A sea of tobacco rustles in the wind at this farm in Estelí, Nicaragua, owned by the Plasencia family. They have been growing tobacco since the 1800s, and they are a powerhouse in the world of cigars.
The name Plasencia has become synonymous with tobacco in Central America, as the family has been growing leaf in Honduras and Nicaragua for more than 50 years. It’s an operation headed by Nestor Plasencia Senior, who relocated from Cuba to Nicaragua in 1965, and his son Nestor Andrés Plasencia, who splits his time between Honduras and Nicaragua to oversee the family’s network of farms and factories.
This year, the Plasencias are in the midst of their 158th crop. The family began farming tobacco in Cuba and have been documenting their harvests since the 1800s. It’s a history that spans six generations.
This year also marks the 11th Puro Sabor Nicaraguan cigar festival. Cigar Aficionado is in Nicaragua for the festival and toured the Plasencias’ tobacco fields in Estelí as well as the company’s cigar factory in that same town. Called “the Cathedral” for its Church-like design, this factory produces seven million cigars by hand per year. Estelí is only one part of the Plasencias’ vast operation, but it’s an impressive one.
Rollers at the Plasencia factory in Estelí are hard at work making brands such as Plasencia Alma Fuerte and Plasencia Alma del Fuego. Each roller produces about 300 cigars a day.
Surrounded by Salomones. It’s perhaps the most difficult size to make, but this roller has mastered the curves and tapers of the Plasenica Alma Fuerte Generacion V. Here they are before being box pressed.
Inspecting the inspector. A roller watches as her quality-control manager checks to make sure the ring gauges of her cigars are correct.
The Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Sixto is hexagonally-pressed, unusual for the cigar world. Notice how the six-sided slats in each mold maintain the cigar’s unique shape.
This beautifully arranged pilon of fermenting tobacco will remain stacked until it reaches a certain temperature. Then it will be taken apart and re-assembled to ensure that tobacco ferments evenly and consistently.
It all starts with compost. This pile of stems, discarded tobacco leaves and other organic material actually goes through a fermentation process before it breaks down and starts its life anew as an eco-friendly fertilizer.
Beautifying the barn. Brilliant flowers alongside this tobacco curing barn add color and vibrance to Plasencia’s San Benito farm.
Inside the barn, Nestor Andrés Plasencia shows off the rich, even color of this Criollo tobacco as it cures. It still has a few more weeks before the tobacco completes its drying cycle. The tobacco barn smells like honey.
