Long-time readers may remember that I have never been an unqualified fan of Honduran tobacco. There are some great cigars from Honduras (Camacho and CLE come immediately to mind), most Honduran Puros have ended up leaving me a bit flat. For some reason I keep coming back, though, trying to open my horizons and experience what others might be getting from Honduran leaf. Which brought me to Plasencia’s Cosecha 149, a cigar made entirely of Honduran leaf harvested in 2014, the company’s 149th harvest. The leaves come from Honduran regions of Olancho, the Jamastran Valley, and Talanga. This line was originally released in late 2021 and is said to be a stronger, more full-bodied blend.
I just have to say I do really love the banding on this cigar, with it’s mix of black, white, and copper foil. It is striking and classy-looking. The wrapper leaf on the cigar itself was a dark reddish-brown color that was extremely oil to the eye and to the touch. It smelled of wet forest and deep earth. The foot of the cigar was very earthy, with a touch of coffee bean and anise. The cold draw was good and featured flavors of wood and earth and espresso bean.
Firing up the Plasencia Cosecha 149 I was immediately taken aback by how full-bodied the first couple puffs were…really just overwhelming if you aren’t ready for it. Once I was a little more “ready” for it, I took more puffs and got a mix of earth, cedar, anise, baking spices, and black pepper. It definitely hit like a hammer still, reminding me in some ways of some Black Label Trading Company blends that are just full and strong for the sake of being full and strong. This definitely had a bit of complexity to the flavor, though…I liked it even though I did have to dig for the flavors a bit.
I definitely wouldn’t mistake this for Nicaraguan tobacco…it was missing a little sharpness in the spice for Nicaraguan leaf…but if blindfolded, I probably wouldn’t be able to pinpoint Honduras, either. Some things about it reminded me a Dominican Piloto Cubano with its rich flavor and full body.
As I went on, it felt like the body did diminish a bit, to be a little less than “totally full.” It was a rich, flavorful cigar, though. If you’re looking for something like a full-bodied Nicaraguan cigar, but with a different flavor profile, this could be right up your alley.
