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Cigar Review: Aging Room M356 Mezzo

23 Aug 2012

When I first ran across this line a few months back, I was impressed by a single Presto. Now, I’ve been able to smoke quite a few of the Mezzo (6 x 54). If anything, I like it even more.

My shorthand description is that smoking this cigar is akin to lighting up a spice rack. Not the hot, peppery spices that burn, but the exotic tastes that light briefly on your tongue. By no means, though, is that all this limited-run cigar offers. Devote care and attention to it and you will find yourself rewarded with all sorts of flavors, from light, sugary caramel to thick wood and many others.

It’s a fairly fat stick, not a ring gauge I’d usually select. But the additional size adds to the complexity and variety of the cigar, making for an even more satisfying experience. I paid around $8 for an individual purchase.

For me, it’s hard to believe this is an all-Dominican cigar, though many blenders such as Litto Gomez and the Fuentes have shown it’s a mistake to pigeonhole Dominican tobacco. Still, the Aging Room’s punch and pop do make me stop and think. Strength is in the middle range, with virtually no nicotine bite in the well-aged tobacco.  There’s lots of thick, rich smoke, and the draw is excellent.

I have experienced burn problems with a couple I’ve smoked. They weren’t major, mostly just an occasional wrapper going a tad off kilter.

I would recommend this cigar to almost any smoker, from newcomer to veteran. There are some, though, who I think should definitely give it a try. If you’re attempting to expand your palate and see if you can find more flavors, a trip to the Aging Room should be just the sort of graduate school assignment you’re looking for. Or if you’re someone who has gone over the deep end for strong cigars, take a break and try an Aging Room M356. See if you aren’t pleased at what you find.

Speaking of finding, that isn’t always easy with this line. Designated “small batch,” Oliveros (which has recently be renamed Boutique Blends Cigars) says production is limited by the tobacco available, and when it’s all used, it’s over. At the IPCPR Trade Show they told me that while they are introducing two new sizes of this blend, the tobacco stock to make these is dwindling. There are two new Aging Room blends coming and we can only hope they are as tasty.

An excellent cigar, the Aging Room M356 Mezzo is close to the storied five-stogie mark, though burn problems knocked it down just a shade to four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

5 Responses to “Cigar Review: Aging Room M356 Mezzo”

  1. mighty Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 12:24 pm #

    I also really enjoyed this cigar. It really has some unique flavors!

    • Rich Croce Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 3:59 pm #

      Agree heartily with your review….Loving the flavor on this one….I found it hard to not hit it too often but it tasted just too good not to…

  2. Thomas Huxley Friday, August 24, 2012 at 11:20 am #

    Tom at CigarFan notes that he generally does "not review cigars that perform this poorly." I'm inclined to agree with him.

    • George E. Friday, August 24, 2012 at 1:36 pm #

      CigarFan is one of the sites I always keep up with. His reviews are carefully thought out, nicely written and interesting. Fortunately, my experience with construction on this line hasn't been anywhere near what he found. I've only smoked a couple from the box I bought so I'll experience more about how they perform as I go along.

  3. @disciple_walks Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 1:51 pm #

    awesome 7 years contest