Plasencia Alma Del Campo Guajiro
Posted on June 22 2021
Vitola: 5.5x54
Smoking Time: 92 Minutes
Cigars Smoked: 5+
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
MSRP: $16.00
Plasencia is very well known for utilizing all Nicaraguan tobacco, and blending wildly complex flavors when the country was viewed as less-than-desirable for premium cigars. The Alma Del Campo is no exception. While Nicaraguan tobacco is almost synonymous with spice, the Alma Del Campo is different in many ways.
Visual Inspection: The wrapper on the Guajiro is a luscious, smooth, creamy brown color. With veins honeycombing the entirety, and seams that are the closest to invisible I have ever seen. No soft spots were revealed when I squeezed the cigar, and the wrapper feels very durable. There are trace amounts of oil covering the wrapper, giving it a sheen when looked at in the light.
The aroma coming off of the foot is very subtle, barnyard is most prominent, and only allows for other hints of honey and ground coffee beans. After punching the cigar, a cold draw brings surprisingly sweet notes of vanilla bean, honey, and tea. There are no “rich” flavors present which is very surprising for a Nicaraguan puro.
First Third: Immediately upon lighting barnyard notes were very strong with wood and mixed nuts. But swiftly the barnyard faded, and developed notes of cream, coffee, and a touch of cinnamon and pepper on the retrohale. All while keeping the wood and mixed nut undertones.
There are citrus notes starting to develop, reminiscent of lemon cheesecake, or a lemon filled donut. The burn line is rough, not wavey, simply high on one side and low on another. The ash appears loose, but is stacking nicely, and has yet to droop.
Second Third: The draw from the punch is very ample and doesn't require any work to get smoke. The flavors have switched order quite drastically. Now mixed nuts are taking charge and are met by coffee, cream, wood, and a slight trace of lemon zest. There is a bitter flavor building, not an acrid taste but more towards cacao nibs. However, it lacked the overall flavor.
Overall, this cigar has performed very well, the only flaw would be the burn line which is still high on one side. Other than that, this is an exceptional cigar. The retrohale on this cigar is very smooth, and provides very flavorful notes of cinnamon and just enough pepper to liven up the overall creamy profile.
Last Third: I’m very surprised that the profile has become even creamier. Once again the profile switched, now hugely creamy when first taking a pull, and then notes of nuts, cedar, citrus, and coffee, follow. The bitter cacao notes have subsided, making the experience that much smoother.
The burn line is the best it has been at this point, but still not clean. Nothing more than an eye sore. However the flavors more than make up for the appearance of the burn. The wrapper has held up extremely well, it did not crack, or have any flaws. I look forward to smoking my other samples.
Final Thoughts: I would love to know the specifics of this blend. I am truly curious how Plasencia was able to make such a creamy cigar from Nicaraguan leaves. This is the smoothest in the Plasencia portfolio, at least to my palate. I’ve heard people say the Reserva Original is very smooth, but it comes off differently on my palate. This is a cigar I would recommend to anyone, new and well seasoned enthusiasts. I paired this cigar with a cup of black coffee, and I would highly recommend any kind of coffee, it would go well with a sugary coffee, or a cold brew.
-Sam