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Bolder Fonseca From MATASA

Gregory Mottola
Posted: February 18, 2013

Attendees of the ProCigar Festival will get a sneak preview this week of the Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo, a new box-pressed brand from S.A.G. Imports made at the MATASA factory in the Dominican Republic, which is run by Manuel "Manolo" Quesada. The line features a wrapper known as Dominican HVA (Havana Vuelta Arriba) around a Dominican binder with a filler blend consisting of Connecticut broadleaf, Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco. This is somewhat of a departure for the company, as Fonseca branded cigars are primarily mild to medium bodied.

"We've been trying to figure how best to take advantage of Fonseca's brand recognition without suffering from the perception that all Fonseca cigars are mild," said Terence Reilly of SAG Imports. "The goal is to offer greater intensity of flavor to those who find the classic Fonseca too light."

Unlike the company's more full-bodied brands, the Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo will bear the classic Fonseca band as well as a secondary ring distinguishing its bolder Cubano Exclusivo status.

If you can't make it to the ProCigar Festival, you can look for it's four sizes in April. They're set to retail in the $6.00 to $9.00 range.