Plasencia Reserva Original Cortez Toro

The proprietor of one of the world's largest cigar factories, Nestor Plasencia's road to success has been anything but smooth sailing. Like most Cuban exiles of the mid 1960s era, Nestor has sharp, bitter memories of the island's post-Revolution period. The Plasencia family had two large fincas dedicated to growing wrapper leaf in Cuba when, on October 3, 1962, at 6 am, they were confiscated by the Castro government. It took nearly three years to get permission to leave the country, and when they finally did, they were allowed to take only a few dollars and two changes of clothes. When the family arrived in Nicaragua, they had nothing except the reputation of Sixto Plasencia, Nestor's father, to rely upon. After rebuilding the business over a decade, the Sandinistas expropriated their properties in 1979, which included 1,000 acres of prime agricultural land. The 1980s put a stop to the Nicaraguan tobacco and cigar industries because there was blue mold in the fields, the U.S. imposed an embargo on the Sandinistas, and the government was expropriating everything they could get their hands on anyway, so Nestor rebuilt his business once more, this time based in Honduras. Now Plasencia owns cigar operations that span two countries, with more than 4,500 employees producing 33 million premium hand-rolled cigars a year, all rolled from Cuban-seed tobacco.

Originally, the Reserva Original was released as Reserva Organic, and it is not only the first but the only fully organic blend in the world, made exclusively with tobaccos certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association! This Nicaraguan puro features tobacco from Plasencia’s farms in Estelí and Jalapa, all of which is aged a minimum of five years. This smoke is said to have the same taste that would have captivated the Europeans over five centuries ago and features hints of nuts, fruits, cedar and caramel. Our panel recommended pairing this smoke with a Moscow Mule or your favorite IPA.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.