Fonseca cigars are known for being elegant mellow cigars and have been enjoyed by aficionados throughout the ages. Fonseca has found a lot of success in the global market, notably due to the charismatic tobacconist the brand is named after.
Francisco E. Fonseca was a popular Cuban tobacconist and was widely admired for using the finest quality tobacco in his cigars. Don Fonseca established his first factory just outside Havana, Cuba in 1892. Being located outside of the expensive city centered allowed more money to be spent on hiring some of the best torcedors on the island.
The Don and his wife, Teresa Boetticher, immigrated to the United States in 1903. The two wanted to raise their four children in America, three of which were named Francisco. Don Fonseca split his time between his family in New York and his cigar company in Cuba.
The excellence of Don Fonseca’s cigars gained him quite a bit of notability. In 1907, he officially registered the brand and expanded its production, which included adding a factory in Havana.
The Fonseca brand stood out among others. Don Fonseca cared about the quality of the cigar after it left the factory and invented a way to preserve the quality.
Fonseca individually wrapped each cigar in tin foil and then covered it with a thin layer of Japanese washi paper. The packaging was exquisite and effective at keeping the cigar safe from the elements.
The brand was so well liked that Fidel’s communist regime did stop its production. The mild bodied Fonseca cigars continue to be rolled in Cuba under the state-run cigar company Habanos S.A.
The 1962 Cuban Embargo created an epidemic in the cigar world. Cuban brands were registered in the United States and non-Cuban cigars were produced for the American market. Fonseca is one of these brands and it was registered in 1963 by a Cuban family in Miami.
Manuel Quesada was contracted to produce the non-Cuban Fonseca brand in 1974. The Quesada family was exiled from Cuba and they fled to the Dominican Republic in 1960. The Quesada’s started out as tobacco brokers and have been in the tobacco business since the late 1800’s.
When the family was asked to produced Fonseca they opened up a small factory with $100 and one rolling table. The Quesada’s passionate commitment to crafting quality cigars built their reputation as one of the best manufacturers in the Dominican Republic. This got them a coveted spot as a member of the Pro Cigar Association of Dominican Cigar Manufacturers.
Quesada has steered the Fonseca brand away from its mild mannered status. As the market grew to favor stronger sticks, Quesada worked to meet that demand. He has released stronger full-bodied lines, such as Fonseca Cubano Limitado, which has several awards including the 2007 Best of the Best award from Robb Report.
The Fonseca name carries a lot of respect and is a distinguished cigar brand. If you want to consider yourself a true cigar connoisseur then you must experience an alluring Fonseca cigar. You’ll find that it is one of the best the market has to offer and Mike’s Cigars offers them at a wonderful price.