Perhaps I have my hippie parents to thank, but I've always been intrigued by organic farming. As I grew older, this interest began to include cigars, for cigar manufacturers are far greener than you might think. 

One of the leaders in the art of producing premium cigar blends in an environmentally conscientious fashion, is Plasencia Cigars. A family-operated Honduran staple, that tries to make its tobacco as close to organic as possible.

While this is not always possible, Plasencia's dedication to utilizing vermicompost (worm castings) in its drip irrigation systems instead of chemical fertilizers is but one of the many reasons why so many adore this particular cigar manufacturer.

The result? Cigars like the "Cosecha 146" from Plasencia. A cigar that relies upon100% Criollo '98 leaf, all grown and harvested within a single crop year, and reserved for making the very best that the brand has to offer.

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Unlit Impressions

Outside of a single raised bump from the Nicaraguan binder beneath, the look, smell, and feel of the "Cosecha 146" is damn near flawless. This particular stick is the robusto-sized "La Musica," which apparently is the smallest vitola rolled with this particular blend.

First impressions aren't just all about looks either, for this is one stout cigar. Very heavy in the hand, and tightly rolled, the construction seems to be spot-on, and so do its aromatics. Sweet molasses mix with Honduran earthen spice and finish with a grassy, Spanish cedar smell found along the barrel.

Unlit pulls are strikingly sweet, despite the cigar not sporting a sweetened tip. It's a brown sugar and toasty spiced ginger taste, with a little bit of Honduran funk behind it to keep things grounded.

Initial Smoke

Almost immediately, flavors of spiced molasses cookie and toasted cedar hit me, followed by a twinge of spicy Honduran tobacco heat. 

There's also a malty note here, that makes me think of a sweet brown pub ale or freshly kilned malted barley. Much like my waistline, the mouthfeel is round and richly fed, encouraging you to puff away, even when you know you should pace yourself.

1st Half

As all of the malted barley and molasses melded with those cedar and earth notes, a leathery flavor surfaced. This was accompanied by the taste of brown sugar and more of that familiar Honduran earthiness. 

Medium-Full in strength and flavor, the chewy nature of the smoke, and the straightforward flavors detected made for a fulfilling introductory round.

2nd Half

As the cigar heated up, a pleasant, bourbon barrel char flavor began to develop. This was backed by a sticky fig-like flavor and even more molasses. 

Further transitions occurred immediately past the center of the barrel, with aromas of rosehip tea and toasted rye coming into the limelight. These helped offset some of the sweetness and were very enjoyable on the retrohale.

Parting Puffs 

Winding things down in the final third were flavors of sweet gingerbread, star anise, lemon zest, and a bit more of those kilned barley malts from earlier. 

As the earthy Honduran tobacco spice taste began to overcome the final portions of the cigar, a salted caramel flavor popped forth. An unexpected, but very welcoming last hurrah from the "Cosecha 146" blend.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Although it did fair extremely well in the ash and burn line department, this particular stick did require a single touch-up about halfway through. This was due to that raised bump from the binder I noted pre-light-up, which caused a curl to emerge. 

Outside of that little issue, the cigar combusted well. With medium amounts of sticky, thick smoke being produced.

Final Thoughts

If I didn't already love Plasencia enough, now I have even more reason to praise this cigar manufacturer. The "Cosecha 146 La Musica" truly was that outstanding. 

It's this malty sweet, richly layered, transitional masterpiece that provides you with full-strength flavors, but in an extremely smooth delivery. I find it wild that this blend relies 100% upon Criollo leaf to make this all happen, too. Further proof that Plasencia is one of the greatest cigar makers of all time...

Cigar Stats