The Plasencia family has been in the tobacco and cigar business for over 150 years dating back to 1865. They only recently, about 4 years ago (2017), started to blend and produce cigars under the Plasencia name. Prior to that, their business model was to grow, harvest, cure, and age tobacco that would be used in cigars contracted by other cigar brands. The company website notes that in 2015:
“Plasencia became the largest grower of tobacco in the world with more than 6,000 employees, 4 factories, and 8 plantations in Honduras and Nicaragua, producing 40 million cigars a year.“
If you did not know the back story on a number cigars you enjoyed, you would not realize you were smoking a Plasencia craft. It took the 5th generation of Plasencia’s to realize they should brand cigars under the family name. The company website notes that in 2017:
“Plasencia Cigars, the family’s own brand was launched. Néstor Andrés, Gustavo, and José Luis Plasencia introduced the Alma series, Reserva Original, and the Cosecha 146 among others.”
Toady’s focus is on the Plasencia Cosecha 146, an exclusive blend of tobacco from the company’s 2011-2012 harvest. The company explains:
“This harvest or cosecha marked the 146th harvest of the family’s inaugural tobacco crop of 1865. The leaves are grown in the best regions of Honduras and Nicaragua to produce a unique flavor profile – the result of blending the crops of two great tobacco countries.”
The rich flavorful blend is described as:
- Wrapper: Honduras (Criollo ’98) – Jamastran Valley
- Binder: Nicaragua (Criollo ’98) – Estelí
- Filler: Nicaragua (Criollo ’98) – Condega and Honduras (Criollo ’98) – Olancho and Jamastran
The Plasencia Cosecha 146 is expressed in five different vitolas, each packaged in 10-count boxes:
- La Musica (Robusto) (5 x 50) – MSRP $11.00
- La Vega (Robusto Extra) (5 x 52) – MSRP $12.00
- Monte Carlo (Gordo) (6 x 58) – MSRP $14.00
- San Agustin (Torpedo) (6.25 x 52) – MSRP $13.50
- San Luis (Toro) (5.7 x 54) – MSRP $13.50
For this review, I sampled two Plasencia Cosecha 146 La Vega’s which I purchased from Tailored Smoke Cigar Lounge in Charlotte, North Carolina – as part of my 2020 mission to Keep The Lights On.
Pre-Light Examination
The Plasencia Cosecha 146 La Vega is a fine looking cigar with a smooth brown wrapper that has a reddish brown hue and exhibits a light oily sheen. There a just a minimal veins running along the barrel. The cigar is packed well and feels solid in the hand. A simple cap completes the presentation. Note the rich dark leaf in the foot.
The cigar has three bands on it. The primary band uses a white, grey and silver motif which identifies the cigar as the Plasencia Cosecha 146. There is thin band above the primary that repeats the company logo all around it and there is a footer band that declares this as a COSECHA PRIVADA which translates into “Private Harvest”.
Running the barrel along the nose, I picked up a baking spice aroma while the foot was very inviting with a what I would describe as a chocolate brownie note.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder and proceeded to give it some cold draw puff that I found to be spot on with restriction and presented notes of butter and earth on the palate and a gentle peppery spice on the lips.
With the pre-light much to my liking, I reached for my double flame torch to warm the foot and began to draw in the first puffs of light peppery notes on the throat and retro-hale. Follow along as I burn the Plasencia Cosecha 146 to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- First puffs offer a growing light pepper note growing on the nose and throat
- If you enjoy Honduran cigars this one has distinctive Honduran flavor form the get go
- Pepper settles after about a 1/4 inch
- Beautiful solid white ash forms on top of a medium burn line
- Buttery nut notes start to appear
- Floral fruit aroma wafts off the foot
- By the one inch mark I am experiencing a butter and fruity jam sensation
- The smoke is creamy and full in volume
- Strength starts to move up moving into the second third
- Long solid ash falls revealing a perfect burn cone
- Earthy motes appear midway
- Cocoa notes enter along with a touch of cinnamon spice
- Spice increases moving through the second third
- Aroma shifts to more of a nut
- Cocoa and cream continues down to the nub with just a hint of spice
- Smoke gets a tad hot in the final
- Medium-Plus in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
The Plasencia Cosecha 146 La Vega offered a pleasant smoking experience with a decently complex flavor profile that transitioned well throughout the burn. The first half was medium in strength but it started to ratchet up through the second half, reaching medium-full by the end. The burn did exhibit a slight off burn in the final and the smoke got a tad hot. Overall this is one I would buy a fiver of, and I did. I am letting some age some more, considering the leaf in this is now ten years old already. I rate this a 93.
Point Deductions: (-1) Slight Off burn in Final; (-2) Smoke got hot in the final
Bonus Points: (+1) Extreme Ash; (+1) Consistent Across Multiple Samples
