Plasencia
Cosecha 151
La Musica
Given the
feedback from previous editions, and not just on this site since they were
named best cigars in Honduras, Nestor presents us with his 151 version.
A little
research with our favorite spy googole is my friend, and I see that the
Plasencia company began harvesting its tobacco in 1865.
It would take a
little over 150 years of expatriation, modernization and research before,
finally, in 2016-2017, the first harvest, leaf by leaf of the tobacco that will
give this range, was accomplished.
And now, in our
civets, we find all the symbolism of this evolution, as we have the chance to
taste a copy of Plasencia's 151st continuous cosecha (harvest).
I settle down
with a cup of coffee to take a closer look at this wrapper: it's a beautiful
brown color and bears 3 rings, like the others in the range, with a reminder
that this is a cosecha privada (private harvest) since Plasencia also produces
a phenomenal quantity of cigars for its prestigious customers.
So I remove the
foot ring and make a straight cut. When cold, the draw seems just right and
perfect, and the first pleasant flavors can be felt.
The foot catches
fire easily and a beautiful smoke appears in the room.
I notice at
first puffs that the cigar is less strong than the 149; according to my
sources, this is due to the region of origin of the wrapper leaf: Jamastran.
As with the
aforementioned 149, this 151 is a Honduran puro, but for the latter, Nestor
drew on tobaccos from just two regions. And you know as well as I do that the
sweetness or spiciness, this or that flavor, is given by the planting soil
(richness of the soil, climate, full sun or not...).
But let's get
back to this smoke, which brings with it flavors of white pepper, pecan and
prune.
Shortly
afterwards, I witnessed a veritable ballet between the crème de cacao
(liqueur), the speculoos (I'm talking about the real thing, with the nice
chunks of almond) and the cinnamon, all orchestrated by the white pepper.
Later, a
fleeting compact moment of dark chocolate and oak heralds the end of the white
pepper, to give way to the sometimes dry, suddenly oily earth, and return to a
creamy bath.
The two tastings
were carried out on a 12.7 cm Robusto vitola with a cepo of 50.
The 151 range is
a Honduran puro with Jamastran and Olancho tobaccos.
In conclusion:
Plasencia has accustomed us to cigars that are often very good and at very
different prices. With this Cosecha, he offers us a tasting of elegant
complexity, perfect balance and plenty of flavor. A medium-bodied cigar with
voluminous smoke, perfect draw and burn, and a compact ash that clings
masterfully to the cigar.
I'd like to take
this opportunity to thank Tim V., who was kind enough to offer me a copy.
I'd advise you
to go straight to your civet and do your own tasting, and don't hesitate to
leave me your opinion below this article.
Price at time of
writing: €14.
The 151 is
released in three modules: La Musica (Robusto), Tradición (Toro) and San Diego
(Corona Gordo).