Fonseca Habana Seleccion

Size: 7 x 50 - No. 1
Wrapper: Nicaraguan-grown, Habana Criollo ’98
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Seco & Ligero
Body: Full
Strength: Medium-Full
Humidor Time: 3 Months


This cigar came to me by accident from an online retailer, I must comment on the color of this cigar’s wrapper, it sports a lovely brown with a reddish hue. The wrapper is a Criollo 98 leaf, the cigar is soft with a fairly smooth wrapper with only a couple of noticeable veins, the largest one is seen in the photo near the palm of my hand. With the cap cut, the cigar does not have a loose draw, it is a bit firm. The wrapper is a toothy velvet on the lips. As I think about this cigar before lighting, I am again wondering why I am going to smoke a 7 inch cigar, hopefully it will be time well spent.

The first initial draw on the cigar after lighting, I was instantly greeted with a creamy rich smoke that was thick, yet light at the same time. I am impressed with the smoothness, it is obvious that Fonseca used quality tobacco for this cigar. I notice a salty sour tang the head of the cigar, the first flavors I am given is a woody coffee. Exhaling through the nose is easy with this one, I am picking up some wheat flavor with a varnish finish.

Into the body of the cigar, this is smooth, the ash is white and holds for half an inch, the burn on the other hand is having trouble burning straight. The aftertaste is a pleasant toasted flavor. The aroma is similar to pipe tobacco, it is appealing. I am tasting that wheat flavor with a roasted bean touch. Before long the burn has evened up with some careful rotating, it is close to being straight. As I continue on, the flavors become bold and robust, I am getting a taste of burnt coffee, this cigar is really out to trick the smoker. In the background of the smoke, a sweetness is pleasant, not sure if I really like the burnt flavors, but the sweetness keeps me hanging on and wanting more.

As I reach into the second half of the cigar, the burn has decided to creep up one of the more prominent veins (the one seen in the photo), so it is no longer even. The flavors are still robust, giving off a brunt coffee and wheat flavors with a sweetness in the background. I am also still getting a salty citrus touch on my lips from the wrapper. The cigar stays lit very well, I had to run up to get my laundry out of our shared laundry mat at our condominiums and when I returned, this thing was still burning.

This is a very consistent cigar, not at all boring, with each puff I get a heady robust taste and a sweet finish. As I near the end of the cigar I am pleased to have devoted the two hours needed to smoke it. The body is full and the cigar finished in the medium to full range. The wrapper cracked under the bottom band as I clumsily removed it, the top band came off fine without any problems. The crack did not expand or cause any problems in the burn.

My final thoughts. I was impressed with this cigar, it is my first Fonseca and I enjoyed it. I do not care much for a burnt flavor, but with a sweetness hidden within, this was a delightful smoke. I do recommend this to those looking for a robust cigar that is rich in smooth flavors. The strength of this cigar will creep up on you if you are not careful, smoke it slow and enjoy what it offers. One final note, this cigar will make your breathe smell like a dead cigar, not very nice at all.

Appearance 2- I Like It
Construction 2- Soft and squishy
Burn 1.5- Took a while to burn straight, then picked up a vein and burned uneven again
Ash 1.5- Drops too easily
Flavor 3.5 - Very interesting
Smoke Profile 2- Smooth Easy and Nice
Aroma 2 - Enjoyable, this is not overpowering, nice and mellow


=14.5 Points

Anejo - Arturo Fuente (Shark) #77

Size: 5 7/8 x 50/64
Wrapper: Connecticut Broad Leaf
Binder: Chateau de la Fuente Dominican
Filler: Chateau de la Fuente Dominican
Body: Med-Full
Strength: Med-Full
Humidor Time: 4 Months

For some reason I was drawn to smoke this cigar today, I was looking through my humidor wondering what I should have and this one stood out. Mind you that this stick was sitting on the bottom of my humidor with others stacked on top of it, but this one called out to me. The brown wrapper on this square pyramid cigar is toothy, the cigar is squishy and though it has a square shape from the mid body to the foot of the stick, it is not all that square. It does not look to be evenly rolled, when I removed the band, I can see that the band was placed a little tight causing a slight hour glass shape where it was on the cigar.

The wrapper smells like cedar, dirt, and desert grass while the foot smells strongly of maduro cocoa. Upon removing the red band on the foot of the cigar, I see it was covering some cracks in the wrapper. The cap on the cigar is a good size leaving room to cut and not worry about taking to much off, before cutting I moistened the cap and tasted a cocoa sweetness with spice. With the cap removed, my tongue tastes a sweetness and a salty flavor in the tobacco.

I just realized that the one cutter I own and am using, costs less then the cigar I am cutting. Also my lighter costs about a tenth of what I paid for this cigar, sad that the tools which will be around after I finish the cigar costs less total than the stick I am about to burn.

The cigar lights easily, the smoke is abundant and the aroma smells like a cigar shop. The smoke itself is smooth and thick with no spice or acridity I associate with many Arturo Fuente cigars. The first flavor I get is dirt. The draw is a tad tight, but not restricting a great amount of smoking coming through the cigar. A sweetness is hidden in the smoke with the salty touch.

The smoke is dry, the burn is rather straight and the ash is a very light gray holding only about 3/4 of an inch before falling.

As I was into the body I was picking up a nice light cocoa flavor and an acrid taste, which does not surprise me coming from an Arturo Fuente cigar. I cut about an eighth of an inch off more of the cap, it was a bit too tight for my liking, I am pleased I did so as the draw loosened right up as I prefer and I still have another eighth of an inch left of the cap on the cigar.

I was given a sharp flavor like Sumatra coffee. The burn has decided to do as it pleases and has become wavy on one side and starting to canoe on the other. I continued to get a nice coffee flavor, and as I was nearing the halfway point I tasted walnuts. With some rotating the burn self corrected and burning straight.

The acrid flavor is still there and getting in the way of a good maduro ciagr. Continuing on through the second half of the cigar I was given a nice woody flavor, an earthiness that is a good change of pace. The smoke is a tad harsh in the back of my throat, there is no spice to taste, but felt it. The flavor developed a bit of sourness but still creating strong coffee, cocoa, and the acrid touch is backing off slightly.

Into the final third the burn remained straight, the acridness has picked up a whole lot getting in the way of the other flavors this cigar is capable of. With just under two inches left I continue on for the sake of the review, but I am really disappointed so far with this cigar. I never did get another touch of harshness in the smoke expect that one time.

Okay, so after another half inch, I decided to put this cigar to rest, it was still acrid and not getting any better.

My final thoughts. This is certainly an Arturo Fuente cigar, that acrid taste is terrible and I notice it in a lot of their cigars. So far I have only enjoyed the Opus X they make, all the others have been a waste of my money. I can find other maduro cigars that I enjoy and do not have that bothersome flavor. I do not recommend this cigar for two reasons, 1) the acrid flavor gets in the way, and 2) the price for this is not worth the money. In my opinion this cigar is over rated, over priced, over hyped, and does not taste good.

I have one more Shark and one Churchill to smoke, we will see what happens in a year or so, but it will not be any time soon before I want another Anejo.

At Least I still have my cutter and lighter.

Appearance 1- Average
Construction 3- Excellent
Burn 1.5- Near perfect, just a minor wavy here or there
Ash 2- Very Nice
Flavor 1.5 - Many nice flavors, but all lost due to acridity
Smoke Profile 2- Only once did I question the smoke, as such it is not enough to affect the rating
Aroma 2 - Nice and not overpowering, Aromatic, enjoyable fragrance


=13 Points