Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

One of the more unique vitolas to come out in fairly recent memory was the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto I Hexagon Colorado Claro, a 6 x 60 gordo that got a hexagonal box press, meaning that the cigar had six distinct sides to it. That cigar came out in December 2020 and was not just notable for the vitola, but for being an extension to Plasencia’s regular Alma Fuerte line, changing the original’s wrapper that comes from Nicaragua’s Jalapa region to a lighter leaf that the company says has been aged for 10 years. Both the binder and filler tobaccos are grown in Nicaragua.

In June 2022, the company announced that the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro line would be getting a second size, a 6 1/4 x 54 toro vitola named for Eduardo Plasencia, who was one of the first family members to grow tobacco after leaving the Canary Islands for Cuba in 1865.

This new size doesn’t get the hexagonal box press but rather a traditional box press. It is priced at $20.60 per cigar and offered in boxes of 10 cigars. The line is produced at Plasencia’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

• Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Colorado Claro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• MSRP: $20.60 (Box of 10, $206)
• Release Date: Sept. 7, 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

As I pull out the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I from my humidor, I’m reminded of the hexagonal shape of its predecessor, the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto I Hexagon Colorado Claro. This new version has a soft box press that rounds the corners and almost flattens the front and back of the cigar. The wrapper is very even in color, a shade of brown that feels a tick darker than medium, and with a bit of an oily finish on the fingers. There are some small and thin veins, which can be prominent to the eye by way of how the color around them can get a good bit lighter. It takes a bit of work to see the seams, and each cigar appears to be rolled very well. Firmness is consistent and on par with most box-pressed cigars, meaning that firm pillowy sensation with a bit more give front-to-back than side-to-side. The first sniff of the aroma off the foot reminds me of banana bread, though it’s not quite as pure or intense of a smell as the real thing. If anything, it’s more the outer crust of banana bread that I pick up here as there can be a bit of that oily glaze as well. There’s no pepper across the three cigars smoked for this review. The cold draw is a bit lighter than the aroma and while there is a bit of the banana bread flavor, there is also a bit of white pepper and creaminess. The draw is either ideal with a touch of resistance or just a touch open but not concerning.

The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I opens up with a fairly creamy profile accented by a sprinkling of white pepper, a smooth, approachable and enjoyable way to get things underway. The smoke is thick and tongue-coating, though the flavor seems like it’s taking a few puffs to define itself. Retrohales are a bit more ready to go, as white pepper and just a bit of woodiness stand out and make for an enjoyable combination. The overall profile catches my attention just shy of the one-inch mark as it mixes a creamy flavor with a bright white pepper through the nose, and a slight shift in the overall profile has me thinking of a bowl of oatmeal. While still fairly early on, this has the making of a cigar that will benefit from retrohaling as it will add layers and vibrance to what just the taste buds would get. A little more scrutiny reveals that without a retrohale, the body of the smoke is lighter than I originally thought. This makes me realize how the body of a cigar can vary with and without a retrohale, something I probably should be more conscientious of going forward. The final puffs of this section bring about a bit more middle-of-the-road pepper, particularly via retrohales, along with just a bit of dryness on the finish, something between light wood and toast that is an interesting contrast to the dominant creaminess. It also reminds me of a dry cappuccino in one cigar, though I don’t get much in the way of coffee. Flavor is mild without retrohales and medium with them, body is around medium and strength is a bit more than mild. Construction has been very good thus far, with a smooth draw, plenty of smoke, and a generally even burn line. Also of note, ash chunks drop off almost like clockwork at about three-quarters of an inch in length.

After a fairly smooth and creamy first third, the second third of the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I picks up a bit more smokiness, a change that quickly leads to black pepper, black coffee and touches of rich, dry and spicy earth. Retrohales are also a bit more vibrant and now have just a touch of black pepper, making for a series of gradual changes that nudge the cigar up the flavor intensity scale and also gives it a profile that seems to help the blend show its Nicaraguan roots. While the cigar isn’t overly earthy thus far, it does seem like that could be the next thing to develop. Around the midway point, I get the sensation of a smoked vanilla cream soda, which is an interesting development that expands the sweetness of the creaminess that has been part of the profile since the start. Beginning around the midway point of the cigar, an interesting yin and yang between the puffs and the finish begins to emerge. The former is quite smooth and creamy, while the latter has some character on the exhale and finish, showing that the cigar has evolved quite a bit and seemingly hinting that more is to come. Not much past the midway point, the aroma from the cigar as it rests reveals a notable change, notably picking up more black pepper and a dry earthiness. My next puffs show those changes as well, though are more subtle and still driven by creaminess, but the rest of this section sees the black pepper steadily increase, along with the dry, rocky earthiness. These changes take the cigar up to medium-plus in flavor, with body still thick and at a mouth-coating medium-plus level. Strength has been ticking up a bit as well, though for my system is medium at most. Construction and combustion remain quite good, with only regular puffs needed.

As the final third gets underway, black pepper becomes more of a focal point, with that flavor getting not only more prominent but a bit drier, crisper and more robust on the taste buds. It also separates from the creaminess on retrohales and now imparts a much more focused sensation in the nostrils as opposed to a general tingle. The resting aroma now reminds me of a recently extinguished charcoal grill or fire pit, depending on the particular cigar, but either way the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I now has a smokier aspect to its profile. Thankfully that smokiness doesn’t translate as prominently into the flavor, as the taste buds continue to get a flavor of dry earth and black pepper. At some point early on in the final third, it becomes clear that the creaminess has left the cigar, or at least has been drastically reduced as part of the other changes. The profile continues to get smokier and more robust as the final third progresses, a slow and gradual change that sees the pepper continue to become more focused until finally reaching a point where my taste buds are really tingling on the finish. While the smokiness stays minimal on the palate, it does continue to increase in the retrohale, eventually becoming a bit too much for my liking and leading me to reduce how often I pass the smoke through my nose. Each of the three cigars burn without issue and produces hearty amounts of smoke, with no relights or touchups needed. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium-plus, right at the point where I begin to feel a bit of nicotine but short of leaving me feeling woozy or with other effects.

Final Notes

• Brooks Whittington reviewed the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto I Hexagon Colorado Claro.
• While I’m not sure that three bands are really necessary for this release, I still think the cigar is dressed and presented quite well.
• I would be fascinated to have a discussion with some people who are experts in the making of cigar molds and whether or not it would have been practical to make this vitola in a hexagonal shape. I’d be curious to know how hard it would be to create molds to achieve that style for the size, as well as if there is a ring gauge at which doing so becomes impractical.
• One of the things that doesn’t seem to get addressed much is that when new vitolas or styles of box presses are created, that means new molds have to be made and that means additional costs as opposed to using existing molds that a factory may have.
• Construction on all three cigars was fantastic, and I have to note how dense the ash was. A few chunks landed on my desk, but only had a small amount break off as a result of the impact.
• While the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I flirted with some nicotine strength, it never delivered it in a way that I could feel.
• Plasencia 1865 advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 30 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigar Hustler, Corona Cigar Co., Famous Smoke Shop, JR Cigar and STOGIES World Class Cigars carry the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I.