The Solera line from Aging Room garnered a lot of attention at its release at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show. The Aging Room Solera comes available in four wrapper options: Dominican Sun Grown, Mexican Maduro, Connecticut, and Dominican Corojo. You can find the reviews of the Dominican Sun Grown HERE and Dominican Corojo HERE. Up today, we have the Aging Room Solera Maduro in the Fantastico size.

Manufactured in Santiago, Dominican Republic at Tabacalera Palma, three sizes are currently being produced in each wrapper option: Festivo (4.7 by 52), Fantastico (5.6 by 54), and Fanfare (6.125 by 57). The Solera name comes from the aging process used for the blend. Information on the process was provided in the press release:

The Solera method of aging is a fractional blending process where the finished product is a mixture of ages. By aging together tobaccos from different years, a marriage of flavors occurs long before the cigars are made.

“The aging of tobaccos from different vintages,” said Rafael Nodal, President of Boutique Blends, “ensures the marriage of flavors and characteristics from different tobaccos, creating a unique cigar.”

“Normally the tobaccos are aged separately and blended together at the time of rolling the cigar,” explained Hank Bischoff, Vice President and co-founder of Boutique Blends Cigars, “but with the Solera system,” continued Hank, “the result is a more mature aging and blending process yielding a more complex blend than previously attainable.”

THE FACTS

Price: $7.49
Vitola: Fantastico
Size: 5.6 by 54
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Filler: Dominican Habano
Binder: Dominican Habano
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Aging Room Solera Maduro San Andres wrapper leaf is dark brown with a couple medium-sized veins that run the length of the cigar, an extremely fine tooth, scattered bumps, and light oils glisten on the leaf. To the touch, the cigar feels like a fine grain sandpaper. The wrapper aroma gives off a very meaty seasoning salt that also comes across on the foot of the cigar and a rich cedar.

The lines on the cap are straight and the cigar comes to a close with the pointy, pig-tail cap that is found across the Solera line. The cold draw is just a hair stiff as flavors of rich cedar, potpourri, and clove come across. A cinnamon spice lingers in the mouth. The cold draw on all of the Soleras I have smoked so far is extremely inviting.

FIRST THIRD

Out of the gate, the Solera Maduro is very sweet with a contrasting tartness, making me think of Sweet Tarts. Behind the sweet/tarty combo there is some woodiness and pepper. The introductory flavors are in the medium realm and on the low-side of medium in terms of body. As the burn-line passes the one inch mark, the spice picks up with a bright white pepper flavor that is even more prevalent in this blend than the other cigars in the line. The finish is clean with really no lingering flavor, but only a spice heat. A straight even burn is producing one pretty looking ash.

MIDDLE THIRD

A raw sugar sweetness pairs up a with a fruity tartness and the pepper spice is fitting together nicely as I burn down into the second third of the Solera Maduro. A yeast and floral flavor move in that gives the profile a bit of an edge. Flavors, body, and strength have shifted up a notch. Through the halfway mark, the Aging Room Solera Maduro Fantastico is performing flawlessly with its even burn and tons of smoke is being pumped out.  

FINAL THIRD

The sweetness has diminished, but still peaks through behind the heavier floral flavor. A saltiness has arrived, as well as a peanut flavor. Since the earlier sweetness has mostly departed, I am surprised to find a new cocoa sweetness in the last few minutes that remain. There are a couple of odd edges to the burn, but nothing of concern. 

WRAP-UP

The Aging Room Solera Maduro Fantastico comes out strong with its sweetness and decent amount of spice. The cigar goes on to show some complexity as a floral quality and nuttiness move in, and then the cigar closes out the show with a great cocoa. The excellent construction and performance makes the cigar that much better. While there were clear times that the cigar shifted up in flavors and strength, it never moved past medium. I think a bit more intensity in the flavors would have worked well with the Solera Maduro. With all of that said, this stick is my favorite of the Solera line.