Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Vibrato Review: A Puro That Packs a Punch

The Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Vibrato is a true homage to Nicaragua with a puro bringing you pure satisfaction in every smoke. A rich medium to full body cigar that’s become a staple in the cigar industry for every enthusiast new and old.

Founded in 2011 by Rafael Nodal and Hank Bischoff, Aging Room started with boutique cigars made in the Dominican Republic. The brand joined Altadis in 2017, when Altadis took over its distribution, with Rafael Nodal joining the Altadis executive team and ensuring the quality and attention to care remains unwavering. In 2018 they brought the Quattro line to Nicaragua, partnering with a major master blender of tobacco, AJ Fernandez. The brand’s biggest win came in 2019 when their Maestro build won Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year at a 96 point rating. Mr. Rafael Nodal being a talented and passionate musician, named the sizes with classical music term inspired names.

The “Vibrato” name refers to their toro build at 6 inch with a 54 ring gauge in a box pressed shape. A true Nicaraguan puro, the wrapper is a Nicaraguan leaf holding together aged Nicaraguan tobacco, made by AJ Fernandez at his factory in Estelí.

Pre-light and first impressions

The box pressed shape adds solid construction to the Vibrato with a flat cap that you can cut any way you prefer. I chose to use a punch cut to get as much oil and finish out of this cigar. Immediate notes of cedar backed by bits of pepper and cocoa. Using a double precision torch, I got it started in no time.

Smoking experience

First third. Bits of cedar and earthy tobacco tones paired with bits of pepper kept a nice balance in the smoke and very reminiscent of Nicaraguan puros, the Vibrato packs a punch without becoming heavy. The cedar notes were major and consistent while the accompanying notes of leathery tobacco, pepper, and cocoa remained minor through the first third.

Second third. I found the cocoa notes mentioned earlier turned into an espresso like note while the rest of the notes carried in the smoke remained consistent without overpowering each other. This cigar does a phenomenal job of keeping you interested while providing a clean and consistent smoke with the retrohale accenting the cocoa and peppery spice notes.

Finale. The volume of smoke increases slightly while the notes continue to transition to a more robust and deeper composition. The espresso notes are now accompanied by prevalent black pepper notes, bits of brown sugar sweet cedar, and roasted nutty notes. It becomes stronger, claiming its full body title while providing deep rich notes in the smoke. I did feel the buzz from the nicotine but it wasn’t overbearing and definitely ensured I was relaxed from head to toe.

Burn, draw, and construction

My first takeaway with this cigar was how smooth the draw was. An effortless pull even with my punch cut to the cap with a nice smoke volume. The ash hangs on firmly without flaking or blooming as I transitioned into the second third.

The ash still hanging on firmly halfway down showed how well constructed the cigar is. Definitely believe thanks to the construction of this cigar, the burn never got out of hand or canoed, and the flow never got clogged or tight. After knocking the ash, the airflow picked up.

After about an hour the cigar was still burning and slowed down as it got ready to finish. The draw was tighter down to the nub due to the oils in my opinion, they take the front seat in the last 3 inches of this cigar by giving you impact in each draw that mellows out in the exhale all the way down to the finale.

Value and buying perspective

This cigar and line falls into the $10-$15 price range of smokes and holds its value very well. With a track record of quality consistency since their start, bringing Nicaraguan puro profiles to the public and cigar enthusiasts without breaking the wallet.

Final verdict

Each cigar burns like the last and each box has a level of quality and care you can feel each time you open it. Mr. Rafael Nodal knew what he was doing when blending this line and ensured the experience he wanted others to have wasn’t compromised when bringing the Quattro to Nicaragua and partnering with AJ Fernandez. Aging Room I believe will continue to win awards and ratings in the high 90s with their vitolas because they choose to never waver from their original intended experience. Delivering an hour and a half of delicious smoke, the Quattro Nicaragua Vibrato is a must try for fans of Nicaraguan tobacco, rich earthy tobacco tones and spice, and anybody looking for a full body puro while remaining economically conscious.