Fonseca Delicias - BST OCT 20 (VVRW#2)

[oneizzzz]

I’m charmed by the tissue paper and the initial aroma is similar to some nicer Cuban robustos I’ve had, yet there’s less intensity in terms of rich cherries and chocolate.  A drier, hay smell.  First puffs taste like a funky, bitter red wine.  Perfect draw - open with just a little tug. Burn and combustion solid.

A centimeter in I’m tasting pleasant bitterness - like I’m chewing the roots of freshly-pulled grass.  It’s overcast right now.  I want a hot day with sun for this cigar.  That type of day mixed with this taste would bring me right back to playful, easy summer days when I was a kid.

So far I’m not getting much complexity, but the taste is growing on me.  Some bitter chocolate and yeasty bread.  Now some spice in the back of my throat at the end of the 1st third.  Just got an ephemeral taste of sesame seed bagel.

There’s some flat bitterness at the beginning of the 2nd third, and I’m happy I’ve got some tart cherry juice next to me as a flavor-foil.  It’s a little tangy in the middle, but not in an unpleasant, minerally way.  More like buffalo chicken wings.  

The last third is starting well.  A bit of astringency gently calls my attention, followed by a deep toasted-bun flavor.  Best flavor of the cigar so far.  Briefly, there’s a sour chive taste - similar to some Montecristos I’ve had.  The deeper, mouthwatering toasty bread flavor is still there.  The last third of this young cigar is showing up... Some rare puffs at the end are filled with dark cocoa truffle flavor.  Delicious and toasty.  I keep expecting the youth to show up with mintiness and heat, yet here I am with an inch left, still puffing away. 

Alas, my toes are cold and I'm going inside.

I don’t think this is a sit-down cigar.  Due to its size and simplicity, I’d rather share it with friends while we’re doing something, like playing a yard-game or floating on a river.  Maybe smoke a couple during a round of golf.  This is a cigar for when I want to enjoy the taste of simple, toasted Cuban tobacco.

Though it’s not a showstopper, I’ll keep these sticks stocked to share.  And to be fair, the score in my head kept going up as I smoked it.  Very solid flavor evolution.  A lovable overachiever and a new, trustworthy friend.

The box press is endearing and the little, rugged cigar I smoked today felt joyful in my hand.  Approachable and mild, with a bit of exciting spice. Some flavors remind me of the Por Larranaga Montecarlo. The value is great.  87.

[Bijan]

Great review! That second photo looks so rustic!

[Mickey D]

Wow, in depth review. I can’t imagine differentiating so many flavors. Wish I could get so much from a cigar.