Fonseca Delicias Review 11/04

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(First FOH review)

After seeing no reviews put in for Fonseca...I decided to take one for the team (only to log on to post my review now and to see the call for fonseca reviews is no more....dag!) and review a Delicias from Nov of '04 that a friend gifted me...hence the unknown box code with a glass of ice water to go with it.

["Take one for the team..." as my current smoking time is limited with the new baby at home and last year of grad school gearing up with pre-semester projects coming near due]

The cigar had a pleasant pre-light smell, and a clean pre-cut taste. Kind of a very light sweetness...a baking spice type of sweetness. Nothing to write home about, but I thought to myself...hmm...maybe this will be alright.

A decent cap application, minimal to moderate veining, nothing that made me shudder with construction...then again...nothing that made me look and marvel. As I felt the cigar, about .5" above the foot was a sizable soft spot to gentle squeezing. I thought that this would result in a loose draw and hot burn. Proceed to cut and toast the foot with my trusty $3 butane Ronson from wally-world.

The cigar burned near razor straight down the length of the cigar, although there was some canoeing as you can see in the above photo. I thought about tossing this wanker in the first inch as the cigar had an EXTREMELY tight draw, minimal smoke production, and the smoke that was produced felt very thin, dry, and hot. To add insult to injury, the decent pre-light aroma was replaced with the scent of burning notebook paper, no baking spice here.

But I thought of Rob and his call for reviews, so I forced myself to press on.

After that first 1.5"...the draw loosened up a bit (perhaps due to the constant rolling I massaged the ciagr with)...and the paper nasty taste decreased and a plain jane tobacco taste came to the foreground. I noted a tinge of cinnamon at the back of my throat...but not like the pleasant cinnamon you find in a good chocolate chip cookie, rather like taking a raw pinch from the spice container and dropping it straight into the back of my throat. You taste it, but it's just not a pleasant sensation.

Soon thereafter the first ash dropped.

The next 3rd of the cigar remained about the same. The volume of smoke increased slightly, although it still felt dry, wispy, and hot. The taste was still pretty basic and blase, some grassy undertones in the back of the more acidic/less desirable nature.

To it's credit, the burn continued to go straight down the line. Also, as I was reading on the back porch, I noticed that the aroma from the smoke was much more pleasant/engaging than the actual taste. Perhaps if you smoke many a yard gar...this could be a decent selection. (Also an early morning smoke as others have mentioned due to the mild nature, although I tend to enjoy more of full bodied after dinner cigar, not much for mild or breakfast time smokes).

And finally the last 3rd of the cigar, the flavor morphed to tar with an increase in temperature of the smoke. Be sure that I wasn't sucking away at this cigar, no coning or signs of puffing to fast...I even put it down for a few minutes to see if that would help with the temperature and tar flavor.

Unfortunately it did not, and with a good chunk of cigar left, I gave it a graceful nap in the tray out back. I figured after enduring through a cigar that just isn't my cup of tea, not a strong flavor, nor a smooth balance of more subtle flavors, I'll tolerate a slap or two in the face in the closing lap of hot tar, but if the assault continues, I'll unleash my authority and put the cigar where it belongs.

[gostgost]

Sounds like it really sucked...... Glad I don't have any.

[aavkk]

Well written and Im very glad I didnt invest in any of these. Thanks for taking one on the chin here for us all.

[Taino]

Another Patriot, god bless you.

[El Presidente]

Thanks for taking one for the team

After the reviews and tastings of the Fonseca line I think we have determined that the Cosaco is a cut above the KDT and the Delicia's. However Fonseca No 1 is in a class of its own and the only true "great" of the Fonseca Marque.