In 2021, Plasencia 1865 celebrated an anniversary that isn’t often celebrated in the premium cigar industry: the Plasencia family’s 149th crop—or cosecha—of tobacco.

This isn’t the first time the company has marked such an occasion, as in 2017 it released the Plasencia Cosecha 146, a cigar with a Nicaraguan wrapper over a Honduran binder and filler. For the line marking the 149th crop, the company crafted a Honduran puro, with the wrapper coming from Olancho in San Agustín, the binder coming from the Jamastran Valley, and the filler a combination of tobaccos from the Jamastran Valley, Olancho and Talanga. It is also produced in Honduras, at Plasencia’s Tabacos de Oriente.

The Plasencia Cosecha 149 was released in November 2021 and offered in three regular production sizes, offered in boxes of 10 cigars:

Note: The following shows the various Plasencia Cosecha 149 vitolas. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. The list was last updated on Dec. 29, 2021.

91 Overall Score

It's interesting to go back and read my notes from the original review of a cigar, as to read of tar, chalkiness, irritation and an abundance of strength doesn't describe what I experienced in this reduxed cigar. This is a cigar that shows a beautiful progression of flavors, mixing creaminess with varied expressions of earth, a mix of pepper, some spice, occasional wood and flashes of toastiness. Capped off by fantastic construction, the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa is at a fantastic place right now and definitely worthy of some aging.

Original Score (December 2021)
87
Redux Score (December 2022)
91

Here’s what I said about the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa when I reviewed it in December 2021:

I’m hesitant to say that a cigar surprises me, as I don’t like the implication that comes with, namely that I was either expecting a lot or a little and the cigar delivered the opposite. But I will say that after the first Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa I smoked, the other two did surprise me. While the first cigar was good, the tar, chalkiness, irritation and late surge of strength had me doubtful about the blend. The second brushed aside most of those doubts, while the third completely dashed them. At its best, the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa is an impressive example of a Honduran puro, particularly one that draws on several of the country’s growing areas. Beyond the variance, the only real note I have about the cigar is the amount of time it takes to get through the cigar, which is anywhere from two-and-a-half to three hours, making it a decent investment of time. Fortunately, at its best, the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa is easily time well spent.

  • Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa
  • Country of Origin: Honduras
  • Factory: Tabacos de Oriente
  • Wrapper: Honduras (Olancho San Agustín)
  • Binder: Honduras (Jamastran Valley)
  • Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Valley, Olancho San Agustín & Talanga)
  • Length: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 52
  • Vitola: Toro
  • MSRP: $14.50 (Box of 10, $145)
  • Release Date: November 2021
  • Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

When the cigar is in its cellophane, I don’t notice the slight box press that the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa has, but once I slide it from the sleeve and set it on my desk, it’s immediately apparent by how the cigar doesn’t roll around. The color scheme of the bands is a great introduction to the cigar, with the white, black and copper combination all standing out from the dark brown wrapper. The shininess of the copper and the crispness of the font also contrast with the matte, somewhat rustic-looking leaf. The cigar itself appears to be rolled well, though the piece of tobacco used to finish off the head isn’t completely flat, though given the press and the fact that I’m going cut more of it off, I’m not concerned. I would call the density of the cigar fairly firm with just a touch of give, and consistent from head to foot. The foot of the cigar wears a band that bears the phrase Cosecha Privada, Spanish for private harvest, and it slides off easily as I prepare to light up the cigar. The foot has an aroma that smells like wood shavings at first, though the pepper that comes right on its heels grabs the spotlight. Once that first pair settle in, there is a bit of slightly sweet dough behind that. Airflow-wise, the cold draw is ideal, with a smooth and easy draw. Flavor-wise, it is much mellower, with most of the sensation coming from the tobacco touching my lips. There is a bit of simple syrup sweetness, then some whole wheat rolls with a honey butter spread, finished off by more of the tingle on my lips and just a touch of pepper hitting my tongue.

The Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa starts with a cool, creamy sensation that finishes with a dry earthiness that has a bit of pepper and mineral. Retrohales are more pepper-forward but still have the creaminess surrounding that pepper, and as should come as no surprise, the more retrohales I take, the more intense that pepper gets. Given that it’s a lighter-bodied smoke, the sensation is particularly bright, hitting a spot where I have to take a break to let my olfactory nerves get a break. This profile makes up most of the first inch of the cigar, with the ash holding well as the cigar gets off to a very good start from a technical perspective. It might be because I have spaced out my retrohales, but the profile seems to have settled down just a touch after the first lump of ash drops off. A retrohale now reveals a shift in the profile, as there is now a richer, heavier body to the smoke, while the black pepper leads an earthier aroma that incorporates a bit of a finished campfire. There’s some creaminess and wheat bread on the taste buds, which contrasts the retrohale, but also makes for a wonderful partner with the retrohale. Ahead of the midway point, the aroma takes on a smoky, hot mulled cider, still with a bit of black pepper for the senses but almost a bit of a clove-like aspect. Construction in the first half has been very good, though there are a few puffs where it seems like the cigar is encouraging me to puff more quickly, as it flirts with going out but comes back to life. Flavor is medium-plus, though I’d call it medium-full if incorporating retrohales as I would encourage one to do. Body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus.

Not long after the second half of the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa gets underway, the flavor gets drier, picking up a wheat toast flavor that latches onto my taste buds and sucks out some of the moisture. This in turn seems to give the pepper a bit more impact on my tongue, even though it doesn’t feel like there is more pepper in the profile. While I hadn’t tasted much in the way of what I would consider Honduran terroir, it begins to emerge at the end of the second third and is quite good. In particular, it is rich and refined, and, as someone who has noted that Honduran tobacco gets appreciably better with age as well as good fermentation, this feels like it has received a good amount of both. The only thing that seems off comes on the finish, as the pepper has a sharpness that feels out of place amidst the other aspects of the profile. There is more wood as the cigar gets into its final third, with creaminess beginning to return as well. Those are capped off by a very subtle baking spice that I can’t quite identify, but it hits my taste buds differently than the pepper and other flavors from earlier. The profile dries out a bit more as the cigar gets into its inch or so, while the flavor mellows just a touch. The finish has some dry earth, a bit of toast, a sprinkle of black pepper, and then a more robust earth and black pepper on the finish. Construction remains fantastic, with plenty of smoke, an even burn line, and a near-perfect draw. As a bonus, the cigar doesn’t pick up any heat, even as it gets to the final nub. Flavor varies between medium and medium-full, body is more consistent at medium-plus, while strength is still shy of medium. The cigar comes to an enjoyable close after just about two hours and 30 minutes of smoking time.

91 Overall Score

It's interesting to go back and read my notes from the original review of a cigar, as to read of tar, chalkiness, irritation and an abundance of strength doesn't describe what I experienced in this reduxed cigar. This is a cigar that shows a beautiful progression of flavors, mixing creaminess with varied expressions of earth, a mix of pepper, some spice, occasional wood and flashes of toastiness. Capped off by fantastic construction, the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa is at a fantastic place right now and definitely worthy of some aging.

Original Score (December 2021)
87
Redux Score (December 2022)
91
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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.