Capitalizing on the Aging Room brand’s many successful partnerships between Rafael Nodal and A.J. Fernández, the Rare Collection was revealed in 2021 as an ultra-premium cigar focusing on select tobaccos and small-batch craftsmanship.

If by chance you have been living under a rock the last decade and haven’t seen Aging Room Co-Owner Rafael Nodal on social media or his interviews, you are missing out on some great cigar history and storytelling—the man is an honest representation of the American dream. His passion and struggles come through with each of his projects, and the Aging Room Rare Collection returns focus to the brand that started his journey in the premium cigar industry.

Rare Collection is blended from Cuban-seed varieties from different parts of Nicaragua. There is little specificity to the overall blend, however, the rare Pelo de Oro varietal is said to be included to some degree. Additionally, the wrapper is a special hybrid seed from A.J. Fernandez’s main farm, Finca La Lilia.

The exact rarity of such tobacco is not indicated or elaborated on by the company. It’s unknown how much of this tobacco they have, but the cigar is not classified as a limited edition, being regularly made in small batches. Rare Collection is offered in three sizes: Festivo (4½″ × 52), Scherzo (5½″ × 55), and Vivase (6″ x 60).

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Rare Collection Scherzo Breakdown

  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Hybrid (Cuban-seed)
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernández Cigars de Nicaragua (Nicaragua)
  • Production: Small Batch
  • Vitola: 5½″ × 55 “Scherzo”
  • Price: $15.50 (MSRP)

Appearance

Rare Collection has a pigtail cap with tiny, toothy bumps that can be seen and felt. The color reminds one of a classic reddish mahogany grand piano. There are two bands that have a brass-like background, with red accent lines and small red icons resembling brass knuckles. It has white letters reading “Aging Room,” and just below that, a white strip with red letters denoting “Rare Collection.” The second band is the same style with Rafael Nodal’s signature on it.

The boxes for the Rare Collection are white, with a black and white farm scene and gold letters displaying the company/cigar name. Opening up the box reveals 10 cigars, with the inside label of the box showing the same picture as the front, but in bright red color with brass letters. The closed box is a little bland, but upon opening the box that red color really draws you in.

The wrapper is, once again, toothy with very little veins. The cigar feels well constructed and fairly firm, with slight roughness to the leaf. The smell of the Rare Collection is that of leather and must, with a very light aroma of dark-roast coffee.

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Smoking Experience

When lighting up the Rare Collection, there is a deep almond flavor that coats the palate. This develops into more of an earthy/must flavor. I pick up a good amount of strength as I am smoking the Rare Collection. There is an effervescent spice that hits the tongue, like a can of soda can do at times. This spice develops into a black pepper taste shortly thereafter. The retrohale has some white pepper and some salty notes to it. There is an ever-faint oak woodiness that comes and goes during this phase of the experience.

Aging Room Rare Collection Scherzo cigar ash

The draw is tight, but with the strength of this cigar I think this is a positive, making for a slower delivery of nicotine. The smoke output is very mild, barely wisping its way through the nostrils. The strength of the samples I smoked seemed to vary, with certain ones being felt in my head, while others were more medium strength and not as noticeable.

By the middle of the smoking experience the almond flavor has faded. The black pepper taste has moved to just the tip of the tongue. The oak notes and earthy/must take over the forefront of the palate. The retrohale is more earthy, with just mild white pepper in the background. Rare Collection closes out with still-deep oak and earthy flavors, as the spice has dropped off. The retrohale at the end is a woody oak with some mild leather elements. Interestingly, the salivation really picks up during the end of this cigar.

Aging Room Rare Collection Scherzo review side view

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Overall, the Rare Collection was an enjoyable cigar to smoke and sample, but the strength seemed to vary from sample to sample more than I’d like. The flavors and spice were well balanced and blended nicely. I think this cigar is good to have once or twice—possibly a five-pack—but I probably wouldn’t find myself coming back to it after that.


Profile
  • Flavor: Medium
  • Strength: Medium / Full
  • Body: Medium-Plus
Core Flavors
  • Almond
  • Oak
  • Black pepper
  • Earthy
  • Musty
Tips
  • Smoke Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
  • Pairing Recommendation: Peaty scotch | Doppelbock | Cola | Any rum-based drink
  • Purchase Recommendation: 2 to 3 cigars

Aging Room Rare Collection Scherzo cigar nub finished

Aging Room Rare Collection Scherzo
Aging Room’s Rare Collection is a stronger cigar than expected, with earthy/musty notes and deep oak wood flavors. It’s well constructed, with some unique, rare tobaccos. It is, however, a regular production, so I can't help but feel that the concept is a bit misleading. Regardless, the cigar is fairly classic in profile for those familiar with Nicaraguan Habanos—I'm just not quite there on the price/value.
Appearance88%
Burn/Construction88%
Draw87%
Flavor87%
Complexity86%
Price/Value85%
Pros
  • Almond/spice/earth really worked as combination of flavors
  • Very classic-style cigar
  • Slow burn that stayed nice and cool to get a lot of those flavors
Cons
  • Inconsistency in strength
  • Price is a little high for the overall experience
87%Strong Symphony
  • Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
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