When Ed Bello was appointed CEO of Plasencia Cigars in April of 2025, he brought a wealth of experience in brand management, portfolio strategy, digital and e-commerce, and global marketing. What he did not bring was a knowledge of the cigar manufacturing industry. The enormity of the challenge cannot be overstated, but Bello was up to the task.
Following a successful decade-plus stint as an executive with Proctor and Gamble, Bello joined global spirits giant Diageo, spearheading brand development for Bulleit Whiskey, Ketel One Vodka and Smirnoff Vodka. From there he transitioned to CMO of Catalyst Spirits, a division of Diageo, driving the global reach of Howler Head whiskey. There’s no denying Ed Bello knows spirits, and how to grow them into global brands.
While at Diageo, Bello worked with Jim Young, who would go on to join Davidoff in 2011. After a decade overseeing Davidoff’s U.S. operations, Young left Davidoff, subsequently joining Plasencia Cigars as board member and Interim CEO in 2023. Young’s interim position came to an end when Plasencia hired Bello to succeed him as CEO in 2025. Young currently serves on the board, and Bello has maintained a close working relationship with him, stating, “Jim and I remain very close. He is an incredible mentor and friend, and we speak often. I value the fact that I can still learn so much from him and he is always open to letting me bounce ideas off of him. We are lucky to have his continued involvement on the board.”
The connection with Young, and the welcoming environment fostered by the Plasencia family and its organization, helped to ease Bello’s onboarding. “The transition into cigar manufacturing has been fantastic, and I have learned a tremendous amount from the people I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past year,” he says. “Plasencia is a true family business, and the nice thing is that the entire cigar industry is also a great family that I am excited to be a part of.” He hastens to add, “I have also gained a deep appreciation for the craft itself. Spending time in Nicaragua and Honduras with our teams, learning every step from seed to smoke, including growing, fermenting, aging and rolling, has been incredibly rewarding.”
Bello credits his time at Catalyst and Diageo with imparting an appreciation for building brands with, as he puts it, “real authenticity and soul—brands rooted in a clear purpose, a strong mission and a genuine family story.” The importance of family is paramount for a company such as Plasencia, now in its fifth generation of cigarmakers. And the focus on soul is what has led to the brand’s core identity, the Alma (Spanish for soul) line of Nicaraguan cigars.
Apart from the limited edition Alma del Caballo, crafted to celebrate the 2026 Year of the Horse of the Chinese Zodiac cycle, Alma del Cielo (Soul of the Sky, or of Heaven) has been the most recent addition to Plasencia’s Alma series. It follows on the success of the Alma Fuerte, Alma del Campo and Alma del Fuego lines, taking the series to new heights, both figuratively and literally, as it is cultivated at 3,500 feet above sea level, making it the world’s highest-elevation cigar.
Bello joined Plasencia as Alma del Cielo was being launched, and while he was not involved in its creation, he is very dialed in to the uniqueness of the tobacco and what is required to cultivate it.
“Higher altitudes have climatic complexity: cold nights and hot days…the plant soaks up water in the evening, and during the day it loses it to evaporation,” Bello explains. “This process concentrates the essential oils in the plant, which makes the tobacco acquire a sweeter profile, and more aromatic.” He compares its cultivation to that of fine wines, saying that special climates and soils create some of the most sophisticated flavor profiles.
Alma del Cielo is created from tobaccos grown at Plasencia’s Finca San Julian in the mountainous region of Condega, Nicaragua. The farm is ancestral family land, and is currently used exclusively for the production of Alma del Cielo. The tobacco cultivated there is grown utilizing Plasencia’s organic, sustainable methods, eschewing the use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and maintaining the soil’s integrity.
Sales of the line have been gratifying, and it is currently one of the company’s top-selling series. “The global reception to Alma del Cielo has exceeded expectations,” says Bello. “It has performed strongly across every major region, from the U.S. and Europe to Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. It is a critical part of our portfolio, and is one of our leading families.”
While production numbers for the line are unavailable, Bello attests that anywhere from 10 to 20 pairs of rollers are needed to produce the cigars, depending on demand. He notes that they have to periodically limit sales owing to the scarcity of the tobacco.
In an emotive twist, Bello points out that the Alama del Cielo line of cigars is emblematic of the brand’s core philosophy and ethos. “Alma del Cielo is marketed in line with our broader philosophy: The flavor comes from the land. Like all our families of cigars, it is rooted in terroir. My favorite thing about this family [of cigars] is what makes Alma del Cielo especially meaningful—the personal love story behind it.” Indeed, it is a deeply personal story: Don Nestor re-acquiring the farm and gifting it to his wife, Melalina, who had a lifelong connection to it. “That combination of terroir with a profound human story is something we deeply value,” Bello says.
If Alma del Cielo was the star of Plasencia’s 2025 lineup, the 2026 PCA Trade Show and Convention was the launchpad for this year’s special edition cigar, Triunfal, which celebrates this year’s World Cup and the “beautiful game” of soccer. Jose Luis Plasencia, vice president of Plasencia 1865, expresses the significance of the game and how this celebratory cigar represents that ethos. “Fútbol has a unique way of bringing people together through passion, pride and shared experience. With Triunfal, we wanted to capture that spirit while honoring our own heritage by bringing certified organic tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras together in a single cigar.”
The cigar is a 6 1/4 x 54 Gran Toro, featuring a Honduran wrapper and binder, and filler leaf from both Honduras and Nicaragua, rolled by a single pair in Danlí, Honduras. Suggested retail is $59.99 per cigar or $599.00 per box of 10 cigars, and production is limited to 5,000 boxes. The box itself is unique on several fronts. The green color represents the soccer pitch, and the pattern on the box lid is textured to resemble the veins of a tobacco leaf. Also significant is the inauguration of Plasencia’s new logo, which is emblazoned in gold on both the box and the cigar band.
“We love the new logo,” says Bello, “We evolved it to better match how we’ve always operated. For generations, we’ve owned the land, grown the tobacco and crafted the cigar, all with nature guiding every step. One major learning for me this past year is that great cigars begin with great soil, and our new logo brings this to life.” Triunfal is the first cigar in Plasencia’s portfolio to represent the new logo in its packaging. Over time all the various lines will incorporate the design.
Even with just a year and a half of experience in the cigar industry, Bello is no stranger to the world of cigars, and the lure of cigar culture. “I’ve always had a strong appreciation for cigars,” he recalls. “Growing up in Miami in a Cuban household, I smoked cigars from a young age with my father and his colleagues. It was very much a part of everyday life. After many years away, moving back to Miami and joining the Plasencia family has felt like a meaningful return to these roots.”
In addition, Bello brings a unique perspective to the pairing of cigars and spirits. Here’s how he has managed to tie his knowledge of liquor to his newfound appreciation of the Plasencia lines of cigars: “I’ve always enjoyed a great cigar with a good bourbon like Bulleit Bourbon. These days my go-to is our Alma del Cielo Boreal in the afternoon or on the golf course. In the evening, especially after dinner with a nice whiskey, I reach for our Alma Fuerte Generación V Salomon. There’s really something special about a well-crafted cigar at the end of the day.”
It seems Ed Bello has seamlessly transitioned from the spirits industry to the cigar industry, mastering the intricacies of the production and creation of fine cigars, and able to embrace the convergence of the two products into one transcendent experience. Welcome to the club, Ed!
– Photos courtesy of Plasencia. Story by Larry Wagner.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 2, 2026. To receive a copy of this magazine, you must be a current PCA member. Join or renew today.