Consider this an official declaration: I am crazy late to the game when it comes to reviewing Alma del Fuego from Plasencia Cigars. The blend has been around since 2019, and it seems that everyone and their unruly uncle has reviewed this blend by now. There's a damn good reason why everyone has offered their opinion on the blend too. It's really freakin' fantastic. 

Not because it tastes brilliant, and balances lively flavors with near full-strength Nicaraguan puro power. Not because it burns with the best of them and brings Plasencia-grade levels of box-pressed perfection and that signature triple-band approach to packaging. Not even the fact that it has not one, but two binders inside.

No, my friends. What matters the most is that the recipe for this cigar requires the use of no less than 75% tobacco pulled straight from the island of Ometepe down in Nicaragua. A fresh water isle known for having not one, but two volcanoes, and a volcanic soil substrate unlike anything else on the planet. 

Does the direct translation of this cigar's name, "Soul of the Fire" make a bit more sense now? Good. Let's get to it and start kicking a little ash, shall we?

[Buy 5-Pack]

Unlit Impressions 

I must admit that I didn't think much of this stick when I first held it in my hand. The triple bands are clearly labeled and attractive enough, with their fiery red accents and classic Plasencia motif. The semi-closed foot is also a fun touch, as is the soft box-pressing. However, take a gander at that outer leaf and you'll see that it's this leathery, beef jerky-looking stick of a thing, and the mottled midsection of the barrel feels spongey when squeezed. Tsk-tsk... 

But start sniffing, and the sweet, smoked meat smell wafting from the wrapper, along with the faint aroma of dried hardwood all bring you back to the fire-born tobacco that yearns to burn within. Sadly, since the foot remains partially closed, only the smell of oily citrus peel, light spice, and a little leather can be found beyond a bed of cedar shavings. It's all quite faint, but very clean-smelling though.

Chalky, deeply layered volcanic earth strikes the tongue first when cold pulls come about. Milder-grade funk levels and a secondary line of citrus, baking spice, mixed nuts, and wood tannins claim a complex, medium-strength wedge on the ever-spinning flavor wheel afterward. To quote George Takei, "Oh myyy..."

Initial Smoke

Spicy enough to make you reach for your beverage at times, but smooth enough to make you want to retrohale, this blend starts you off on the fiery side of the volcano. Charred timber, a touch of resin, and an increasingly clean nut-like note send you into the first third with reason to dig deeper.

1st Half

Oily, but in an unoppressive natural way, the smoke starts to shed some light on what's going on inside. As the nuttiness of the cigar flavor profile increases, you start to realize that there is way more to this blend than what has first been detected. Spiced but nowhere near spicy by now, the peppercorn approach gives way and allows more mixed, loose leaf tea and baking spice notes to emerge. 

Creamy, leather-heavy at times, and loading your olfactory senses up with the smells and flavors of salted and sweetened mixed nuts, a near perfectly formed ash burns toward the midsection of the barrel. There, dry cedar and tree sap converge, and with a touch of blood orange peel and a rich retrohale, you drift off into a finish that feels longer than a Martin Scorsese end scene. 

2nd Half

Meatier but not animal-like anywhere beyond leather, umami flavors arrive, accompanied by more hardwood tannins, deep soil, and the faintest touch of Thai curry spice. Things get a fuzz sweeter as well at this moment, with the move into the final third forming a culinary incantation that borders on being bewitching.

Tangy and intense, but fermented to the point where a mellow funk clouds over the strength of the cigar, the 7-year-old aged tobacco inside shifts the senses in a variety of different directions. This is a bold moment in the blend that somehow manages to keep things metered and soil-centric, without overdoing it in any given direction.

Parting Puffs

Wood sap and a creamy caramel note cap off this cigar's final moments. Nicotine has become a notable attendee at the fire pit, and so too has cedar in all of its aromatic flare. Spice levels seem somewhere between black pepper and szechuan by now, and the darker scoops of soil have formed a springboard upon which it all bounces.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

No issues here. Why? Because Plasencia.

Let's move on to the next section, shall we? 

Final Thoughts

Touched by fire, and finally ready to cool down for a minute, my nicotine-buzzed brain scrambles to make sense of what just happened. Although I did find that the other cigars I smoked had a good bit more citrus zest and tea spice to them, I couldn't find any inconsistencies or issues between each stick. The first and second third may be a little close in nature to be considered unique from one another at times. But by no means would they be something I'd consider boring either. 

Bold and smooth, Alma del Fuego delivers an eruption of flavors and aromas to you in near-perfect quantities every time and burns with the very best of them. Another outstanding cigar option from the Plasencia family that does not disappoint, and remains on my list as one of the best box-pressed short smokes of all time. Definitely a box-worthy buy in my book, and one that you will likely want to hold onto since the inside of the lid doubles as an ashtray. 

Flavor, Aroma & Transitions

Depth & Complexity

Construction, Burn & Physical Appeal

Backstory & Branding

Overall Balance & Repeatability

Stogie Specs