Aging Room M356
I’m sure you’ve heard… This cigar was in the Cigar Aficionado top 25 of 2011, and rated at an arbitrary number of 94. What does it all mean? I have no idea. I’ve heard opinions that are all over the map, so I figured it was time to give em a try. If you want more info, check out the Aging Room website.
Wrapper: Habano
Binder & Filler: Dominican
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The color of the wrapper was blotchy, but it still looked nice. I could only pick up the odor of earth and hay. The cigar was consistently packed, and pretty soft when squeezed. A lot of the time, this would mean a loose draw. This wasn’t the case, it was perfect. The pre-light flavor tasted just as it smelled, which wasn’t a bad thing.
The flaky ash held for about 3/4 of an inch, and the burn required quite a few minor corrections in the first half.
Flavor:
The first third had a pleasant earthy and woody core. Retrohaling revealed what I can only describe as floral. The peppery spice had a strange cooling effect. The aftertaste reflected the flavor profile, and stuck to the tongue for quite some time.
The second third kept the same earthy and woody core. There was an added richness, and a slight sweet note, for lack of a better description. It just felt fuller, and more refined. The smoke feel became creamy and dense.
The last third took on a sweet cocoa flavor. Wood and earth followed behind. That floral note fell to the background, and the pepper became a sweet spice.
Conclusion:
This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. My only complaint was a wavy ash. But, I’ve seen much worse, so it wasn’t a big issue. Does it live up to the hype that Cigar Aficionado trumped it up to be? Who’s to say. I enjoyed it, and maybe you will to. I think it’s worth trying.
This entry was posted on Friday, February 8th, 2013 at 12:00 am and is filed under Cigar Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
jjo February 8th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
I have also heard conflicting opinions on this stick and have been wanting to try it. Now I’ll have to pick up a couple. Thanks Tom.