Plasencia

Plasencia is the oldest family-owned cigar company in the Americas, growing tobacco continuously since 1865. With over 3,000 acres across four countries and factories producing 30+ million cigars annually, the Plasencia family is the backbone of the cigar industry.

Key Facts

The Story

The Plasencia family has been cultivating tobacco continuously since 1865, making them one of the oldest tobacco dynasties in the world. After Fidel Castro seized all farms in 1963, the family left Cuba for Mexico and eventually Nicaragua, where they rebuilt their operations from nothing. Nestor Plasencia Sr., born in Cuba in 1949, expanded the family's reach across Central America. During the Sandinista revolution of the 1980s, he lost his Nicaraguan farms and shifted focus to Honduras. After the Sandinistas fell in 1990, the family returned to Estelí and Ocotál, building massive factory operations that today produce over 30 million cigars annually. While the Plasencia name has long been known as the industry's premier contract manufacturer — producing cigars for Rocky Patel and dozens of other leading brands — the fifth generation (Néstor Andrés, Gustavo, and José Luis Plasencia) launched their own branded cigars to critical acclaim. Lines like the Alma series, Reserva Original, and the limited Cosecha releases showcase 160 years of tobacco expertise, with the family growing over 3,000 acres across Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama.