Cigar Review: Aging Room F55 Quattro Concerto
24 Sep 2012
Sometimes you light up a cigar and feel in sync with the blender, as if he knew exactly what you’d enjoy. Aging Room’s releases do that for me. I’ve written before about how much I like the M356.
So I was excited to try the new Quattro, a tightly pressed line with each vitola bearing a musical moniker. It didn’t let me down.
I was struck from the first puff how unlike the M356 it is. There’s more earth, more chocolate, and more coffee than spice. I’ve been smoking the Concerto, something of a Churchill size at 7 inches in length with a 50 ring gauge. There’s no problem maintaining my interest and attention from start to finish. The twists and turns in tastes are terrific.
Construction, burn, and draw have been excellent in all that I’ve smoked, probably a half dozen or so. They run a bit under $8 down here in Florida with no additional cigar tax.
The bold flavors and punch may surprise some smokers who don’t associate tobacco from the Dominican Republic, where the filler was grown, with that kind of power.
The idea behind Aging Room is to produce limited editions of cigars for which there is special tobacco available, but not in the quantity necessary for a regular line. In this case, the wrapper is particularly special. “We got that wrapper from a German manufacturer of machine-made cigars that was having money issues due to the economic situation in Europe. They were looking to liquidate some of their inventory, sent us samples of that Sumatra leaf, and we jumped on it,” company vice president Hank Bischoff wrote me in an email. “It is indeed a genuine Sumatra wrapper, aged since 2003.”
Right now, he said, they have enough for about 400,000 sticks. That could change, Bischoff added, if they’re successful in negotiations to acquire more of the leaf. If so, that would prolong the production run and the Quattro’s shelf life.
I highly recommend the F55 Quattro. It won’t soften rocks, but its charms will certainly soothe the savage pallet. As such, it harmoniously earns five stogies.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]
photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Whoa! Didn't expect a 5 star rating for this guy. I guess you guys were serious when you said that you expected Aging Room to have very good blends to come. Also I found a place locally who's selling these for $8.50 in New York. What a steal!
In New York, you're right. That's quite a good deal. Enjoy!
What B&M's in Florida carry these? I'm in the Orlando area.
John – I don't know about Orlando proper, but here's one that isn't too far away: Tranquilo Cigars in Melbourne had some Aging Rooms when I was there a few weeks ago, though I don't recall exactly which lines. I noticed from Tranquilo's Web site that it's also offering free shipping now for online orders. You can call (321) 724-1222.
A little farther from you in Palm Harbor, the Cigar Cave carries them and you can order from them. (http://tampacigarcave.com/contact-us/).
In Tampa, Thompson has Aging Room in its catalog, so it might have them at the retail shop near the airport. You could call to find out. Also, Tampa Humidor lists them on the Web site so it likely has them in the shop. Another shop in Tampa with Aging Room showing online is Cigar Castle.
I'd also suggest contacting the company and asking who carries them in your area. All the contact info can be found here: http://www.oliveros.com/
Good luck.
WoW! Smoking it right now – AWESOME… Great draw, unbelievable flavors with nice smoke production.
Gentlemen, this is a top five for this this year, if not the nombre one.
It is un another league, along with the San Lotano Oval.
I am just sorry for not having it available before, since it would hace madre it easier for me to spend my money wisely.
It is a no brainer once you have tried it.
You got it! It knocked down #2 seat this year!
By the way, sorry forma the typos i am new with tablets.
I bought 5 of these by mistake and loved them. Shape, strength, flavors, the best error this septuagenarian has made in a long time!