Plasencia was almost in the middle of the entire floor. They have been in their current booth, which reminds me of some kind of Palo Alto tech company show room for the last two, maybe three years? I honestly can’t even remember as all of this starts to blur together. I am a dad to a twenty month old and I am tired from the long week of PCA. What isn’t foggy is the fact that they had two things I found most important; a nice coffee bar with some great baristas whipping up some of the best coffee I drank on the floor and one new product launch at the trade show this week which was an addition to their Alma series with the Alma del Cielo.
Alma del Cielo is the first-ever high-elevation cigar. Alma del Cielo, meaning “Soul from the Sky,” captures the essence of tobacco grown at Finca San Julian in Condega, situated at greater than 3500 feet above sea level. This cigar is one of the more unique releases at the trade show for this reason, while I haven’t smoked it yet, it is on my short list of things to smoke very soon.
This is the story of the the cigar and the farm where the tobaccos are grown. Melalina Torres, wife of Don Nestor Plasencia, spent much of her childhood on a family-owned piece of land now named Finca San Julian in Estelí, Nicaragua. This unique mountain farmland was a cherished location where Melalina spent many holidays and summer vacations with her family, surrounded by coffee plants and golden grain fields. As time passed, her father had to sell the farm, turning her childhood experiences into cherished but distant memories.
Years later, Melalina crossed paths with Don Nestor Plasencia at a celebratory gathering in Estelí, and an instant romance blossomed. Their marriage brought children and successes, but also challenges and difficult decisions, including relocating their operations to Honduras. In the 1990s, Don Nestor and his family moved back to Nicaragua and discovered that the beloved farm was available for purchase. As a surprise, Don Nestor acquired the land and gifted it to his wife Melalina, presenting her with this special piece of her childhood as an anniversary gift.
Today, Finca San Julian, named in honor of Melalina’s father, stands as a testament to time’s patience and love’s unwavering strength. Every room echoes with history, every tree whispers stories of those who have walked its soil. The wooden house may have grown, and the high-elevation fields now flourish with tobacco plants, but the spirit remains untouched—a place where the past and present embrace, where family gathers, and where love is always in the air.
The tobacco grown in this field benefits from higher sunlight exposure and cooler climates, resulting in a unique and captivating flavor. Situated high above sea level, Finca San Julian is nurtured by an untouched stream that flows through the farm.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Sizes: Robusto (4 7/8 x 52), Toro (6 1/8 x 54), Hexágono (6 x 60)
- MSRP: $25 – $29.50
- Production: Regular
Plasencia Alma del Cielo is a regular production that is packaged in ten count boxes. It will begin shipping next week to retailers. Check out our interview with Jose Luis Plasencia below:
