Few industries have maintained the commitment to quality, craftsmanship, age-old tradition and authenticity like the cigar industry. Plasencia Cigars is one of the leading lights: a five-generation family business that since 1865 has been honing not only its craft, but its resilience against cutting corners.
The story of Plasencia Cigars is one that’s beset by hardship, from escaping not one but two revolutions to dealing with tobacco harvest losses that could have ended production entirely. It’s a tale of triumph over adversity that has led Plasencia Cigars to become one of the largest tobacco growers and cigar makers worldwide.
One element that separates Plasencia Cigars from the competition is the way the brand works alongside nature, rather than against it. One of the company’s flagship cigars — the well-aged Alma Fuerte — takes its cues from bees and is painstakingly crafted into a hexagonal shape.
“It’s nature’s most efficient shape, and we are the only company that makes a hexagonal cigar,” said fifth-generation family member Néstor Plasencia. “It shows that we are not above nature, we are part of it.”
As well as following nature’s path in cigar construction, the brand is dedicated to the organic production of tobacco, which is increasing year by year. This includes utilizing 50% less water in its farming and following tested organic methods such as planting beans, corn and sunflower to help return nitrogen to the soil without the use of chemicals.
“We are the only company in the world to produce organic-certified tobacco for premium cigars,” said Néstor. “We understand how to take care of our crops; we understand the cycle; we know how to enrich the soil and how to get the best tobacco with the most flavor. But we are always learning. It’s never boring, as every harvest is different.”
Since the company was founded in 1865 by Don Eduardo Plasencia, the family has witnessed over 150 harvests across Cuba, Nicaragua and Honduras, a level of dedication that can only be found through a real passion for tobacco production.
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This passion runs not only through the production of cigars and the preservation of the natural environment, but also in the nurturing of the people the company works with. By providing education for the children of its workers, Plasencia Cigars is setting up future generations for success.
Far more than just another cigar brand, Plasencia Cigars embodies its ethos, blending the soul of a fifth generation family business with a dedication to the natural environment and nearly 160 years of experience.
This article appears in the 27 Aug 2024 issue of the New Statesman, Fall 2024
