Cigar Review: Plasencia Alma del Cielo Toro
Introduction
The Alma del Cielo (“Soul of the Sky”) is the fourth release in Plasencia’s celebrated Alma Series, following the Alma Fuerte, Alma del Campo, and Alma del Fuego. It debuted at PCA 2025 and represents a new step for the brand: a Nicaraguan puro built around tobaccos grown at high elevation on the family’s Finca San Julián in Condega. This farm, once home to Nestor Andrés Plasencia’s grandmother, sits at around 3,500–4,200 feet above sea level—conditions Plasencia calls “the highest-elevation cigar in the world.”
The Toro, named Boreal, measures 6 1/8 x 54, with a Jalapa wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, including that prized high-altitude Condega leaf. Rolled at Plasencia’s Estelí factory, the cigar carries an MSRP in the $25.00–$29.50 range.
Presentation is stunning. Blue and gold bands gleam against the lighter Jalapa wrapper, creating a commanding presence in the box. The wrapper itself is smooth and medium brown, with visible seams and veins. Caps, however, were a bit sloppy across the box, and the lack of cellophane left some cigars vulnerable—half of my order arrived with damage. Still, the look and feel of this cigar promise something special.
Pre-Light Impressions
On the nose, the wrapper offers cedar, hay, and clean earth. The foot is a delight: dark soil and fruit notes mingling together, suggesting both age and quality. The cold draw leans fruit-forward, with a subtle spice tingle hinting at what’s to come. It’s not as rich as the aroma off the foot, but intriguing nonetheless.
Even the bands deserve mention: heavy stock, almost like resume paper, adding to the premium feel. They came off flawlessly later in the smoke—no glue residue, no tears, no drama.
First Third
A soft flame feels fitting for a cigar called Soul of the Sky. The light is effortless, forming a glowing cherry with thick, chewy smoke right from the start.
Initial flavors are gentle sweetness and cedar, delicate but never weak. The smoke feels Nicaraguan through and through—rich in body but refined in delivery. The note that dominates is honey—not syrupy or heavy, but airy and clean, like honey drizzled on cereal. At times it recalls Honeycomb cereal or even nougat, both playful and elegant at once.
Retrohaling is a revelation: bright spice that actually amplifies sweetness on the palate. That interplay makes the cigar feel lively, engaging the senses without overwhelming them.
Construction so far is immaculate—white ash, razor burn line, perfect combustion.
Second Third
The middle section deepens beautifully. The honey and nougat core remain present, but new flavors begin to weave themselves in. A sense of dark soil develops, not funky or mushroom-like, but rich and mineral-driven, tasting like freshly tilled ground after rain. This earthiness gives the cigar depth without weighing it down. Alongside it comes a subtle leather note, providing maturity and structure, while the cedar that had been present since the beginning grows more assertive, acting as a backbone that holds the sweeter elements in place.
What stands out most is that the early flavors never disappear. This is not a cigar that swaps one profile for another; instead, it adds layers without losing identity. Honey and nougat continue to hum beneath the surface, keeping the experience cohesive even as it grows darker and fuller.
The retrohale remains consistent with the first third—spice lifting sweetness, though by this point the sinuses acclimate and the sensation feels less startling than it did early on.
Paired with Flor de Caña 18-year rum, the similarities are striking: both share wood, spice, and sweetness. Interestingly, the rum feels hotter than the cigar, a testament to the cigar’s smoothness. Together, they form a parallel harmony rather than a contrast, reinforcing each other’s best qualities.
Final Third
As the cigar enters its last act, the melody shifts. Cedar and earth rise to the forefront, while honey and nougat fade into soft echoes. The smoke remains rich, the burn flawless, but the overall tone grows darker and more serious.
At this stage, the rum steps forward, its molasses sweetness contrasting the cigar’s darker lean. For a moment, my fondness dips—the middle third felt truly “otherworldly,” and the final third is more grounded. Yet just before the close, the cigar surprises me: that delicate honey sweetness flickers back, almost like a curtain call, reminding me of where it began. Near the close, a sudden burst of milk chocolate joined the honey, adding one additional flourish of sweetness before fading out.
The ash throughout has been dense but delicate, tumbling off gracefully into the tray like a gymnast sticking the landing.
Concluding Thoughts
The Plasencia Alma del Cielo Toro is a cigar that impresses not just with flavor, but with balance and cohesion. From start to finish, every note feels intentional and refined. It builds rather than replaces, weaving honey, nougat, soil, leather, cedar, and spice into a story that feels both complex and smooth.
If the second third was the high point—an unforgettable harmony of sweet and dark—then the final third showed maturity and restraint, closing with poise rather than fireworks. That arc, to me, is the mark of a masterfully crafted cigar.
Yes, some of the marketing notes mention citrus, but in my session it didn’t appear. Instead, the sweetness leaned squarely into honey and even maple brightness, which worked beautifully in its own right.
It’s not cheap, and box fragility is a concern without cellophane, but the experience justifies the price. This is a cigar I could happily smoke again and again—refined enough to be the first cigar of the evening, yet complex enough to be the best cigar of the evening.
The Retrohale Score: A (94)
An absolute treat. Smooth, balanced, and deeply flavorful without ever feeling heavy-handed.