Brand guide
Plasencia cigars
Plasencia is a family tobacco grower and cigar maker with factories in Estelí, Nicaragua, and in Honduras, and farming roots in Cuba that go back to 1865.
The Plasencia family began farming in Cuba in 1865
Plasencia's own timeline starts in 1865, when Don Eduardo Plasencia left the Canary Islands and began growing tobacco in Vuelta Abajo, Cuba.
The family counts five generations by name:
- 1865: Eduardo Plasencia Lóriga starts growing in Vuelta Abajo.
- 1898: Sixto Plasencia Juárez sets up Finca El Corojal in Pinar del Río.
- 1965: Sixto Plasencia Pérez leaves Cuba and plants Cuban seed in Jalapa, Nicaragua.
- 1985: Néstor Plasencia Fernández starts making cigars in modest volumes.
- 2017: Néstor Andrés, Gustavo and José Luís launch the family's own brand.
Cigar Aficionado's profile calls Nestor Andrés a fifth-generation tobacco man and his father, Nestor Sr., still "the big boss." Ownership is mostly family. The magazine reports that General Cigar Co., maker of Macanudo, owns 20 percent of the company.
Revolution moved the farms twice
The Plasencias left Cuba after the Castro government nationalized the tobacco industry, then left Nicaragua for Honduras after the Sandinistas did the same.
Cigar Aficionado dates the Nicaraguan nationalization to 1979, when Nestor Andrés was three. The family's own timeline puts the move to Danlí and Jamastrán, Honduras, at 1978, during the unrest. They came back to Nicaragua in 1990. In 1992 they recovered 30 percent of their Estelí land.
Where are Plasencia cigars made?
Plasencia cigars are made in the family's factories in Estelí, Nicaragua, and in Honduras.
The Nicaraguan factories came back one at a time. Cigar Aficionado says Nestor Sr. opened a factory in Ocotal in 1994, mostly for private labels. The Estelí factory was built in 1996 with Dannemann, and the Plasencias bought out Dannemann's share in the early 2000s. Estelí rolls about seven million cigars a year and is the home of Alma Fuerte.
Together, the Nicaraguan and Honduran factories make more than 45 million cigars a year, per Cigar Aficionado. Honduras has the larger share of both acreage and cigar output. The family's site says more than 30 brands use Plasencia to produce their cigars.
Plasencia farms seven growing regions
Plasencia grows on more than 4,900 acres across seven regions in Nicaragua and Honduras, by the family's own count.
Nicaragua: Condega, Estelí, the Jalapa Valley and Ometepe Island. Honduras: the Jamastrán, Talanga and Azacualpa valleys. The Alma series is built around those places, one region per blend: Alma del Campo from Jalapa, Alma del Cielo from Condega, Alma del Fuego from Ometepe. Central American growing regions are compared in our tobacco regions guide.
The family is a big leaf seller too. Plasencia estimates it supplies about 70 percent of the premium cigar industry, and Cigar Aficionado names Altadis U.S.A., Davidoff and General Cigar among its leaf buyers. It grew organic tobacco from 2000 with OCIA certification, and says about 15 percent of its farms are organic.
Plasencia's own lines
| Line | Wrapper (as Plasencia lists it) | Stated body | Notable sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alma Fuerte | Nicaragua (Estelí puro) | Not rated on the page | Robustus I 5 1/4 x 52, Sixto II Hexágono 6 x 60, Néstor IV 6 1/4 x 54, Generación V Salomón 7 x 58 |
| Reserva Original | Nicaragua (organic puro) | Medium-bodied | Corona Corta 3 7/8 x 48, Robusto 4 3/4 x 52, Toro 6 x 50 |
| Cosecha 149 | Honduras (Honduran puro) | Full-bodied | Santa Fe 4 7/8 x 60, La Vega 5 x 50, Azacualpa 6 x 52 |
A puro uses wrapper, binder and filler from one country. Cosecha means harvest: Cosecha 149 is named for the family's 149th harvest.
Cigars Plasencia rolls for other brands
Plasencia has made cigars for other companies for decades, and its client list includes several brands covered in these guides.
Cigar Aficionado names Rocky Patel as the biggest cigar client, plus Alec Bradley, Ferio Tego and several Romeo y Julieta versions. Altadis U.S.A. says the Montecristo Espada Oscuro was made with the Plasencia family.
What to know before you buy a Plasencia
Plasencia's own lines run from a 3 7/8 x 48 Corona Corta to a 7 x 58 Salomón.
Check the shape. The Sixto II is a Hexágono, six-sided rather than round or square. The Generación V is a Salomón, a large tapered figurado. See how pressing works in the box-pressed guide.
The family name on the band is the family's own line. A Plasencia-made cigar under someone else's band is that brand's product. Plasencia doesn't list suggested retail prices on its line pages, so no price tier is given here.
Plasencia family and factory questions
Who owns Plasencia cigars?
The Plasencia family runs the company, led by Nestor Plasencia Sr. and his son Nestor Andrés. Cigar Aficionado reports that General Cigar Co. owns 20 percent of it.
Where are Plasencia cigars made?
Two countries: Nicaragua, with a factory in Estelí, and Honduras. Cigar Aficionado says the Estelí factory, home of Alma Fuerte, makes about seven million cigars a year.
Does Plasencia make cigars for other brands?
Yes. Cigar Aficionado names Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, Ferio Tego and several Romeo y Julieta versions among the cigars Plasencia makes for other companies.
What is Plasencia Reserva Original?
A Nicaraguan puro made from certified organic tobacco. Plasencia calls it the first and only fully OCIA-certified organic cigar; it was earlier sold as Reserva Organica.
Where the Plasencia facts come from
- Our Story, Plasencia Cigars
- Alma Fuerte, Plasencia Cigars
- Reserva Original, Plasencia Cigars
- The Tobacco Titan, Cigar Aficionado