This has to be one of the more challenging cigar reviews I've conducted since I first started at Klaro in the spring of 2022. Not because the cigar itself is super complex or difficult to dissect, but because the backstory behind this blend is so extensive and intriguing.

As the title of this piece clearly proclaims, Plasencia's Reserva Original is the world's only 100% certified organic premium long-filler cigar blend. And from what I've been able to glean, this blend was also the first. Plasencia also refuses to divulge what any of the ingredients are in this stick, wrapper included. All we know is that it's a Nicaraguan puro and that the tobacco used receives an additional 5 years of aging post-fermentation.

It's not that premium tobacco growers are spraying their crops with crazy chemicals, or using nefarious soil fertilizer boosters, it's just that getting a product that is as complex as a premium long-filler cigar to be labeled as organic is no easy feat. I remember touring an apple orchard years ago and hearing the tour guide say that while every apple grown in the orchard was organic, none of them were certified due to the expense and red tape involved in the certification process.

This same issue is apparent in cigar manufacturing overseas, where organic certifications are pretty much impossible to achieve due to a lack of a standard certification process and overall expense. Tobacco growers know that they can't be pouring on herbicides and pesticides because cigar smokers are going to taste that shit. They also know that worm castings/vermiculture and allowing oxen to plow the fields instead of tractors are going to inexpensively fertilize the soil and create a cleaner environment for the tobacco to grow.

Being that this is a cigar review and not a Klaro Deep Dive, I won't burden you with further details on this complex subject. Instead, I will drop a link to a piece I wrote a while back entitled: "Growing Green: 4 Cigar Manufacturers That Are Adapting to Help the Environment." It should serve as a useful quick guide for those looking for further reading on the subject of environmentally conscientious cigar production methodologies. 

So... about that one-and-only organic cigar pictured here...

[Buy 5 Pack]

Unlit Impressions  

Besides a splash of mild mottling in places and a slightly loose bunching beneath the binder, this cigar is all Plasencia-grade in construction and looks. Triple banded, with a strikingly clean primary band showcasing the lands where this organic blend hails from, the marketing team nailed it with this smoke.

The wrapper itself (whatever it might be) is a chestnut color, and almost completely absent of oil. Instead, you get some teeth, and attractive veins sprawling down the length of the barrel. Smells of grassy-tanned animal hide and toasted bread are the top aromatics pulled from the wrapper, along with some sun-grown spice. The foot smells of sweet graham cracker, citrus, and a mixture of various peppercorn notes.

Initial Smoke 

There doesn't seem to be much sharpness to this cigar, even upon ignition. Nutty, with a dry, honey-like depth, the all-Nicaraguan ingredients immediately let you know that cleanliness is going to be the underlying theme throughout the length of this stick. 

1st Half   

Mellow tobacco tastes that can only be achieved by utilizing well-aged leaves are the calling card for this blend. Cigar flavor profiles meld meticulously into a cedar and mild ginger spice mixture, which when enjoyed at leisure provides a mild-medium first 20 minutes or so.

After that, the cigar opens up a bit and toys with faint tastes of marzipan and peppery spice in the retrohale. This allows the smoker to choose their own adventure, with fans of milder smokes abstaining from spice by keeping the smoke solely on their palates. Fancy a smoked mixed peppercorn, medium-strength medley? Blow some smoke out your nostrils and enjoy the ride.

2nd Half   

If this cigar takes things up a notch, it does so in such smooth, increment amounts, that it's damn near impossible for me to detect the transition. This blend fluidly takes you from everything previously mentioned in the first half and turns the second and final third into this playground for fans of ultra-clean, medium cigars. 

Chewy at first, with a modestly long finish, the plumes of smoke pulled from the head of the cigar are more dry and nutty than before, with a toasty cedar note and candied lemon peel starting to show itself with each passing puff. I know it's delicious, but pace yourself with this blend, because it will get hot and charred on you in a heartbeat if you aren't careful.

Parting Puffs   

Char does start to become a genuine concern in parting puffs, even if you puff slowly the entire time. This blend just seems predestined to end on a burnt note, with roasted nuts and burning cedar being the most prominent cigar flavor profiles I found in each stick smoked.

No bother. Every puff up until this point has teetered on the edge of perfection. All that must be done is merely place the cigar down once it nears the final band, and this entire issue is negated. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw 

This cigar burns on a level that is just as clean as its ingredients. Plenty of smoke too, with a draw that despite the sponginess of the cigar itself, is not too loose or free-flowing. Just note that the Corona vitola will not hold an ash nearly as well as larger sizes, so bear that in mind when ordering. 

Final Thoughts 

I appreciate almost everything that this cigar blend has to offer. From its flawless combustion, attractive packaging, and approachable price point, to the way in which it tastes and smells, I found myself falling hard for this blend.

Just remember: Don't puff quickly to avoid char flavors, opt for the robusto vitola if you want to avoid dropping ash everywhere, and call it quits right before reaching the third and final band. Do these things and you will be gifted with an ultra-clean tasting cigar that just keeps on giving, all but in controlled, medium servings.

Tobacco Nerd Note: Plasencia continues to roll its Reserva Original line out of tobacco that is grown using 50% less water and a proprietary organic fertilizer. This organic fertilizer primarily relies upon an organically occurring, nutrient-rich byproduct based upon worm castings called vermicompost. Since this fertilizer can be easily dissolved in water, Plasencia has to "inject" this organic matter into an existing drip irrigation system for it to be put into effect. Commonly referred to as fertigation, this 100% organic approach requires less water, labor, and financial capital than modern, chemical-based fertilizers.

Stogie Specs