Tobacco Business

[ 32 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MARCH / APRIL | 21 ] Today, the Plasencias are growing different varieties of Habano and Connecticut tobacco seeds. A few years ago, they also began planting Broadleaf seeds. Altogether, the Plasencias grow more than 3,500 acres of tobacco across all of their farms. Growing 100 percent organic tobac- co remains a priority for the Plasencias, and it is achieved by using all of the knowledge of ecosystems, soil makeup and biology of the crop that the family and its team have gained through years of experience. “It is a process that I am personally very passionate about because the tobaccos we grow are the basis for the Plasencia brand blends, and it reminds me of the first project I worked on after graduating from the agricultural school, the Plasencia Reserva Organica.” The Plasencias continue to face challenges to their tobacco business today. At the end of 2020, two hurricanes hit both Nicaragua and Hon- duras in what Nestor Andrés describes as something that was simply unprecedented. What happened last year with the hurricanes is anoth- er reason why the Plasencias view it as essential that they and others around the globe continue to mind natural resources like soil, which is essential to the quality of the tobaccos that are later rolled into cigars and sent out across the world. “For example, our soils—which are the basis of everything that we do—have programs that produce organic fertilizers through vermi- compost,” he says. “We also institute reforestation efforts to take care of our water sources, and we have installed systems of drip irrigation that make for a more efficient use of irrigation. It is essential to take care of all our natural resources so that future generations of the family can continue in this beautiful industry.” Success and Happiness Today, Nestor Andrés is more involved in the manufacturing side of cigars with an emphasis on developing the Plasencia brand. In a move to become completely vertical, the family created its own distribution company, Plasencia 1865. In 2017, the family went a step further and launched its own cigar company, Plasencia Cigars. Prior to launching their namesake brand, the family did produce its own cigar lines that included 1898, Clásica and Reserva Orgánica. Plasencia Cigars today consists of several well-received and well-rated cigar lines: Alma Fuerte, Cosecha 146 and Reserva Original, all of which were blended by Nestor Andrés and the Plasencia team. “There are few things in this world that make me as happy as hearing what our consumers feel when enjoying a Plasencia cigar,” says Nestor Andrés. “We put out Alma Fuerte after feeling a great responsibility to improve the lives of our consumers in a small way with an excellent- quality cigar. We used all of the knowledge acquired in the 155 years of learning about this beautiful industry to create this blend.” Many in the tobacco industry have come to the Plasencias to help them bring a particular blend or cigar line to life. The processes around cigarmaking and perfecting a particular blend vary greatly based on what each of those companies are setting out to achieve. Many times, companies will come to the Plasencias with an idea in mind for what they want out of a blend. It could be that they want a 100 percent Nica- raguan cigar, and other times they may want to bring together tobaccos grown in multiple countries that will have a consistent flavor. Overall, Nestor Andrés enjoys the process of making a cigar and has fun creating Nestor Andrés Plasencia Jr. with his family. For the Plasencias, family is the core of their business and fuel for their passion toward tobacco growing and cigarmaking.