Blind Review: My Father Fonseca Robusto

In 2019 My Father Cigars and the Garcia family acquired the rights to the non-Cuban Fonseca brand. Prior to this acquisition the Quesada family owned the brand, making various lines of the brand for the larger conglomerate S.A.G imports. Of the many versions I’ve smoked from this outfit I found a lot of them unimpressive and inconsistent. When I heard it was being purchased and revitalized I was excited but also concerned that My Father’s interpretation might bastardize the Fonseca brand.

Thankfully, with the Garcia family controlling the production, tobaccos, and blends, all signs point to a positive outcome. Having not known what I was smoking until I was finished I was happy to see such promising results from this cigar. Read on.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: My Father Fonseca Robusto
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Size: 5 1/4 x 52 Robusto

Appearance and Construction

The My Father Fonseca robusto’s milk chocolate wrapper is silky to the touch and the roll is excellent and full of tobacco when squeezed. Smelling the foot of the cigar, the chocolate notes are in line with the color of the wrapper. An attractive robusto to behold.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

For a change of pace on this smoke I use my Palio single blade cutter which slices a clean straight cut off the cap of the cigar. As I take a few dry puffs, the draw is loose and sugary. Then as I toasted the My Father Fonseca with my Xikar single flame lighter there are earthy and spicy notes that cleanly hit the tongue and sides of the cheeks. In the next puffs, some sweetness and spice hits the lips and the cigar starts to build up in strength. I take a retrohale which releases hay and balsa wood through the nose. The tobacco appears to be well processed as these flavors linger on the palate every time I take a pufff.

When the My Father Fonseca hits its stride at midway, the hay and sweetness return with a solid medium body. As the smoke develops, floral notes come through with hints of oolong tea on the finish. The tannin that I pick up is nicely balanced with milk chocolate and subtle earth tones. Construction wise, the ash is white with a solid burn line. Excellent smoke production too. The My Father Fonseca eases right into a comfortable medium range still with consistently pronounced flavors.

In the final third of the My Father Fonseca, milk chocolate and maraschino cherries zip through the palate with a lengthy finish. Another retrohale brings wood, rose petal and cedar all at once. As the ash grows longer (showing that the tobacco and roll are above average quality), there is a creaminess that resonates, giving a wonderful ending to where this cigar began. A comprehensively flavorful smoke all the way through.

Conclusion

Prior to My Father acquiring the Fonseca brand I found the non-Cuban incarnations lackluster and generic at best. The Garcia family has breathed new life into this namesake with a flavorful robusto compounded by sweet, spice, tea and floral notes that develop nicely throughout. The tobacco is well curated and the craftsmanship of the cigar is evident. This combination delivers a medium bodied experience with plenty of flavors to keep you interested. I recommend picking up several of these or a box to hold onto as you should be quite pleased.

Final Rating: 93