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After a brutal Overwatch session dealing with teammates who couldn’t hit a target if it was taped to their screen, I’m in my lounge, ready to unwind with a Plasencia Year of the Tiger, a hefty Toro Extra that’s been sitting in my humidor since a friend gifted it to me. This Nicaraguan smoke, crafted at Plasencia Cigars S.A. with a local wrapper, binder, and filler, runs $40 a stick, measures 6 1/4 inches with a 54 ring gauge, and promises a long, bold experience. I light it up, hoping it’s a better teammate than the ones I just endured, eager to see if it delivers the calm I need.

Let’s find out if this cigar can pull me out of the post-game slump.

The Roots

The Experience: From Start to Finish

First Look: Pre-Light Impressions

The Plasencia Year of the Tiger, at 6 1/4 inches with a 54 ring gauge, feels solid in my hand, like a reliable old lighter ready to spark. Its Nicaraguan wrapper a deep, coffee-brown with a slight oily sheen and a few thin veins. The construction looks damn good, with a tight roll, clean cap, and no soft spots, showing Plasencia’s skill, though its weight suggests a packed, intense smoke. The aroma hits with earthiness and a pinch of white pepper, plus a faint citrusy orange note, and the cold draw, smooth with just the right resistance, brings gumball sweetness, a touch of coffee, and a hint of cedar, setting high expectations.

With the cigar looking promising, I light it to see if it can deliver some calm after those awful games.

Foot to Cap: The Flavor Journey

The first third kicks off with a sharp nuttiness, distinct and toasty, blended with smooth cedar and a subtle earthiness that grounds the smoke, while the creamy texture fills the room. The burn’s mostly even, with a firm, gray ash holding strong, but a slight touch-up keeps it on track, a minor hassle but not a dealbreaker. A faint gumball sweetness lingers, adding a surprising twist, making this opening bold and engaging, exactly what I need to unwind.

Moving into the middle third, the nuttiness deepens into a roasted peanut flavor, with cedar staying steady and a coffee bean note emerging, rich and familiar, though a retrohale brings a black pepper bite, sharp and sometimes too intense, throwing off the balance. The smoke remains thick and creamy, but the burn needs another touch-up.The flavors shift unevenly, strong one puff and milder the next, keeping me on my toes. A mineral hint adds some depth, but the inconsistency makes this section less smooth than I’d hoped.

In the final third, the nuttiness blends with earthiness, creating a complex finish, while black pepper spikes again, crisp and bold, joined by a faint cinnamon note and a peanut butter-like aftertaste that’s oddly satisfying. The burn holds up, needing one last touch-up, and the smoke stays dense, but the flavors don’t fully mesh, with the pepper overpowering at times, though a subtle herbal note rounds it out. This close, lasting nearly three hours, feels rewarding despite the flaws, leaving me relaxed and content after a long smoke.

Build & Burn: The Craftsmanship

The Year of the Tiger’s construction is solid, its Nicaraguan wrapper smooth and well-rolled, with minimal veins and a consistent feel that shows Plasencia’s attention to detail, making it a cigar you trust before even lighting it. The cap’s clean, the seams tight, and it feels balanced in hand, promising a quality smoke. Overall, it’s the kind of craftsmanship that makes you appreciate the effort behind a premium stick.

The burn’s a bit of a mixed bag, starting even but needing touch-ups, though the firm, gray ash holds strong and the smoke stays cool and creamy, delivering flavors reliably. The draw’s spot-on, with just enough resistance to feel satisfying, and the smoke production is plentiful, keeping the experience engaging. Despite the burn issues, the technical side holds up well enough to make this a worthwhile, if imperfect, smoke.

Flavor Deep Dive: What’s Cooking

The Plasencia Year of the Tiger starts with a bold nuttiness, sharp and toasty, paired with smooth cedar and a steady earthiness, creating a full-bodied smoke that grabs your attention, though a faint gumball sweetness adds an unexpected twist. The creamy smoke enhances the experience, but the flavors waver, shifting from intense to mild without warning, making it hard to settle into a rhythm. This opening sets a strong tone, promising complexity even if it doesn’t always deliver seamlessly.

Midway, the nuttiness turns richer, like roasted peanuts, with coffee beans and mineral notes adding depth, but the retrohale’s black pepper, overly sharp, overshadows the balance, much like a teammate stealing the spotlight with bad plays. The final stretch brings a layered mix of earthiness, nuttiness, and cinnamon, with a peanut butter-like finish, though the pepper spikes disrupt the harmony, leaving a bold but uneven close that still satisfies after a long smoke.

Strength & Body: The Power Within

The Year of the Tiger hits with medium strength, delivering a steady buzz that’s noticeable but doesn’t knock you out, perfect for unwinding, with the nicotine building gradually, keeping you engaged without overwhelming. The pepper in the retrohale adds a sharp kick, bold enough to remind you this cigar means business, but it’s manageable for most smokers. Overall, it’s a balanced strength that suits a long, relaxing evening.

The body’s full, with dense, creamy smoke carrying nuttiness, cedar, and coffee, heavy on the palate, though citrusy orange and herbal notes lighten it slightly, creating a rich but not suffocating experience. The flavors, while bold, don’t always blend smoothly, with the pepper spiking too hard at times, but the depth keeps you hooked, making this a cigar that demands attention through its nearly three-hour runtime.

Perfect Pairings: Elevate the Experience

To match this cigar’s bold profile, a smoky Scotch whiskey brings out the cedar and earthiness, while a dark aged rum plays up the nuttiness, and a strong dark roast coffee balances the pepper’s kick. For food, a grilled ribeye or dark chocolate bar complements the smoke’s depth, enhancing the coffee and nutty notes. This cigar’s best for a late-night chill session, when you’ve got time to savor its long burn and shake off a rough day.

Value: Worth the Price?

At $40 a stick or $320 for a box of eight, the Year of the Tiger is a pricey smoke, sitting at the high end of the market, and while its solid construction and complex flavors justify the cost for a special occasion, the burn issues and uneven flavors make it a tough sell for everyday smoking. A single cigar’s a treat for seasoned smokers, but a box is only worth it if you’re flush and love bold, long smokes. It’s a quality cigar, but the price stings a bit when you factor in the flaws.

Final Thoughts

After nearly three hours with the Plasencia Year of the Tiger, I’m left with a mix of satisfaction and slight frustration, much like surviving a bad Overwatch match. Its nuttiness, cedar, coffee, and pepper deliver a bold, engaging smoke, with a creamy texture and a peanut butter-like finish that’s damn good, but the sharp retrohale and inconsistent flavors, plus those burn touch-ups, keep it from being a home run. At $40, it’s a treat worth trying for a night when you need to unwind.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a cigar that makes the evening better, flaws and all.

Own the Smoke: Make It Yours

The Plasencia Year of the Tiger is for smokers who like a full-bodied, complex cigar and don’t mind a bit of spice, best for a long, chill evening when you’ve got three hours to burn, though newbies might find it too intense. As a limited-edition smoke, it’s tough to find, so grab one if you spot it at a shop, perfect for kicking back after a rough day. Light it up, take your time, and let it do its thing.

Enjoy your smoke.

-Catch you on the next one.