Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal is light brown and has some raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are three bands, all in a blue and gold color combination. The primary denotes the company and line. The secondary, which sits above the primary is a pattern of the company logo, while the foot band denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is sweet cedar while the foot brings a mix of graham cracker and cedar. The pre-light draw brings sweet cedar and light earth.
Seth: The Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal is a beautiful cigar in hand. The coloring of the wrapper is a near perfect Colorado, and it has a sandy brown coloring. The wrapper has some tooth with a leather and oily texture. Small to medium sized veins are present throughout. The aroma on the cigar is that of aged tobacco, earth, spices, cocoa and wood, and there is some leather present on the wrapper.
John: The Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal does not come in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. The cigar is triple banded, with a thin top band featuring a gold P logo on blue, followed by a standard Plasencia band, and an Alma del Cielo foot band. I weighed the cigar at 18.0 grams and measured the humidity at 61.1% using the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro. For aromas from the wrapper, I picked up mild barnyard and wood with a faint sandy note underneath. Out of the foot, I detected hay and wood.
Jiunn: The Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal has a uniform Colorado Claro wrapper shade. The wrapper shows great oil content and is very smooth to the touch. Pre-light aromas give rotten citrus, barnyard, dirty socks and cedar.

Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with bold black pepper and some toasted cedar. At a half inch in, some earth becomes present, but the pepper is still dominating the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper eases up a bit. The retrohale is an even mix of black pepper, cedar and earth. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows so now it is even with the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the profile is black pepper and toasted cedar even up front, with the earth in the middle of the profile. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third opens with soft wood notes that are paired with barnyard and subtle cream qualities. They are not sweet cream notes but delivering herbal and pepper qualities. Aged tobacco and earth are present as well, with a finish of cocoa powder, sweet spices and coffee. The strength and body are at a medium to medium-full level. Balanced.
John: The cigar opens with creamy, bready notes, finishing with mild wood. A delayed hay note settles into the post draw. The retrohale brings forward sweet baking spices and mild earth. As the cigar begins to settle, a general mustiness defines the post draw. This mustiness gradually intensifies and moves into the main finish. The profile remains consistent with no significant changes through to the halfway point.
Jiunn: The first third’s flavor profile has a fullness and richness in the flavors. Deep intensities in minerals, naturally sweet and creamy mixed nuts, cedar and tongue caking red pepper spice. Retrohaling brings out the red pepper spice more as well as provides a nuttier profile. The finish is long and lingering with minerals and cedar. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toasted cedar transitions to toasted oak. At a half inch in, the pepper mellows some more and is now in between the toasted oak and earth. The retrohale is now toasted oak and zingy black pepper along with some earth. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front, with the black pepper a bit behind and the earth in the middle of the profile. The strength dropped down to slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third shows more barnyard, wood and tobacco qualities. The cream aspect is present, but not as pronounced. Earth, cocoa powder, sweet spices and coffee beans remain. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body. Still very balanced.
John: The second third opens with creamy, musty tobacco, while a hint of citrus sweetness appears on the finish. The post draw features musty tobacco and wood. As the third progresses, light-plus dark earth and espresso join the post draw, adding some depth. Toward the halfway point, the post draw becomes dry wood-forward.
Jiunn: The second third shows more minerality and pepper spice but also retains the natural sweet and creaminess of roasted nuts. The finish, although still long and lingering, has softened and shows more cedar. Strength and body remains medium-full and medium, respectively.

Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper mellows a fair amount and moves into the back half of the profile. At a half inch in, the black pepper picks back up a bit, but is still behind the earth. The retrohale is now toasted oak with an even amount of earth and black pepper. At an inch in, the toast level increases a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted oak is up front, with earth in the middle of the profile and black pepper just behind. The strength bumped back up to medium.
Seth: The final third shows some more spice and wood notes than the first two thirds. Strong tobacco and barnyard qualities are present. There is not much cream in the final third, but it has that earth, cocoa powder, sweet spice and coffee bean finish. Always balanced. Great quality of this cigar. Closer to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The final third begins with a blend of creamy, sweet tobacco, wood and mustiness, with tannic wood finishing at medium-minus strength. As the cigar progresses, musty tobacco dominates the post draw, with dry wood as a supporting note. By the bottom half, dryness in the post draw intensifies to medium strength, slightly overwhelming the profile.
Jiunn: The final third lends to mainly a heavy hand in minerals and cedar without enough of the softer notes and spice. This not only makes the profile less complex but also less enjoyable. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: The burn was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn was textbook throughout the review. It featured a razor-sharp burn line, with ash that naturally fell at consistent half-inch intervals.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect, providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was top notch.
John: Measured at 46 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, the draw was at most one notch toward the resistant spectrum, placing it in the ideal range.
Jiunn: The draw was also perfect, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with bold black pepper and some toasted cedar. Some earth joined in pretty quickly. The black pepper then mellowed a bit throughout the third. The second third saw the cedar transition to oak. The final third saw the pepper move to the back half of the profile and the toast level increased. Construction was perfect. The Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal started off balance with an immense amount of black pepper, but that mellowed a bit in the first third and then a fair amount in the final third. The profile was average throughout though as it was just a core profile of the black pepper, toasted cedar, which later transitioned to oak, and the earth. Even before the high price point, it’s not a cigar I’d see myself returning to.
Seth: I really liked the Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal. I really enjoyed the size, and I look forward to smoking it in the other vitolas. The Hexagon vitola they use throughout their portfolio is a fun size, and each iteration has been great. I really want to see how it smokes with the Alma del Cielo blend. I loved how balanced this cigar was and how filling it was at the same time. It was not too much with strength and body, and the flavors offered an enjoyable experience from start to finish. I would love to have a more detailed breakdown of the blend. The burn and draw were great, and I loved the barnyard, wood, spice, cream and earth qualities. It showed the quality of Nicaraguan tobacco, the classic flavors of Nicaraguan tobacco, and the elegance of Nicaraguan tobacco that we are not often gifted.
John: The Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal impressed in terms of construction, delivering an exceptional razor-sharp burn and ideal draw. The flavor profile opened with a pleasant mix of cream, bread, wood and hay, supported by mild spice and musty earth. While the profile remained consistent and balanced in the first third, it leaned heavily into mustiness and dry wood in the second and final thirds. Despite its promising start and flawless mechanics, the cigars lack of dynamic transitions and increasing dryness ultimately held it back from reaching a higher overall rating. A cigar that would be best suited for those who enjoy musty, wood-forward profiles. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Jiunn: A powerhouse of a blend, giving rich and tongue sticking flavors of spice, wood and sweetness with a long and lingering finish. The heavier octane strength was also a good match to the fullness in flavors. I highly recommend this Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal to more seasoned cigar smokers as the depth and richness can be easily missed by a novice smoker. Will definitely smoke again.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$4.78

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.52

Cost/Point

$3.66

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$4.51

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$4.03

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Plasencia Alma del Cielo Boreal