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Unlit Impressions

Although I find the trio of off-grey, cement-colored bands on this addition to the Alma Line from Plasencia to be a bit bland, the tobacco beneath more than makes up for it. Brown sugar in color, with nary a touch of tooth or bloom to be seen, the wrapper shines with medium amounts of oil. Cleanly capped and produced with Plasencia-grade attention to detail, seams and veins blend into the barrel, leaving behind just enough spring to show that the draw is going to be grand.

Milk chocolate sweetness and a cherrywood define the scent of the wrapper, with a good bit of dried cedar and a toasted marshmallow vanilla smell circling behind. The foot is a riot of aromas, with dried tropical fruits, white chocolate, freshly felled cedar, and a bit more cherrywood taking things up a notch or two.

The whole cherrywood profile continues once the cap is cut, as unlit cold draws drench the taste buds with the dry and sweet taste. Milky, doughy, sweet, and chewy, bread pudding comes to mind the more you pull, with zero pepper spice to be found at any point. Cleanliness, creaminess, and tidiness, all in one place. I dig it.

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Initial Smoke

Beyond a medium amount of mixed peppercorn heat on the nose, light-up is an incredibly smooth affair. Aiding in the appeal of these initial impressions comes a sensational, slightly sappy cedar taste, followed by a milder continuation of the cherrywood notes from prelight. Creamy and rapidly growing sweeter with every puff, tastes of cinnamon rolls coated in vanilla icing materialize, and send both the nose and tongue in a singular direction.

1st Half

Personally, I prefer my cinnamon rolls when they are topped with toasted pecan nuts, and apparently, Plasencia is privy to this fact. Alma del Campo takes the flavor of this prized tropical tree nut and amps up the experience by emphasizing the tannins that come with the protein-packed snack. Although retrohales have grown cinnamon strong, and therefore somewhat spicy, the milkiness of the smoke and the sweet vanilla tastes that follow pave it all over with a coating of creamy satisfaction.

Extremely clean and medium in body, the little robusto burns on, with earth and bittersweet cocoa being its next target. Still sappy and cedar heavy on the backend, the blend builds in flavor more than strength as it reaches the midway mark, with smooth, round retrohales rolling in bourbon vanilla bringing you back for more.

2nd Half

By the time you have burned through the first half of the cigar, thoughts of tannin velvetiness take the taste buds toward wine tasting notes for a moment. Round in mouthfeel, with a rather lengthy finish, the smoke produces a tingling sensation on the mouth, lips, and tongue that is pleasant and playful. Part white pepper, a touch grippy and undeniably tannin influenced, but still smooth and simple, the feel of this cigar is just as crucial as its flavors and aromatics. 

As the tremendous ash nears the last leg of the final third, the faintest taste of tangy, light dried fruit develops. Apricots and pineapple come to mind first, followed by papaya and a pinch of mango. Sadly, these delicate tastes are drummed out by the return of that sweet, creamy, and slightly spicy cinnamon roll bread pudding taste from earlier on, and are unable to be resurrected.

Parting Puffs

Completely cocoa powder forward, but not nearly as sweet as a few moments before, parting puffs produce a potent last call for mixed peppercorns, Nicaraguan topsoil, and any cherrywood and cedar tannins that might still be lounging about inside. The cigar is still rather nutty tasting, with pecans remaining the most distinguished, followed by a fair deal of vanilla bean and burnt sugar. Medium on all accounts, the blend closes out with a clean finish that is not a bit charred or sharp.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

I have never had an Alma del Campo that burned poorly or did not produce an ideal draw. It's a perfect example of what a medium cigar should be on all fronts, and the ash that it forms never fails to impress.

Final Thoughts 

Although it may not be getting nominated for any design or packaging awards, almost everything else about Plasencia's Alma del Campo is praise-worthy. Medium cigars can be a tricky tightrope to walk, yet this blend glides its way smoothly from one end to the other without a single misstep. 

While I did feel that the cinnamon and soil in the second half glossed over some of the more delicate dried fruit tastes and tannin textures, there was not much I could complain about when it came to the cigar flavor profile of this smoke. Simple and satisfying, this Nicaraguan puro has both enough push and pull to keep you coming back for another puff, without overheating or tasting charred at any point.

Retrohales also grow mellower as you smoke, and the construction and burn of the cigar rank right at the top for being one of the best in the Klaro collection. Which, when considering the sheer number of cigars we carry at this point, says quite a lot about the quality of this cigar.

Stogie Specs