Alongside the news of the distribution company, they also announced the development of several new brands under the Plasencia 1865 umbrella. One of which being the Plasencia Alma Fuerte. Part of the Alma series that includes Alma del Camp, Alma del Rio, Alma del Fuego, and Alma del Cielo, the Alma Fuetre is manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua at the Plasencia factory. Ranging in price from $20-$22, the Alma Fuerte is available in three formats: Nestor IV (6 1/4 by 54 box-pressed), Generacion V (7 by 58 box-pressed salomon), and Sixto ii (6 by 60 hexagonally pressed).  

You can purchase the Plasencia Alma Fuerte from our good friends at Cuenca Cigars in their 2017 Top 10 Cigars by Cigar Aficionado sampler.

THE FACTS

Price: $22.00
Vitola: Generacion V (Salomon)
Size: 7 by 58
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1Hour and 50 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Plasencia Alma Fuerte is cloaked in a crazy dark, nearly black wrapper. A heavy amount of veins and bumps are on the leaf and an oily sheen can be seen on the cigar that is rolled well with no soft spots.

There is only a light woodsy aroma on the Plasencia Alma Fuerte and I am unable to pick anything from the nippled foot. The cold draw is surprisingly free as notes of cedar, clove, and a cinnamon spice lingers in the mouth.

FIRST THIRD

The Plasencia Alma Fuerte comes out rocking with full flavors, spice, and strength. Smoke is pumping out of this large cigar, delivering flavors of pine, charred wood, and coffee.  A faint sweetness makes its way into the profile and a pepper spice is keeping pace. The burn line is jagged, which seems to be a pretty consistent factor at the start of salomon shaped cigars. And even though the ash is flaky it holds well.

MIDDLE THIRD

The flavors of the Alma Fuerte settles as the strength remains steady. The pepper flavor is now the most dominant flavor, followed by the coffee. The pine has shifted to just a generic woodsy flavor on the finish of the smoke and a cocoa joins the profile as I near the middle of the cigar. As big as the pepper flavor is in the mouth, the retro-hale is very manageable.

FINAL THIRD

As I make my way into the last third, the Plasencia Alma Fuerte develops in richness and the sweetness that was off in the background in the first third has pushed its way forward. The coffee continues to hold its ground. A touch-up is finally required in the last couple of inches.

WRAP-UP

The Plasencia Alma Fuerte carries an ultra-premium price tag at $22.00. So does the experience justify the price? For nearly two hours, the Alma Fuerte provides dark and rich flavors that move from full and settle in the medium range, while the strength is full and holds steadily throughout. At times, I found the strength to have an edge on the flavors. Smoked moved through the cigar easily right from the get-go. The only downsides construction wise were the uneven burn and flaky ash. The cigar is way out of my ballpark for weekly smokes, but, when the right occasion presents itself and I am looking for a 2-hour, full strength cigar, I certainly wouldn’t mind reaching for the Alma Fuerte. But for the coolness factor, I think I will grab the hexagonally pressed Sixto ii.

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For the last couple months, I have been making my way through a line-up of  Famous Smoke Shop exclusives including the Vudu Dark and Sacrifice by J. Fuego, the Cunning and Merciless by Joya De Nicaragua, and the Carnage by Plasencia. Wrapping up the series on Famous Smoke Shop exclusives, up for review today is the Immortal, a Nicaraguan Puro, made by Plasencia. Utilizing a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, the Immortal is marketed as a full-flavor cigar at a wallet friendly price. Four vitolas are available including: Robusto (5 by 54), Toro (6 by 50), Churchill (7 by 50), and Magnum (6 by 60). Prices range from $4 to $5 for singles with bundles of 10 currently on sale for $26.99 to $32.99.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Famous Smoke Shop
Price: $40 per bundle of 10 | $4.00 per single
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Habano
Smoke Time: 1 Hours 35 Minutes

Pre-light

Wrapped in a dark brown, mottled, Nicaraguan Habano leaf that is oily and bumpy, the Immortal made by Plasencia for Famous Smoke Shop appears and feels well constructed. I encounter no soft spots and the cigar is packed rock solid.

The aroma has a pungency to it, along with raisin notes. The foot gives off big notes of chocolate, graham cracker, and raisin, which is a very nice combination. A mild to medium spice sting is felt in the sinuses. The double cap is neatly applied and a mixture of chocolate, rich cedar, and pepper are on the cold draw and the spice lingers on my lips.

First Third

Once lit, pepper, charred notes, and sweet, wet woodsy notes kick off this Nicaraguan puro. The charredness is not the flavor that is common at the very end of a cigar, but a flavor I pick up on in ligero heavy cigars. The smoke is chewy in the mouth. The pepper and spice are medium/full and lingers around in the mouth and on the lips. The burn is jagged with a couple of sections lagging behind. The salt and pepper layered ash is being formed that is somewhat flaky in appearance. After 20 minutes of smoking, a quick touch-up was required to get the burn back in-line.

Middle Third

While the touch-up improved the burn significantly, it continues to burn uneven as I make my way into the second third after just more than 30 minutes where the first ash is still holding strong. The flavors remain similar to the previous third with the pepper subsiding in terms of flavor and heat. Retrohaling the smoke, the pepper is still very much there accompanied with some saltiness. The sweet woodsy notes have made their way to the front of the profile as I close out the middle third of the cigar. 

Final Third

The Famous Smoke Shop Immortal is burning along with no issues at this point. The flavors have been mostly consistent with previous third with is an additional peanut flavor and maybe a vegetal flavor. With a few minutes remaining in the cigar, the cigar has hit the full arena in terms of strength.  As I close out the cigar, the burn is once again all over the place but instead of relighting I set the cigar down for its final rest. 

Wrap-up

Famous Smoke Shop’s Immortal by Plasencia delivers consistent flavors from start to finish with only a few minor variations. I found the flavors enjoyable in spite of the ligero charredness that usually overwhelms my palate. Loaded with ligero tobaccos, the Immortal does a nice job providing a full strength cigar matched with full flavors. Burning for over an hour and a half, the cigar had a few hiccups along the way requiring a couple touch-ups. From what I could tell, this did not impact the flavors in any way. Don’t expect a complex cigar for $3, but do expect a full on Nicaraguan puro that will give the strength and flavors you are looking for on bed of spice balanced with some sweet woodsy notes.

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The Carnage from Famous Smoke Shop is a three country blend that utilizes a Habano wrapper from Ecuador, a Connecticut binder from Honduras, and Viso, Seco, and Ligero filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. Produces at Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Nicaragua, the line is available in four vitolas: Robusto (5 by 54), Toro (6 by 52), Churchill (7 by 50), and Magnum (6 by 60). Packaged in 20 count boxes, price of the Carnage cigars range from $66.99 for the Robusto to $76.99 for the Magnum.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Famous Smoke Shop
Price: $4.75 per single / $66.99 per box of 20
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 by 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Honduran Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

Pre-light

The Carnage is draped in medium brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper has a faint red hue that has a somewhat mottled appearance. Veins and bumps bare easily seen as on the wrapper that has a light oily sheen. The cigar is rock solid from head to foot. 

As I bring my nose up to the cigar once it is removed from the cellophane, I find of an aroma similar to that of a merlot with dark red fruit notes, oak, and some earthiness. There may be a hint of chocolate as well. From the foot of the Carnage, I pick up blueberry, chocolate, and cedar. Clipping the double cap, I find an easy cold draw that has very similar flavors to the ones noted on the foot of the cigar.

First Third

Once lit, the Carnage pours out plentiful smoke with rich, woodsy flavors and a fair amount of spice that is warming up my palate. In the background there is citrus quality that is playing well with other flavors and there is a saltiness that moves in about a half inch in. The burn-line is thick and jagged but nowhere near requiring a touch-up. Although it appears flaky, the ash is holding well up to an inch plus.

Middle Third

The spice heat pulls back as I transition to the second third of the Carnage. The main flavors remain consistent with the prior third with some added dark fruit notes that offer a little sweetness and a light cinnamon spice. Retrohaling the smoke, the spice is sharp through the sinuses. I won’t be doing that too often. Some  toasted bread notes linger on the finish. The burnline has a much more acute wave, and after holding out as long as possible a quick touch-up is finally required.

Final Third

The core flavor of rich woodsy notes that have dominated the first two thirds get pushed back by the toasted notes, a roasted marshmallow sweetness, and a nuttiness. The strength has finally kicked up its game, now borderline full.

Wrap-up

Famous Smoke Shop’s Carnage blended by Nestor Plasencia delivers medium flavors and medium/full strength with a consistent profile with a core of rich woodsy notes and pepper spice, with some subtleties that are much more noticeable if this cigar is not hot boxed. The Carnage Robusto required one touch-up, but other that I don’t have any complaints on the performance. If you enjoy a Nicaraguan spice and solid, consistent flavors for under $5, this cigar will be right up your alley. Would I smoke this again? Yes, I believe this cigar is worthy of a five-pack purchase and possibly a box from Cigar Monster where they can be found with heavy discounts and free shipping.

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halfwheel.com reported on the Espada back in June:

Altadia U.S.A. is adding a new chapter to the storied history of its Montecristo brand with the upcoming release of Espada by Montecristo, a new collaboration between the company’s Grupo de Maestros and the Plasencia family.

The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro with tobacco coming primarily from the Jalapa region of the country. The wrapper is a Habano Jalapa Vintage 2010, while the binder is a 2009 vintage. The filler draws from a trio of 2008 vintage leaves: Habano Jalapa seco, Habano Ometepe viso and Habano ligero from Condega. The flavor profile is described as spicy, strong, bold and brave but that maintains a worldly sophistication.

The Espada by Montecristo will debut in three sizes: a 5 x 54 called Ricasso, 6 x 50 dubbed Guard and a 7 x 56 named Quillon. The vitola names all draw from terms used in swords and knives in keeping with the name of the cigar, which is the Spanish word for sword. A ricasso is the unsharpened part of a blade just above the handle, while quillon and guard refer to the bar of metal where the blade and hilt meet.

Each will come in ten-count suede covered boxes with single stick prices between $11.25 and $12.50 before taxes. The cigars are made by the Plasencias in Nicaragua.

The release date is scheduled for July 1.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Altadis U.S.A
Price: $11.75
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan – Habano Jalapa Vintage 2010
Binder: Nicaraguan – Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009
Filler: Nicaraguan – Habano Jalapa Seco Vintage 2008, Habano Jalapa Viso Ometepe Vintage 2008, Habano Condega Ligero Vintage 2008
Smoke Time:1 Hour and 10 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

Like the H. Upmann The Banker, the presentation of the Montecritso Espada is spot on with its triple band. The cigar feels solid in the hand with no soft spots to be found. The oils glisten off the medium tan Nicaraguan Habano wrapper that has only small veins. I am picking up very mild notes of cedar and cardboard off the wrapper, while the aroma off the foot of the cigar is much more appealing with raisin and chocolate notes.

The cap gets the job done but it is not the cleanest cap, making it hard to determine if a double or triple cap has been applied. But knowing how Altadis rolls, I am going with a double cap. My cutter has a difficult time clipping through this tightly packed cigar. Once cut, the draw is more snug than I would prefer, showing some rich cedar, chocolate and raisin and a small amount of spice is felt on my lips. Removing the middle band and foot band, I am now ready to fire up this Montecristo Espada.

First Third

The snug draw is resulting in low smoke production making me take multiple puffs to get enough smoke to discern any flavors. Pinching the middle of the Espada seems to open up the draw a bit more. The flavors in the first half inch of are pencil shaving-like flavor and coffee. The flavors are dark and somewhat bitter. Black, bitter coffee and cocoa sits on my palate for some time on the finish. The burn is thick and wavy but of no concern and the white, flaky ash is holding past an inch.

Middle Third

The second third brings along a similar profile as earlier, with a few minor tweaks. The dry cedar has shifted to a thicker oak flavor, some added citrus and sweetness has joined in, and the coffee is still holding strong. The sweetness is so faint that I am unable to identify what type of sweetness it is but it is rounding out the profile.  As I burn to the halfway point of the Montecristo Espada, the smoke production has significantly increased. This is right around the area that I was pinching earlier to free up the draw. With the smoke production increasing, the flavors seem to be moving from medium to full as well.

Final Third

The Espada Guard is burning rather quickly for a cigar of its size. The soft breeze passing by may be accelerating the burn rate. My mouth is feeling dry after each puff and a sip water is needed to refresh my palate. The pepper spice has picked up,  as well as the cocoa on the finish. Just below an inch and half, the flavors have become a bit charred letting me know it is time to put this Espada to rest.

Wrap-up

The Montecristo Espada has top notch branding and packaging. While removing three bands could be a bit irritating, they add more more than they take away from this cigar. I would give the performance of the cigar a B- with its snug draw, wavy burn at the start, and somewhat ugly and flaky ash experienced in the middle and final third. But overall, there were no touch ups and no real babysitting of the cigar. In regards to the flavors, I am a bit torn. The first third lacked in balance and had some bitterness. The faint sweetness that entered in the  middle third brought balance to the profile. The middle and final thirds flavors were enjoyable, but I don’t smoke a cigar to only enjoy two thirds of it. I think additional rest and aginng of the Espada may relieve the bitterness in the first third. I am going to put my last sample away and revisit in 6 plus months.

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The Good Stuff: As I stated, El Pimer Mundo’s Criollo Maduro actually made it’s debut in 2006. Sean Williams, founder of El Primer Mundo told me over twitter the other day that despite the Criollo Maduro being his first release, he still enjoys the blend. El Primer Mundo is an Atlanta based operation, blended by the Plasencias in Esteli, Nicaragua and is distributed by the Blancos. All the tobacco used in the blend comes from Placensia’s farm. The blend starts out with Honduran and Nicaraguan filler, bound by a Jalapa, Nicaraguan binder, topped off with a Havana-seed maduro wrapper. These cigars retail for about $7 – $8 a pop and come in four sizes, Robusto 52 x 5, Toro 52 x 6, Torpedo 52 x 6 ½, and  Gran Toro 60x 6 1/2.

Size:  – 6 x52  –  Wrapper: Nicaraguan  –  Binder: Nicaraguan  –  Filler: Honduran/Nicaraguan

Prelight: Now this is a pretty looking Maduro. Lets start with the wrapper on This El Primer Mundo Criollo Maduro. This should be nicknamed the black beauty. The wrapper is a crazy dark, dark brown with a few lighter spots around the upper body, and darker, almost black splotches towards the foot of the cigar. The wrapper only bears a few smaller veins running to the round, double cap. Outside of the wrapper the next stand-out characteristic of the cigar is the firm, perfect square box-press format. I’m a sucker for box press. This cigar feels incredibly firm, and I can only hope that it’s not packed too tightly. The band carries the same design style all the previous cigars in the line. It’s a dark maroon with gold and black embossing of the “El Primer Mundo” crest along with “Criollo Maduro” “Hecho A Mano” “Nicaragua” and of course the white map in the center.

I am getting a really floral, musky, sweet aroma from the wrapper. At times its very sharp and actually burns my nostrils a bit. The foot lets loose a very spicy, earthy, coffee-esque aroma.  As I do with most box-presses I used a standard V-Cut to easily clip away the cap. I am greeted with a crazy chocolate and coffee flavor as soon as I put the Criollo Maduro up to my lips for the cold draw. Once I take it away from my lips I am left with a nice pepper tingle.

First Smoke:  I was right one the money with the cold draw as the first flavors to hit me across the face is crazy amounts of chocolate and coffee. I really thought there would be more pepper in there that there was. Only enough pepper and spice to subtly backup the stronger flavors. I kept getting some nice leather and floral flavors throughout the first third as well, but they would just come and go. The draw is much looser that I though it was going to be, and it actually takes me a few puffs to get the right amount of smoke in my mouth. The burnline is razor sharp and only slightly wavy leaving behind a nice white and light gray ash. The ash held on for a solid inch before giving way.

Halfway There: Into the second third of the El Primer Mundo Criollo Maduro and the cigar’s roots have really taken over. The sweetness has began to subside as well as some of the coffee and chocolate. They are still there but now there is a rich tobacco, oaky, and grassy flavor mix up taking center stage. The spice is almost non-existent at this point. The retro hale is to die for. Each little puff coats my nasal passage with what tastes like straight up bittersweet chocolate. I love it. The burnline is now perfectly even and still razor sharp and I am feeling almost no nicotine.

Finish: As I suspected, the Chocolate and Coffee weren’t done in this El Primer Mundo Criollo Maduro as they made a triumphant, and dominant return in the final third. Along with the Coffee and Chocolate, the floral/leather notes I picked up in the first third have also stepped up while the spice and tobacco subdued. There was absolutely no harshness built up even down to the numb. Usually I find that looser, box pressed cigars developer much more harshness, but not in this case.  It took me about an hour and a half to take down this cigar and it finished just as smooth as it started.

Overview: It’s evident that this is a good cigar. I have had quite a few of these and each one was the same story. Great flavors, good construction and a solid cigar at a good price. This cigar is a perfect maduro containing sweet and complex characteristics as most of the more modern maduros while staying true to form with more traditional maduros.

Pairing: The first time I smoked this cigar I paired it with 1554 which went absolutely perfect. The flavors are almost identical and the cigar seems like it was made for the brew. But that’s not my thing. I really want to make sure that my pairings compliment, but also help me pull things from the cigar that I normally wouldn’t. That being said I went a completely different direction with this particular Criollo Maduro and paired it with some of Blue Moon’s Agave Blonde Ale. Blue Moon’s newest summer seasonal offering is this crazy citrus rich, orange, Agave Cactus infused wheat ale. It’s a perfect summer ale. The beer starts out very sweet, very light, and finishes incredibly smooth. Some of the agave notes really elevated the awesome floral notes that I would pick up in the cigar while the citrus paired perfectly with the chocolate-rich flavors in this Primer Mundo not to mention this 95 degree weather is perfect for a beer such as this. Another pairing success!

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