Plasencia Cigars

Blind Review: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

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The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I is made by Plasencia Cigars at Plasencia’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I is an extension to Plasencia’s regular Alma Fuerte line, changing the original’s wrapper to a lighter leaf that has been aged for 10 years.  The toro vitola we are reviewing today is named for Eduardo Plasencia, who was one of the first family members to grow tobacco after leaving the Canary Islands for Cuba in 1865. This new extension blend is also offered in Plasencias’ trademark hexagon vitola as well.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I
  • Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Colorado Claro)
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 6 1/4 x 54

Blind Review Notes: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a triple capped box press toro. The cigar is graced with a light chocolate wrapper that resembles a cracked sidewalk.  The body and foot of the cigar smell of sweet cedar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is loose with alot of cedar on the breath.

First puff is very light and sweet, with the slightest spice on the backend.  Ideal smoke production! Retrohale is hot and spicy. Flavors progress to leather, sweet cream,  and more spice then at first.  Theres also a flavor that reminds me of NYC tap water with ice. Perfumey retrohale with a salty mouthfeel.  Then a marshmellow retrohale, with fruity notes.  Lots of mini-transitions, as you can see.

By the second third, I realize the cigar reminds me a lot of vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.  So good I have to slow my pace down. The cigar is burning too hot! Billowing smoke production.  Ash build-up looks like a stack of coins. Lots of lingering sweetness and cedar.  Hot leather retro with a continued vanilla nuance.

Last third needs a touch up.  The cigar is burning a little wonky.  What a shame! The cigar needs more then one touch up.  The flavor profile stays sweet with the spice picking back up.  Leather, cedar, vanilla, pepper. Tingling baking spices on the tongue. A sea of nuanced flavors, but I am dissapointed in the construction issues that keep distracting me. The retrohale is toasty hazelnut.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I, was a light strenght/medium body cigar with layers of different flavors.  If not for the combustion issues on the last third, this cigar would have easily achieved a 90+ score.  Unlike the maduro version of this cigar, which was released before the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I, it has a lingering sweetness.  I find this same flavor to be present on the Plasencia Alma del Campo cigar.  I still prefer the maduro version of this stick, regardless of the situation. Plasencia in my mind is the undistibuted champ of tobacco farming and his aging and fermentation process take his cigars to the next level, seperating them from the rest of the market place.  All that said, give the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I a try, and let us know what you think.

Final Score: 86

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Plasencia Announces Nationwide Release of Exclusive Alma Del Fuego Cortez Cigar

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Plasencia 1865 Cigars has confirmed that the Plasencia Alma Del Fuego Cortez cigar, which was made exclusively for the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) convention, is now being distributed to retailers across the country. The Alma Del Fuego blend, which secured the #13 spot on Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2019, was used to craft the Cortez, a limited production 5.7” x 56 Figurado.

According to Jose Luis Plasencia, Vice President of Plasencia 1865 Cigars, the company chose to feature Ometepe tobacco in this new vitola to highlight its distinct flavor, which is enriched by the volcanic soil it grows in.

As with all its products since the company’s establishment in 1865, Plasencia sourced only the finest tobacco for the Alma del Fuego Cortez. The result is a full-bodied smoke with “bold and fiery notes”.

The Plasencia Alma Del Fuego Cortez cigar is now being shipped to TAA member retailers. The cigar is available in 10 count boxes with a recommended retail price of $21 per cigar. According to Plasencia 1865 CEO, Nestor Andrés Plasencia, this cigar symbolizes the company’s passion, expertise, and commitment to excellence.

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Blind Review: Plasencia Year of the Tiger

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The Plascencia family has supplied tobacco for many cigar makers and boasts a large inventory of quality aged tobacco. With their own label they continue to prove that the care they take in growing and processing equates to a superior product. I have enjoyed many cigars in their profile and the range and blends always seem to impress.

In keeping with the Chinese New Year, Plasencia released the 2022 Year of the Tiger. This toro has a decade of aged tobacco from their farms in the blend. Read on for the blind review.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Plascencia Year of the Tiger
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size: 6” x 54 (Toro)

Blind Review Notes: Plasencia Year of the Tiger

Appearance & Construction

This imposing cigar has a silky claro wrapper that despite its size is smoother than I anticipated. As I feel the stick it is chock full of tobacco from top to bottom.  The smell from the foot is of barnyard with wood, notes of plum and pepper that hit my nostrils on the end.  In hand the roll is steady which is the hallmark of a premium crafted smoke.

Taste & Smoking Characteristics

Straight cut is clean from the head and as I take a dry draw earth, pepper and lemon zest hit the front of my tongue and the sides of my mouth. I gently torch the toro and my first puff is hearty with impressions of spice and citrus. My palate is quickly enlivened, and my next draw is a combination of sweet and spicy with rich tobacco notes. I take a retrohale and am greeted with almond, spice, and cedar with a richness on the exhales that lingers. The ash is whitish grey and looking solid thus far. The body is in the medium range and with another draw there’s coffee and Asian spices that gives this cigar a complexity from the start.

The flavors hang on long and there is more of a grey ash towards the midpoint of the smoke. There’s milk chocolate along with nuts as I take a slow draw that lingers. Another puff brings cedar and citrus with cocoa and cream on the finish. The body is moving into the medium to full range and a retrohale brings chocolate notes that become sweeter and end with cinnamon spice on the exhale.  I’m picking up more cedar and coffee that is rather pronounced. The head of the wrapper is beginning to splay a bit which does not seem to affect the flavor or draw just cumbersome more than anything. Despite this being a large toro it burns faster than I expected and with each puff the flavor continues to expand.

The last third of this cigar kicks up the strength with bold espresso and nuts that come on strong. Asian spice returns and even with the head of the wrapper loosening up, the complexity of the toro continues. As these flavors continue to develop, cedar and earth come into play leaving a slightly shorter finish than expected. I take a retrohale where upfront flavors of pepper and oak greet my sinus ending in a saltiness that comes through my mouth. With a final draw there is some wonderful notes of chocolate with a sweet and savory finish. At this point the head of the wrapper makes it difficult to smoke although it is pretty much down to the nub and has been a pleasure tasting

Conclusion

This toro delivered big flavors throughout the long smoke. Lots of spices, citrus, cedar, cocoa all lingering on the palate. Retrohale delivered nuts, chocolate, cinnamon, and wood that resonated in a medium bodied style. The one thing that hurt the score was the head of the cigar began to splay midway which was cumbersome while smoking however it did not affect the flavors.

On finding out this was a Plascencia blend, I was not surprised because of the nuances in the tobacco with the plethora of aged stock they have. I would recommend picking up at least one Year of The Tiger to try and if at $40 a stick your budget can grab more than the quality is certainly there.

Final Rating 93

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Blind Review: Plasencia Cosecha 149 Gordito

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The Plasencia family has long grown massive amounts of tobacco for the industry’s largest cigar brands. It is only in recent years that the company began developing its own core line of cigars, beginning with Plasencia Alma Fuerte (a tremendous cigar) and most recently the Plasencia Cosecha 149. Cosecha 149 translates to “harvest 149” in English and represents a Honduran puro from the company’s 149th harvest in 2014.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Cosecha 149 Gordito
  • Wrapper: Honduran
  • Binder: Honduran
  • Filler: Honduran
  • Size: 4 7/8 x 60

Blind Review: Plasencia Cosecha 149 Gordito

Appearance and Construction

The wrapper is dark chocolate in color with a box press shape and solid in hand. To the touch it’s rustic and dry with several veins across the sides. With a squeeze there’s a spongy quality to it as its not fully packed with tobacco. The foot smells of pepper which hits my sinus and I’m picking up cocoa notes as well.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

I take a straight cut with my Xikar cutter and clip the head of this thick cigar. The dry draw delivers raisins, berry, and oak on the tongue. I gently toast the foot with my Lamborghini lighter and the first puff is toasted marshmallow with wood and char. The ring gauge of this large smoke is not comfortable in my mouth and is a less than pleasurable beginning. There’s some allspice on the next puff along with more toasty notes. I take a retrohale where I’m getting leather and a dry sensation as I exhale. Thus far the cigar is in the medium range with barnyard, earth, and wood on the short finish.

Halfway through and the ash is firm which is predominantly white in color. The burn line is razor sharp and the quality and combustion is spot on. The flavors are becoming deeper with coffee, spice, and toffee on the finish. The retrohale gives off the same drying sensation as before with leather and spice taking over the palate. Toast and char return on the next puff which is very similar from the cigar’s beginning. Thus far there hasn’t been a tremendous change in the flavor profile which makes the smoking experience lackluster. Taking a slow draw there’s black pepper and some minerality on my tongue which has elevated the cigar to a mid to fuller range.

There’s graham cracker along with cedar on the final third with a longer finish that has been present with this smoke. I’m picking up some maple which has sweetened the cigar balanced by earth and leather. The retrohale delivers upfront espresso bean with cedar and a bitter finish. There are red fruits alongside citrus and pepper that feels disjointed on my palate as I take another puff. Bakers’ chocolate comes through with that cocoa bean and bitterness combination. With a final draw the cedar dominates with a creamy finish that lasted longer than most of the cigar.

Conclusion

Not being a fan of such thick gauges in general, this was a challenge to smoke. I find the girth uncomfortable while I’m smoking. Nevertheless, I can objectively speak to the flavors I did receive and base my review on such. The cigar started off with toast and oak followed by leather that dried my palate. The more pleasant notes were the coffee, cedar, and pepper notes that I got while I took a long draw. The cigar stayed in the medium range and the construction was solid. There wasn’t much complexity in this smoke and it came off one dimensional. The blend didn’t quite do it for me which is surprising as I’ve enjoyed several Plasencia lines especially the Alma Fuerte. I would recommend picking up some of those or maybe a Cosecha in another vitola that may represent the tobaccos better.

Final Rating: 87

Plasencia Alma del Fuego Panatela Review

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Man, Plasencia Cigars has been on a roll in 2019. Not only have they continued to expand their self-branded cigars with blends like the one up for review today, they’ve also had a series of big hits with collaborations on blends for Montecristo, Trinidad, and (coming soon) RyJ.

All that to say, that’s why I was so excited to get to review the new Plasencia Alma del Fuego panatela which arrived in my monthly Platinum Box from Luxury Cigar Club. I just had to know if the new release could live up to the reputation developed by the Alma del Fuerte.

Appearance & Construction

The Plasencia Alma del Fuego is visually striking, with three total bands: two near the cap and one on the foot. The red and white color scheme is eye catching, as is the flat design approach of the overall asthetic. The outer wrapper on the other hand is positively rustic, with some very noticeable veins as well as some visible inconsistencies in the shape of the cigar.

When squeezed gently, the cigar has a bit of give that is consistent down the length of the cigar. The draw is ideal, about a 7/10 in terms of restrictiveness though I’m not sure what will happen once the closed foot opens up. The cold draw is a mix of cooking spices, toasted bread, and sweet coffee.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Once lit, the Plasencia Alma del Fuego opens with hearty, medium bodied smoke that contains notes of hot spices, vegetal, white pepper, coffee, and a sweet floral flavor. Overall, the smoke is balanced between spicy, bitter, and sweet flavor categories. The retrohale mirrors this experience. Like the wrapper, a very rustic smoking experience. Smoke production is on point, and the smoke, though spicy, is cool. It’s an excellent start and a flavor profile I can’t say I’ve experienced before, which is awesome.

The first ash holds for more than an inch and a half, with a mostly straight burn. Here the balance shifts more toward the spicy end of the spectrum and the smoke hits the tip of the tongue hard. The profile is a mix of charcoal, black and cayenne pepper, oak, and a funky vegetal note that would likely be awful on its own but is great next to the other flavors. Good complexity.  

In the second third, the strength and body start to creep up into the medium plus range. The funky vegetal note takes the spotlight, at times becoming a bit overly aggressive but still very enjoyable. At the same time, some cocoa and cream notes sneak in, balancing the spicy and bitter notes well. Interestingly, the sweeter notes also find their way into the retrohale, which is smooth and rich with notes of finely ground black pepper and cocoa. Throughout the second third, construction is effortless: a great burn, excellent smoke production, and a well structured ash. Excellent. 

In the final third of the Plasencia Alma del Fuego panatela, the flavors start to condense, with strong notes of charred cedar planks, espresso and cooking spices. It isn’t nearly as complex as the first two thirds, but it is a fitting conclusion. Construction never wavers, and the smoke only heats up in the last inch. 

Very enjoyable.

Conclusion 

I was really looking forward to smoking the Plasencia Alma del Fuego because of my love for the Alma Fuerte. However, I wasn’t prepared to like the Alma del Fuego even MORE than the Fuerte. 

It’s a cigar that carves out an entirely new flavor profile full of robust pepper, smoked meats, charred wood, and vegetal on one side and coffee, cocoa and cream on the other. Even more impressively, the balance of flavors shifts throughout, making it a riveting cigar to smoke and a likely contender for our Top 10 of 2019 list.

Go buy this cigar. I suggest spending some time alone smoking it so you can get the full experience.

Final Rating: 94

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