Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica

Cigars get their names from all kinds of sources, but Plasencia Cigars has been keeping its Cosecha series of cigars, naming them for the number of crops that the company has harvested and using that tobacco for the cigar.

Cosecha is the Spanish word for harvest, meaning that the Cosecha 151 is named for the 151st crop that the Plasencia family has harvested over its multiple generations in the tobacco business. More specifically, the tobacco for this cigar comes from Honduras and the 2016 harvest.

“We wanted to give Honduras the respect it deserves in this industry,” said Nestor Andrés Plasencia when the cigar debuted at the 2023 PCA Convention and Trade Show.

Cosehca 151 is offered in three sizes.

This is the third time that Plasencia has released a Cosecha line; the Cosecha 146 used tobacco from the 2011-2012 crop, while the Cosecha 149 used tobacco from the 2014 harvest. Plasencia said that the wrapper used on the Cosecha 151 is similar to the one used on the Cosecha 149, though the 151’s is from both a different harvest and a lower priming.

• Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Honduras
• Binder: Honduras
• Filler: Honduras
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Robusto
• MSRP: $13.50 (Box of 10, $135)
• Release Date: November 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Like many of Plasencia’s cigars, the Cosecha 151 La Musica comes well-dressed with three bands, one at the foot and two in the more traditional spot nearer the head of the cigar. The standard robusto size almost feels small compared to many of the larger cigars on the market, and given how they break up the look of the wrapper, I’m inclined to think that the bands are playing some sort of visual trick on me. The cigar is firm on the whole, but there are some softer spots that show a touch of give. As for the wrapper, it has a matte brown color that is a bit darker than medium, with some very slight variation and a network of small, thin veins and a dry, fine texture. While the leaf feels supple, I don’t pick up a lot of oiliness from the leaf. The aroma off of the foot is soft and reminds me of sticking my nose in some hands of tobacco by way of how pure it is. It’s not quite the aroma of bread, but it’s close when it smells like a fresh loaf of white bread. Behind that, some freshly sharpened pencil wood and a bit of dusty earth sits in the background, while pepper is very mellow, if present at all. Air moves well on the cold draw, carrying a light and toasty flavor as well as the pencil wood and a bit of creaminess, but again, little pepper.

The first puffs of the Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica are toastier and more peppery than I was expecting, but it also packs a good amount of Honduran terroir, a component that builds throughout the first inch of the cigar. I’d call it a medium-bodied start with a medium-full flavor profile, particularly when a retrohale gets mixed in to deliver a more developed and encompassing version of the profile. Through the nose, the pepper is brighter and the earthy terroir is a bit more vibrant, almost as if I had been previously hearing the song that the cigar was playing with hands over my ears and retrohales gave me an unmuffled experience. A bit of creaminess begins to emerge towards the end of this section to give the profile a cohesive layer that works to both fill in the gaps between the earth and pepper and provide a more complex handoff between the sensations as they hit the senses. Construction is fantastic in all three samples with plenty of smoke, an even burn line, smooth draw and impressively strong ash. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium, and strength is mild thus far.

The creaminess that emerged at the end of the first third bridges the transition into the second third of the Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica, a transition that shifts the profile just enough to even out the three main components and create a new sense of balance between them. Retrohales are still bright and peppery, and even with the new flavor profile, they still work quite well. A bit of wood joins the profile around the midpoint line, leading to what I might describe as a bit of a habano-seed profile if not for the terroir. This change elicits a very subtle shift away from what I would describe as a smooth texture of the smoke. The draw is still quite smooth, so much so that I’m wondering if it might be just a touch loose given that it feels like the cigar is burning rather quickly. Smoke production is also very good, while the burn line occasionally shovels a bit. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium-minus.

Heading into the final third of the Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica, I find myself impressed both by how consistent the cigar has been in terms of its flavor profile, yet able to make subtle adjustments. The change that started at the tail end of the second third that turned the cigar a bit rougher continues in this section, though only by the smallest of incremental steps. The most notable change comes by way of the terroir moving into the lead in this section, followed by the dry wood from the second third, then pepper, and a steadily diminishing amount of creaminess that departs the profile with about two inches left to go. As for the retrohales, they are still crisp with black pepper but a bit less intense than earlier. A new flavor of dry leaves joins the profile as the burn line approaches my fingertips. The final puffs and retrohales distill the flavors into a tight, punchy profile that delivers the earth and pepper together. There is just the slightest bit of roughness as a result of the combination, but nothing that has me enjoying the cigar any less than I have to this point.

Final Notes

• I finally had the chance to visit Plasencia’s farm and factory in Estelí, Nicaragua as part of the 2024 Puro Sabor festival.
• Currently, the company is growing and harvesting its 158th crop of tobacco.
• Removing the foot band took a small bit of the wrapper off of the first cigar.
• In September, the company informed retailers that it was discontinuing the Cosehca 146 line.
• I have long thought that there could be some real merit in a company delivering a line that drew on tobacco from one farm or one defined region that treated a cigar like a bottle of wine, with a vintage date and some pretty defined rules about what could go into it in order to qualify for the line.

• There was a bit of a packaging change between the Cosecha 151 on display at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show. As you can see above, the bands and packaging had a yellow trim as opposed to gold, among some other things.
• The Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica offers just a touch of strength in the final third, but not enough to have me feeling woozy or looking for white sugar.
• Plasencia Cigars advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 10 minutes on average, though I could easily see this smoked a bit quicker without much ill effect on the experience.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co., and Famous Smoke Shop carry the Plasencia Cosecha 151 La Musica.