It is time for another unique look into the life of one of the most knowledgeable members of the premium-cigar community. True aficionados have long known of the expertise of Nestor Plasencia and his family, however, it is only very recently that the whole world has begun to truly appreciate what they have accomplished. It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Nestor Jr. for this month's Manufacturer Spotlight, and we hope you guys learn something!
The story of the Plasencia family begins where many stories about cigars begin: in Cuba. The Plasencias were fourth-generation tobacco growers in the world's cigar tobacco capital. Then, as many did during the revolution, Nestor Plasencia Sr. left his homeland to settle in the greener pastures of the hills and soil, rich with volcanic ash, of Nicaragua, where Nestor Jr. was born before the family moved once again three years later, this time to Honduras. It was during their time in Honduras that the Plasencias began to expand their operation from growing tobacco to also building factories and manufacturing their own blends.
The Plasencia name began to gain traction during the great Cigar Boom of the 1990s. It was then that their blending capabilities were noticed and utilized by some major brands. The Plasencia family partnered with JR Cigar to create many of retail juggernaut's private labels and value-based smokes. After finishing agricultural school, Nestor Jr. formally joined the family business in 1999.
During the 2000s, the family was sought after by many of the manufactures born during the Boom, and was behind several highly rated blends for Rocky Patel, 5 Vegas, Gurkha, and Alec Bradley. While working with the Quesada family of the Dominican Republic, Nestor and his team created the cigar that took first place on Cigar Aficionado's 2008 Top 25 Cigars of the Year list: the Casa Magna Colorado Robusto.
While Plasencia is still mainly a Honduran manufacturer, the family has become very prominent in Nicaragua in recent years, with 2017 seeing the release of two Plasencia-crafted Nicaraguan cigars that have already achieved immense popularity. Working with Altadis USA, Nestor blended the Romeo 505, which is the largest release in the company's history. Also this year, the family released one of the first cigars under its own flag: the Plasencia Alma Fuerte, a notably strong and flavorful smoke that has become an early favorite for 2017's Cigar of the Year.
Never has there been a cigar-blending operation more in demand then Nestor Plasencia and his family. They are considered the world's utmost experts of cigar tobacco and have proven they are capable of everything from a value bundle to a super-premium. As Nestor Jr. takes the reins, we here at Cigars.com are very excited to see what the future holds for the Plasencia family.
Browse Romeo 505 Nicaragua By Romeo y Julieta
Browse Maria Mancini Red
Browse Maria Mancini Limited Edition
