Plasencia Year Of The Rabbit review
I tested the Plasencia Year Of The Rabbit. The box failed me completely and I am disappointed. For me personally, the price is not right and that is something I rarely criticize. But what about the taste and quality of the cigar? My test report shows the details. There are 6000 boxes worldwide and 3000 of them for the USA.
Tasting notes from the Plasencia Year Of The Rabbit
The Analysis I performed with the Cigars.Zone Testing Tool by. Explanations to the ZiZo R+ smoke technology you can find here.
External impression before lighting
Format: Toro (ring 54 / length 165 mm)
Price: Status February 2023 / CHF 52.00 / box of 10 CHF 520.00 / EUR as of status 31.01.23 no details found yet
Recommended acclimatization in the humidor Place the entire box / individual specimens in tubos or store "naked" as an exception: 10 days
The color and the cover sheet: Medium brown / Nicaragua
The construction and cold draft: evenly rolled / sweetish, woody
Photo above: This is a marketing photo. The box looks immaculate and classy. In real life, my crate is very different. More about this in the conclusion.
General impression after lighting in the first 5 minutes
The lighting and the draw resistance: light and even / optimal
The burn, the strength and the taste: first five minutes: even / 2/5 / pleasant
Impression during the smoke of the Plasencia Year Of The Rabbit
Aftertaste and aroma (scent of smoke = room note)
First half: positive lasting impression / aroma: spicy
Second half: positive lasting impression / aroma: spicy
Taste on the tongue
First half: slightly peppery / cocoa / wood / slightly acidic
Second half: slight increase in the flavor notes, good balance
Retronasal
First half: slightly peppery / coffee beans
Second half: slight increase in the flavor notes, good balance
ZiZo R+ Technology
First half: peppery / coffee beans
Second half: slight increase in the flavor notes, good balance
Course of enjoyment and conclusion
Course of enjoyment: First half linear / second half increase
Conclusion Quality of the box of the Plasencia Year Of The Rabbit:
I rarely criticize the price of a cigar. But this time I would like to do so. The box looks immaculate and classy in the marketing photos. In reality, it is not. It doesn't look classy to me at all. You can see two wooden pins hammered into the outside of each side (sorry, you can't see that in the photos).
You might be thinking: "So what, I'm not buying a whole box, what's all the moaning about?" Yes, but you pay the price of the individual cigar proportionately with the box.
The sticker on the front has not been printed properly (or the paint has peeled off afterwards) and the paint on the lid has peeled off or been damaged in a few small places. When you open the lid, the paint has also flaked off in one place on the inside. It looks as if the paint was still wet when the lid was closed. A wooden panel is glued to the inside of the lid. It is uncleanly painted and has frayed edges.
The crate has four feet and they are unequal in size. This means that the crate wobbles.
Inside is a parchment paper. I was startled when I saw the photo, and after seeing it live, my impression was not mistaken: it looked like milk had been spilled. Photo below: Marketing photo. Note: The light-colored round spots on the edge of the box are magnets, not wooden pegs. The wooden pegs I mentioned can be seen on the outside of the crate (not visible in the photo).
So, guys, am I just stupid now? Or how does that make you feel? I'm really curious to see what you write in the comments.
Sorry, the overall picture is just not right for me. CHF 52.00 per cigar is too much for me for these reasons. The box failed me completely and I am disappointed. But what about the taste and quality of the cigar?
Conclusion on the quality and taste of the cigar
I am pleased that both the tobacco quality and the rolling quality are very good. The Plasencia Year Of The Rabbit glows long and evenly. The ash is stable.
In the first half, the cigar remains linear. In the second half, it gains some depth. Leather in particular is added and the wood becomes somewhat more intense. Occasionally there is also some sweetness.
I like the shape very much. A beautiful and imposing cigar. The anillas at the top of the cigar are beautiful, cleanly printed and neatly embossed.
The anilla at the foot of the cigar has received too much glue: When you remove it, you tear the wrapper. This happened to me with two of the cigars I tested, although I was very careful with the second one. See photo below:
In the second half, the wrapper burst open on both specimens. I sealed it with cigar glue. Acclimatization is important: at least 10 days after purchase. This is not a fault of the cigar!
All in all, the taste is as you would expect from Plasencia: A well-composed blend with a very good balance. Only the overall package of box quality and cigar price doesn't convince me this time.
Strength first half: 2/5
Strength second half: 3/5
A cigar test is subjective. The taste of a cigar is influenced by personal taste preferences, taste memories, the shape of the day, what you have eaten or drunk before. Even the lighting mood in the room influences the taste experience. The taste nuances described here therefore do not have to correspond to one's own impressions.
Resources on the topic
Download Cigars.Zone PDF Tasting Tool
Helpful Cigar Tips: From "retronasal", "R+ technique", about "umami" to the difference of cigars storage between Non Cuba and Cuba.
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