavour .there is also a slight citrus taste on the tip of my tongue whether it lasts we shall see. FINAL THIRD - honey has now turned t burnt caramel there is as expected a bitterness arriving but it wrks well with sweetness to make it into a espresso flavour…the biscuit element has all but gone as we arrive at its end where its now just bitter where everything has condensed at one end. CONCLUSION - I am never let down by these they are not strong or complex ..but medium bodied at best. the flavours are great. and two to three years on these is about right I find - 94 points

Here we go Fonseca KDT Cadetes. My nemesis, as a cigar rookie I got this brilliant idea of buying 3 boxes of Cadetes. Oh dear, oh dear. Just to found out it's not for my taste buds. So! Let's have look what had happened in few years time. Draw is okay, some resistance but okay. I stored them in a jar. The silk dress is quite yellow, so there had been progress. It's a little oily cigar who will see the lighter. We went for a doggie walk. Perfect size for a cigar. Chaos German Style. What's always been bugging me is that the Cadetes just goes off. I had to relight a few times. So what we got here tastewise? Dark chocolate, deep roasted espresso. Light smoke, even its a very oily cigar. Resumes: something to smoke away, nothing demanding. A nice cheap & cheerful cigar for a dog walk.

I took the day off from work, ran errands in the morning and then put my little one down for a nap after lunch. Weather was beautiful out so I decided it was a good time to relax. I have been hanging on to this Fonseca No 1 since 2016 when snagged it via the FoH Christmas sampler. It is a beautiful cigar. Oily, little toothy and a nice orange/reddish, maybe rosado, looking wrapper. Prelight smell is hay with a good bit of wood. Since it was in the middle of the day, decided to pair it with a Coke! First third was very good. Mostly a wood and toasted tobacco flavor with a toasted marshmallow flavor on the retrohale. Draw was a tad tight but not unsmokable. Might need to invest in a Perfect Draw for the future. Second third continued with good flavor. Tasted mainly of dry Cheerios and a little wood. Retrohale was still marshmallow like. Unfortunately at the end of the second third I ran into a burn issue. One part of the wrapper became fireproof which forced me to do 3 to 4 touchups at a bad time. Final third was a little harsh. Most likely due to the fact that I had to touch up the cigar so often in the final third. The cheerio flavor continued with a heavy woody finish. Retrohale was more like burnt marshmallows now but definitely not offputting. Overall I really enjoyed this cigar. I am happy I bought a box of 2017s on 24:24 and put it to sleep for a bit. I think these will definitely get better with age. The Fonseca No 1 is one of my favorite sticks due to the retrohale and its light body. It could definitely be a daily smoke for me considering its priced right and I have yet to have a horrid experience with one. I highly recommend buying a box and putting it away for a bit.

Cigar: Fonseca No.1 Box Code: UME NOV14 Review Date: April 18, 2016 (Age: 1yr, 5mo) Appearance: This box smells incredible! A really great barnyard aroma. This is a box I picked up on a 24:24 a little while ago and it’s PSP grade in my estimation. A perfectly crafted cap with a dark Colorado wrapper that has some nice sheen and splotchiness to it. First third: Honey, cream, a nice balanced pepper, and some subtle floral notes. Second third: The sweetness fades to the background, the pepper picks up a tad. There’s a slight leather note coming in. Third third: Body increases a tad, the leather asserts itself more, as does the pepper. The honey and cream have faded almost completely and have been replaced with a nice black tea flavor. Smoking time: Forgot to measure. I think about 1.5 hrs. Conclusion: So glad I jumped on these when they were available. They're considered discontinued by most, so it was a nice surprise to see them available. Aside from this box I’ve had one other example, a nicely aged stick that I got in a trade. It was equally as impressive. Fonseca may not get as much love as the other marcas, but I’d buy another box (or two!) in a heartbeat if they showed up on a 24:24 again. Rating: 95

Hi guys, While browsing some cigar stores here in Germany I found out that the Fonseca No. 1 - thought to be discontinued since 2012 according to the Cuban Cigar Website - is back in stock at some retailers. Since I like the Lonsdale format I bought one of the boxes. According to the boxing date, these are fresh ones - ARG DIC 14. Another German shop offers some with MOE NOV 14. So, are they back in production or did the Cubans just found some Fonseca's flying around and shipped them? I heard some stories that there were shortages of the silk wrapper - the other vitolas were unavailable for a long time here, too.