At the end of 2019, one of the more surprising stories that hit the news was the acquisition of the Fonseca brand by My Father Cigars from the Quesada family. The Fonseca brand was established in Cuba by Don Francisco Fonseca. The Dominican version of the Fonseca brand has been made by the Quesada family since 1974. While under the Quesada stewardship, the brand maintained an important part of the Quesada portfolio. The sale to My Father marked a new beginning for the Fonseca brand. As opposed to moving production of the existing brands to My Father Cigars, instead the company set out to create its own interpretation of the Fonseca Brand and in 2020, the Fonseca by My Father was released. Today we take a closer look at the Fonseca by My Father in the Robusto size.

In terms of old Cuban brands, this is something My Father Cigars has been acquiring over the years. Other old Cuban brands that have been resurrected under the My Father Cigars portfolio include: La Antiguedad, La Opulencia, La Gran Oferta, and Cabañas (this one in conjunction with JR Cigars). The one difference with the Fonseca Brand is that this was a more active brand than the others resurrected by My Father Cigars – and it was one already being produced outside of Cuba.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Fonseca by My Father Robusto and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Fonseca by My Father Cigars will be a 100% Nicaraguan puro. All of the cigars in the Fonseca by My Father Cigars line will feature tobaccos grown on the Garcia family farms. The cigars will be highlighted by a shade-grown Corojo ’99 wrapper.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The Fonseca by My Father is available in six sizes. Each of the cigars will be presented in 20-count boxes. The Cosacos size is also available in a five-count tin option.

Petit Corona: 4 1/4 x 40
Robusto: 5 1/4 x 52
Cosacos: 5 3/8 x 42
Belicosos: 5 1/2 x 54
Toro Gordo: 6 x 55
Cedros: 6 1/4 x 52

Appearance

The Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper of the Fonseca by My Father Robusto had a medium brown color with a slight Colorado red tint. There wasn’t much oil on the surface of this wrapper. Upon closer examination, some darker mottling could be seen on the wrapper. This wrapper was slightly bumpy. While there were some visible veins, most of the wrapper seams were thin.

The best way to describe the Fonseca by My Father band is a mashup of the classic red and white Fonseca logo and the green, peach, red, and gold My Father Cigars’ band. The red and white Fonseca logo is on the center of the band. It is surrounded by gold adornments. Below the logo is a peach ribbon style background with the text “MY FATHER” in gold. Surrounding the logo on the left and right is an image of Don Francisco Fonseca on a green background. The lower part of the bad has the text “FONSECA” in gold font on a peach ribbon style background.

The footer of the Fonseca by My Father is surrounded by a gold-colored ribbon.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to commence the cigar experience of the Fonseca by My Father Robusto. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The dry draw delivered a straightforward flavor profile of natural tobacco and dusty earth. Overall it was a simple, but quite satisfying pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to remove the ribbon of the Fonseca by My Father Robusto, toast up the foot, and move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The profile of natural tobacco and dusty earth continued as the cigar experience of the Fonseca by My Father Robusto started. These notes were joined by notes of hay and black pepper. The natural tobacco quickly became the primary note and it was rooted in sweetness. The earth settled in the background with the hay and pepper a little more distant. The retro-hale produced an additional layer of pepper as well.

During the second third of the Fonseca by My Father Robusto, there was a gradual increase in the earth notes. Around the midway point, the earth notes took over as the primary note. As the cigar moved through the early stages of the second, there was less sweetness on the natural tobacco component.

The last third didn’t see a lot of change. The earth notes were primary. The black pepper, natural tobacco, and hay notes remained secondary. This is the way the Fonseca by My Father Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

Overall the Fonseca by My Father Robusto needed some touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path. While the touch-ups did the trick, they were more frequent than needed. The burn line itself was slightly jagged at times. As for the ash, it had a silver-gray color and was skewed toward the firmer side. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Draw

Overall the draw of the Fonseca by My Father Robusto performed quite well. It had a slight resistance to the draw which is something that I like. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

My Father has typically had a reputation for bolder cigars. Fonseca has had a reputation for milder cigars. In some cases, there were exceptions to those rules, but when it came to the Fonseca by My Father Robusto, things intersected right in the middle. This is a medium-strength, medium-bodied cigar from start to finish. Both the strength and body balance each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

My Father Cigars did a fantastic job with the Fonseca brand. I like the fact they didn’t just try to recreate the old Quesada blends, but instead put their own spin on things. While the Fonseca by My Father Robusto is not an overly complex cigar, it’s nuanced and balanced with flavors that are going to keep you interested from start to finish. This is a cigar I could certainly give to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s a cigar I would smoke again and buy multiples for the humidor. At 90 points, the Fonseca by My Father Robusto earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence.

Summary

Key Flavors:  Natural Tobacco, Earth, Hay, Pepper, Baker’s Spice
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent

The Smoking Syndicate Review

Ben Lee of The Smoking Syndicate previously assessed the Fonseca by My Father Belicoso and gave it a 90.  Note this is a different size and is included for reference purposes.

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence

References

News: Details on Fonseca by My Father Cigars Emerge
Price: $9.50
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: My Father

Photo/Video Credits: Cigar Coop/The Smoking Syndicate