Fonseca Vintage Cigar

Have you ever had a moment when a particular smell, taste or sound took you back through time immediately to someplace warm... some"time" soothing? I had that happen yesterday on the drive home.

     Many of you know that I really do enjoy a good cigar. True enough, not all cigars are created equally, but I can garner enjoyment from any well-constructed cigar made from quality tobacco. Sometimes I may prefer robusto, sometimes not, but in general I have found my best cigar experiences - to date - have been in Cuba.

the strand of Jardines Del Rey

     Cuba. Lord Above but what a beautiful place, and such wonderful people. I actually find myself missing it, though I have only been there once. I certainly miss my "Cuban Lifestyle" as well... every morning I would have breakfast with my wife, and then head over to a lounge that overlooked the ocean. I would sit in a quiet corner, sip on some vintage rum (10 years or older), a dark espresso, puff contentedly on a cigar and read my book for an hour or so. It was my peaceful way of entering the day - just as meditative as yoga (in it's own way).

     How perverse, then, that I should be transported back to those mornings in Cuba while I'm in the middle of traffic at rush-hour... heading home through the rain and wind and cold that is Vancouver in December. Utterly perverse, and yet, most welcome. I puffed contentedly for over 30 minutes, and while it may have been wet and wooly outside, on the inside, all was warm and welcome.

Fonseca Vintage Collection, Churchill

Dominican filler and binder, Ecuadorian wrapper

$5 to $6 USD **EXCELLENT VALUE**

• visual:     beautifully constructed, no obvious flaws, fine white ash as it burns, burns incredibly evenly
• nose:      cedar and wood notes throughout, fully intense notes of dark coffee, dark chocolate (80%), creamy caramel, some dark berries
• palate:    I am a novice, so forgive me if I err when I say that this felt like a Cuban cigar. A moderately intense palate that was rich, long, smooth, creamy - filled with all of the nuances on the nose... a true delight that was content just to sit on the palate and allow pleasure rather then some more forceful cigars which demand all of ones attention. Beautiful for the mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or after dinner.
• conclusion:   I must admit to being partial to this kind of cigar; I love a cigar that I can enjoy whilst doing something else (I am a hopeless multi-tasker). The flavors are rich enough to pair with a multitude of beverages; rich dark coffee, dark rum, American whisky, etc... I would definitely prefer this with coffee and rum. A very smooth whiskey like RedBreast from Ireland would work as well.

CIN CIN!!!      SLAINTE!!!     CHEERS!!!