At the 2021 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Plasencia Cigars would introduce the second installment of its Cosecha series, the Plasencia Cosecha 149. The word “cosecha” means harvest, and the name Plasencia 149 refers to the 149th harvest of crops from Plasencia’s many farms. The Plasencias are known for their manufacturing and agricultural facilities in Nicaragua and Honduras. As far as the Plasencia branded cigars, most of them released in the past few years have been Nicaraguan made or contained a Nicaraguan-forward blend. What makes the Plasencia 149 different is that this is a cigar that features all-Honduran tobaccos and was produced at the Plasencia’s Tabacos de Oriente faculty in Honduras. Today we take a closer look at the Plasencia Cosecha 149 in the Azacualpa (Toro) size.

As mentioned, the Cosecha 149 is the second Cosecha project done by Plasencia Cigars since the company launched its cigar brand in 2017. This follows the Cosecha 146 release of 2017.  The Cosecha 146 was a cigar made in Nicaragua and featured both a combination of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Cosecha 149 is a cigar that is Honduran-made and has all-Honduran tobaccos.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Production for the Plasencia Cosecha 149 comes from the Plasencia’s Tabacos de Oriente facility in Danlí, Honduras. The tobaccos come from the Honduran regions of Olancho, Talanga, and the Jamastran Valley. They were harvested back in 2014.

Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Tabacos de Oriente

Vitolas Offered

The Plasencia Cosecha 149 is available in three box-pressed sizes. Each is presented in ten-count boxes.

Santa Fe (Gordito): 4.3/4 X 60
La Vega: (Robusto): 5 X 52
Azacualpa (Toro): 6 X 52

Appearance

The Honduran wrapper of the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa had a roasted coffee bean color with some subtle mottling on the surface. The surface of the wrapper also had a light coating of oil on it. There were some thin visible veins, and there were also some visible wrapper seams. The Azacualpa has a soft pressing to it. While it’s a pressed cigar, from afar it looks like a rounded parejo cigar.

There are three bands on the Plasencia Cosecha 149. The primary band is highlighted by a thick brown stripe on the upper portion of the band and a thick white stripe on the lower end. The band also has a copper stripe across the top and bottom. On the brown stripe is the text “PLASENCIA” in large white font. On the white stripe is the text “149 COSECHA” in large copper font.

One of the secondary bands for the Plasencia Cosecha 149 is above the main cigar band. The upper band is black with the Plasencia “P” logo in copper arranged in a repeating pattern. The other secondary band is on the footer. This band is black with copper pinstripe trim across the top and bottom. The text “COSECHA PRIVADA” is white and prominently featured in the middle of the band.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed it was on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of cedar, cocoa, and earth notes. Overall this cigar delivered a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to remove the footer band from the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa, toast up the cigar, and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa started out with a mix of coffee, cocoa, cedar, earth, and mixed pepper. On some cigars,  I will get a “mocha” note which has a fusion between the coffee and cocoa, but in this case, the two notes were separate and distinct. Early on the coffee and cocoa surfaced as the primary note. Later in the first third, a mineral note surfaced. At the same time, the earth notes moved into the forefront.

During the second phase of the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa, the earth and coffee notes became the primary notes. The cocoa slowly receded into the background and diminished in intensity throughout this portion of the smoke. Meanwhile, there were still notes of pepper and mineral rounding out the flavor profile.

The last third saw the earth and coffee notes remain primary. There was an increase in the pepper notes and they became the most prominent of the secondary notes. The mineral notes were more distant and by this point, the cocoa notes were gone. This is the way the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa came to a close. This cigar would finish up with a cool, firm nub.

Burn

Overall, the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa had a low maintenance burn. This was a cigar that maintained a straight burn path and a straight burn line that required minimal touch-ups. The resulting ash was near white in color. This was an ash that was on the firm side. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

The draw of the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa performed extremely well. I enjoyed the touch of resistance. I also appreciated how this box press wasn’t “too open” when it came to the draw.

Strength and Body

The Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa started out with medium strength and medium body. While there was a nominal increase in the intensity of both attributes, in the end the Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa remained in the medium range for strength and body. Both the strength and the body balanced each other nicely with neither attribute over-powering the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Plasencia Cosecha 149 Azacualpa produced some attractive flavors and had excellent construction. While not a major deterrent, I didn’t find this to be the most complex of cigars. One other thing that is worth mentioning is I found this cigar to have a drying effect on the palate. This is something I’ve seen on several Honduran puros. While it’s not an overwhelming drying effect, it is noticeable.

In the end, there was still enough going on with this cigar where I’m inclined to still recommend this cigar to the novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I still would buy and smoke again.

The Smoking Syndicate Review

Recently Ben Lee assessed the Santa Fe size of the Plasencia Cosecha 149 and assessed it with a 91 score.

Note: Due to age restrictions, you may need to click Watch on YouTube below to view.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Earth, Baker’s Spice, Hay, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy One
Score: 89

References

News: Plasencia Cosecha 149 Launched at 2021 PCA Trade Show
Price: $14.50
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Plasencia

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop