Fonseca Serie F

Fonseca, originally made in Cuba, and still made there (making it a Cuban brand, no?) has also been hand-rolled by Manolo Quesada in the Dominican Republic since the 60s. Quesada's great-great grandfather started brokering tobacco leaf in Cuba in the late 19th century. Four generations later, Manufactures de Tobacos S. A. (MATASA) produces some of the finest cigars on the planet. In the 1930s, the family started to buy and resell Dominican tobacco, creating a permanent family foothold there. By the time Castro came to power, Sobrinos de A. Gonzales (the company founded by Quesada's great-great-grandfather) and Constantino Gonzales (founded by a great-uncle) were the largest tobacco brokers in the world. But in April 1960, Quesada's family was forced out of business by the Castro government. While these cigars are still being made in Cuba, the family that created these cigars has been making them in the Dominican Republic for nearly 50 years now. The Serie F was introduced in 2002 as a medium-bodied version of the legendary Fonseca line. Note the color of the Connecticut shade wrapper with its inviting Colorado Maduro tone. It conceals a blend of Cuban-seed Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero long leaves that have been slowly aged in palm ‘terico’ barrels over the years. This unique aging process leads to a magnificent depth of flavor. Look for notes of wood and nuts in the flavor profile, and ample amounts of aromatic smoke. Great with a malty, nut brown ale (like the Wild Goose Nut Brown Ale being featured in this month’s Beer of the Month Club).