The Particulars

The Review

This review for the Plasencia El Año del Caballo (2026) - Gordo (7 x 58) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-01-01

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

This is a beautiful dark chocolate brown wrapper that glistens with an oily sheen. It has a slight rosado hue to it, and light mottling. There are a number of extremely small and thin veins running through the leaf, but they don’t affect the roll. All the seams blend in, and the cap is beautiful. The braided tobacco is securely affixed under the cap. You get the traditional Plasencia-style triple bands in a bright red with gold accents and embossed details. It’s a beautifully rolled cigar with a good feel and is very eye-catching, if nothing else​

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Good (3)

I did find the punch was problematic on this example. There appears to be extra glue across the top of the cap, helping to secure the braids in place so the punched cap doesn’t fall off. I ended up taking the extra effort to pull the cap off with my fingernails, but I might try the V-cut or guillotine next time. My concern with the V-cut is whether it might affect the braids if you line the cutter up with it.

That said, the draw is spot-on, and the burn starts beautifully with an even, if mildly wavy, burn line. The ash is a tan, medium gray that has medium-spaced striations with tight cracks. The ash holds through the first third before falling off. The burn does start to get uneven about halfway through, but it stays decently controlled until I apply a light correction.

I’m honestly at a loss for what to do with the braid. It’s not in the way of the draw, but I’ll eventually get to a point where it’s hanging past or against the ash. I’m hesitant to pull it out and risk destroying the cap, but I find a gentle bend snaps the braid close to the base. It’s definitely a bit silly to keep it on while smoking it, but you can feel comfortable in breaking it off in advance. Just don’t rip it straight out like a brute and take the cap with it. 😉

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Excellent (5)

Initial puffs are earthy—a very smooth and refined earth with some charred oak, cinnamon, coffee, nuts, and a plum wine-like sweetness. It’s possibly me getting in my own head because Plasencia promises Asian flavors, but I’d damn near swear there’s a mild, spicy teriyaki or Japanese BBQ sauce flavor mixed in with the spice and sweetness. This is surprisingly good. It’s balanced, refined, and smooth, with just the right amount of spice and sweetness.

With the second third, it’s still very earthy, but coffee and roasted nuts are increasing. I’m reminded of the dark Alma Fuerte, but with less must and more nuttiness. There is still a lot of coffee and dark fruit sweetness, baking spice, cinnamon, and very mild pepper. It’s still very smooth and refined, with a nice creaminess. This is a very chill and relaxed cigar. I think the blend is more influenced by Japanese flavors and balance than a galloping bronco with a big kick. It is a darker profile, but it’s really well-balanced and full-flavored, though it risks being a little tame at times.

In the final third, peppery spices are picking up, giving a pleasant mouth and throat tingle. It’s a medium spice at most, while the overall profile is getting a little brighter and woodier. It’s gone from charred oak to more cedar-like, but still flushed with coffee, dark chocolate, nuts, baking spice, and that plum-like sweetness. That Japanese BBQ sauce flavor still permeates as an aftertaste, which is quite different and enjoyable.

Overall Experience (0-5):  Excellent (5)

This is a great cigar. It has a stunning look that’s flavorful with some unique notes, is well-balanced, complex, and brings a nice number of transitions. While the product is excellent, I question whether the price justifies the cost of entry. On the bright side, it’s a very large cigar and a slow burn, so that does help the value proposition. It would be a straightforward decision if it were priced similarly to the rest of the Alma line; however, it is at least one and a half times more expensive.  And that makes me question how much of adding the braided plait contributed to the cost vs the cost of the tobaccos vs the marketing markup being a “year of” cigar.  This cigar is worth trying if you’re a big Plasencia fan or have the budget for these expensive sticks; otherwise, you’re going to be OK passing on this one. Maybe the key consideration is this: if you’re looking for a bronco-busting, Padrón-like kick, you’ll want to pass, as you’ll likely be disappointed that this bad horsie isn’t trying to throw you. It’s a sweet and placid mare, so if that’s what you want to ride, giddy up!

Review Base Rating (0-5):

4.75

Is it Burnable?

Most likely (good stick, but look for a deal)

Review Final Score (0-10):

8.67

Postscript

03-Jun-2006:  The second example I smoked had zero issues with the punch removing the cap. That came off cleanly with zero issues for the braid. But it still felt awkward, and again I felt like a bit of a jackass smoking it with the tobacco ponytail attached. 😂 An extra 6 months of age was beautifully wondrous for this blend, though. One thing I noticed was a lot more saltiness coming from the wrapper on the cap. I don’t know if that’s from any of the steps taken to secure the braid, but it wasn’t a detracting addition.

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.