Plasencia Reserva Original Cortez

Plasencia Reserva Original Cortez is a perfecto with a pigtail. In my world, that is a double danger zone – my least favorite vitola with a hazardous appendage. It's like I’m dancing with the devil, but I signed up for this when I bought it so…

The cigar sports 3 gold on white bands. The secondary band is above the primary with a series of Ps in circles. A footer proclaims “Reserva Original.” Plasencia Reserva Original is a Nicaraguan puro cloaked in a toothy light brown wrapper with some mottling, tight seams and somewhat visible veins.

Flavors: charred cedar, pepper, cinnamon, dark roast coffee, bread, and hints of fruit and citrus. As the flavors develop the fruit reveals itself as cherry. The earthiness increases along with vegetal notes through the second and final thirds. Graham crackers,cocoa, ginger and other unidentifiable spice and nuttiness emerge faint and fleeting. My best description of the nuttiness is more like the taste of sunflower seeds. Beyond the charred wood, earth and pepper, the flavors are subtle, including hints of the aging in the tobacco. I would describe the cigar as medium to medium-full bodied and medium strength.

The draw is a little tight off and on. I blame the pigtail – or myself for pulling it instead of clipping it with a V cutter. The likely culprit is the perfecto shape. These draw issues seem to occur at times with bellacosos and perfectos. The smoke production is decent. The white ash is flaky, falling off several times. The burn line is reasonably even. One touchup required.

The Plasencia Reserva Original Cortez is an enjoyable smoke. I like this cigar. It has its intriguing moments, but no Oh Wow moments. So, I grade it a 4 on the Cigar World Richter Scale.

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