News: Plasencia Cosecha 151 San Diego

Tobacco harvests aren’t merely an annual task that must be endured in the tobacco world. These cosechas are documented, curated, and in most cases, celebrated tasks that are meticulously completed with a knowing that, in time, the leaves they are handling may one day make up something special.

The Cosecha 151 cigar by Plasencia Cigars stands as an embodiment to the artistry and expertise of one of the most renowned tobacco-growing families in the world. Plasencia Cigars distinguishes its Cosecha series by associating each cigar with the number of successfully harvested crops, incorporating the corresponding tobacco into the blend. Cosecha 151 pays homage to the 151st harvest of the Plasencia family, a milestone that reflects their commitment to producing premium, hand-rolled cigars for multiple generations. This blend features tobacco sourced from Honduras during the 2016/2017 harvest. Nestor Andrés Plasencia unveiled the Cosecha 151 at the 2023 PCA Convention and Trade Show, with the cigars later shipping in November of 2023.

Offered in three sizes, the Cosecha 151 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, the Cosecha 146 and Cosecha 149, which utilized tobacco from the 2011/2012 and 2014/2015 harvests, respectively. Plasencia highlights that, while the wrapper on the Cosecha 151 shares similarities with that of the Cosecha 149, it hails from a different harvest and a lower priming.

Plasencia Cosecha 151 Corona Gorda Breakdown

Appearance

Like most of Plasencia’s cigars, the Cosecha 151 is adorned with three bands—one at the bottom and two up near the head of the cigar. I am not a fan of multiple bands on a cigar, and even though they look great set against the background of the wrapper, I feel like they detract from the cigar’s beauty simply by covering it up.

I like how the cigar feels solid between my fingers with only a slight flex of pressure. The wrapper has a rich hot cocoa color, and while visible veins are scattered across its surface, they are small and don’t cause any noticeable raises to the roll.

The Cosecha 151 has a very unique pre-light aroma. I think the best description is that of a dusty, almost empty greenhouse. The dusty earth component that mixes with a rich vegetal note is very enjoyable. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: smells that invoke vivid memories are special treats in the cigar smoking experience. This time, I am taken back to summer mornings that I spent picking out plants from the local nursery with my mother, which would later find their new home in the family garden. There is also a lightly cracked black pepper note, but it’s fleeting at best. Cold-draw flavors include a dominant musty basement note, backed with a tangy vegetal note that borders on day-old cut grass. The cracked black pepper flavor is only slightly perceptible. The draw itself is a near-perfect 8/10.

Smoking Experience

The 46 ring gauge on the San Diego cigar allows for a quick toast and light. Instantly, I am greeted with a swirling mix of dry earth, slightly burnt toast, and a white pepper zing. Flavor and body are a solid medium, and strength sits a half-step back at mild/medium. There is a sweet wood note that wants to break through, but doesn’t quite make it.

Now solidly into the Cosecha 151, smoke abounds easily with each puff, and a palate-coating half-and-half texture leads notes of turned dry earth and fresh white pepper, giving a smoothness that I wouldn’t expect from the flavor combination. What I thought was sweet wood trying to make an appearance at first light has now evolved into an old, decayed wood note. If you have ever walked into an old barn or have ever explored an abandoned house, then you will recognize this aroma. The burn wavers slightly (not being any concern), and the flavor/body/strength have leveled at medium-plus for all three. The ash has already fallen in two short-but-solid chunks—you might want to keep an eye out as you enjoy this cigar, as you might end up making a mess of your clothes.

Approaching the middle of the corona-gorda-sized San Diego vitola, the earthy profile has acquired the musty character that the wood held earlier. The creaminess in the smoke is fading slightly, and the wood has picked up a tannic base. The white pepper is shifting to a drier black pepper, especially on the retrohale, which is now a bit stinging to my sinuses. While these are not major transitions, they are enough to keep me focused on what is coming next. I warned you previously on watching the ash on the Cosecha 151, and I just fulfilled my own prophecy, as a short chunk of debris just skittered down my shirt and found its way between my legs and my chair. Flavor, body, and strength are holding steady at medium-plus, bringing a nice balance to the smoking experience.

Popping the bands off of this Plasencia Cosecha, I find that the smoke has taken a drier and rougher profile. Black pepper now lingers on my palate, and the retrohale is dominated by pepper. The wood note has returned to its dry and slightly musty profile, with the earth that has been ever present sliding to the backseat. I don’t think it is a bad change to the smoke, but I do find myself left slightly parched, and will have to get a glass of water to finish the cigar. Flavor and body have now bumped up to medium-full, and the strength is holding at medium-plus.

As I close out the Cosecha 151, not much has changed in the flavor realm, and I find this as a positive. The closing puffs of most cigars tend to be some of the least enjoyable ones for me, but flavors hold true on this San Diego ’til the end. The cigar required no touchups, and had a near-sharp burn line through most of the smoke. The draw never varied from an 8/10 for the duration.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Without a doubt I would. In my opinion, the Cosecha series of cigars from Plasencia are some of the best examples of the Plasencia brand that they have released. The Cosecha 151 is balanced, yet it has enough transition throughout to keep you intrigued. While I lean a little more toward the Cosecha 149, the 151 is an amazing example of what Honduran tobacco has to offer, and in my mind, should be added to your humidor collection for regular smoking.

The Cosecha 151 from Plasencia Cigars currently ranks 1,225 out of ~5,200 cigars on Dojoverse, with a “smokable” rating of 100%.
Cosecha 151 is the third release in the Cosecha (or Harvest in Spanish) series from Plasencia Cigars. The prior releases are the Cosecha 146 (which features tobacco from the 2011/2012 harvest) and the Cosecha 149 (which features tobacco from the 2014/2015 harvest).
The Cosecha 151 ranked No. 12 on Cigar Dojo’s 2023 year-end awards list.
This cigar is currently available in three vitolas:

San Diego: 5¾” x 46 | $13.30 MSRP
La Música: 5? x 50 | $13.50 MSRP
La Tradición: 5?” x 54 | $16.00 MSRP

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