Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)
The past two years have seen AJ Fernandez emerge as a cigar maker for many leading brands.
Just before the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, one company that announced a project with Fernandez was Boutique Blends. The project would be an extension to Boutique Blends’ newly revamped Quattro line known as the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua. Boutique Blends and Fernandez are no strangers. Boutique Blends partnered with Fernandez for the Aging Room Pelo de Oro release. In addition Boutique Blends co-owner Rafael Nodal had worked with Fernandez on several projects for Altadis in his role of head of product capability at Altadis.
Blend and Origin
Like the Aging Room Pelo de Oro, the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua is an all-Nicaraguan puro, but utilizes a different blend. It is the first Nicaraguan puro to be a part of the Quattro line, and it’s the first Quattro made outside the Dominican Republic (the other offerings are made in the Dominican Republic at Tabacalera Palma).
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Fernandez
Vitolas Offered
The Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua is offered in four sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes
Espressivo: 5 x 50
Maestro (Belicoso): 6 x 52 REVIEWED TODAY
Vibrato: 6 x 54
Concerto: 7 x 50
As you can see from the pictures the cigar is absolutely beautiful. It is well made and the cap is tight and very pointed. The cigar is a sharp box press. It has a nice feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the sharp, pointed cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were a candy-like orange citrus which reminds me of the orange Pez you had as a kid, brown sugar, cinnamon, leather, and lots of dark roasted black coffee. There was black pepper rated at a 7.
At the first third (25 minutes) the cigar is burning evenly and the ash is tight. The orange sweetness has intensified. Along with it I noticed nutmeg. It is not a deterant to the sweeter flavors at this point. It mixes well with the other flavors. The finish is a sweet cream with a touch of orange sweetness, but just a touch. The cigar has nice flavors at this point. I rated the first third at 93.
I decided to come back at the midpoint (49 minutes) because the flavors are changing rapidly. The cigar got some nice tangy notes in the orange citrus at this point making it better. Also, the black coffee is elevated. The leather notes have gone into the background. With the elevated black coffee notes the cigar has a nice depth, which it needed. The nutmeg is in the mix but it is still not hurting the cigar. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is cream and black coffee with a modest amount of lingering black pepper. With the added depth of the black coffee notes I raised the score to a 94.
At the 2/3 point (1 hour 5 minutes) the cigar still has the elevated black coffee but the sweetness has slide backwards because the nutmeg has also risen. The leather is also more noticeable now. The cigar is still medium to full bodied and the finish is unchanged. The flavors have jostled a bit. With the uptick in nutmeg and leather taking some of the sweeter orange notes I lowered the second third score to a 92.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 25 minutes. In the final third some of the nice, sweet orange notes came back. You still had plenty of black coffee, light leather, nutmeg, and a little brown sugar and cinnamon. The cigar is a solid medium to full bodied leaning toward full bodied. The finish was unchanged from the midpoint. This is a very good cigar. After having several of these prior to this review I decided to purchase several of the toro size. If they are vastly different from the belicoso I may review them also. With the uptick in orange sweetness and leveling out of the nutmeg and leather I raised the score to a 93 for the final third. These are on shelves now so look for them and give them a try.
Overall Score: 93
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