The line of Aging Room Cigars, under the Altadis umbrella of brands, expanded last year with their newest facing, a cigar called Pura Cepa, which translates to Pure Bred. It is a Nicaraguan puro with tobaccos from multiple Nicaraguan growing regions.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Rafael Nodal, Head of Product Capability for Tabacalera USA, created the Pura Cepa to be a unique release that would embody the luxurious qualities on tobaccos from Nicaragua. “I wanted a world-class cigar that ideally displayed the richness Nicaraguan soils can bring to quality tobaccos. With Pura Cepa, I strived to capture the very essence of the land’s core, and deliver a Nicaraguan puro blend for today’s most discerning smokers,” Nodal said.
Pura Cepa utilizes tobaccos from Ometepe, Jalapa, Condega and Esteli. To many, these are the most prized tobacco growing regions in the world. The resulting cigar is said to be a ‘bold culmination of Nicaraguan soul and a full-flavored expression which impeccably suits the Aging Room legacy’.
Aging Room Pura Cepa is available in three vitolas called the Rondo, Mezzo and Grande. Each vitola comes in 20-count boxes.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro Length: 6″ Ring Gauge: 54 Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Nicaraguan Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A. Blender: Rafael Nodal Number of reviewers: 4 – Steve (ThaGreatWazoo) Eric (smalls29) Adam B.(Bushboy) Wes (SosaCub4Life) Price: $13.00 Age: 1 Year Release Date: July 2018 Contributed by: Altadis
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 91
“This is a real nice looking cigar. A nice caramel looking wrapper with a bit of snap too it. Well built triple cap and the seems appear blended it quite well. An overall really nice cigar to hold in your hand.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Aroma: 91
“Cedar and hay off the foot. Sweetness from the wrapper with very faint cinnamon. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: Aging Room | Pura Cepa Mezzo
Flavor: 89 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Good construction so far with a very straight burn line. Ash is rather loose and only holds on for about a half inch at a time. Smoke is very chewy and tastes like molasses with a woody finish. Nutty flavors are present with a slight bitterness that is not unpleasant. Looking forward to seeing flavors develop.” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“The first third starts out very soft and full of cream. A nice oily coat falls on the tongue. The overall profile is consistent with fresh cut grass, some nice cedar notes, and a very pleasant aroma of berries and licorice. There is not much spice on the tongue. A real nice first third balance and consistency.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Second Third
Blind Cigar Review: Aging Room | Pura Cepa Mezzo
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“As I said earlier., this cigar needs to decide if is is a mild or bold cigar. At this point the flavors have grown bolder but not too bold. The chocolate flavor is in the background and the dark beer flavor is still out front. There is now a mild peppery taste left on the lips.” –Eric (smalls29)
“The 2nd third was much like the 1st third for me. The cigar is still light, creamy, smooth with just a hint of pepper spice. There is a grassy/hay note that is there also.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
“Only noticeable transitions from initial flavors in the first third to the final third was the spices dulled. Last third was cardboard, wood, soft nougat with a nutty finish. Burn line stayed just about dead nuts even the entire time with never of thought of a flame touch up. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“For me this final 3rd was the best of the cigar. The pepper spice picked up and the cigar became more balanced with spice and creamy smooth. There are still hints of some grassy notes but the stronger pepper spice was welcome during this final 3rd.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 94
“Draw was a consistent and for the most part effortless throughout. Never faltered. Touch of resistance that was this side of perfect, but never was a struggle. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
Burn: 94
“Burn was excellent. It didn’t need any retouching and it burned nice and clean the entire way through.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Construction: 91
“I really enjoyed the overall look, feel, and performance of this cigar. There was nothing flashy involved in the making of this cigar, which I ultimately enjoyed. It was a simple design with much more put in to the performance than the look.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 88
“This was a very good, middle of the road, cigar. The performance and notes were enjoyable and were heavy on the cedar and berry profile side. I really enjoyed the overall smoke experience and would recommend this cigar to anyone looking for a nice middle of the afternoon getaway.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
“There is something about a cigar that can’t decide if it is mild or bold. The flavors of dark beer and chocolate were nicely balanced and would come and go in boldness. Towards the final third the chocolate flavors left and the dark beer flavor grew strong, but not to a point that it was bitter. There was also a nice peppery flavor and tingle that began in the second third and grew to the end. This really added to the experience.” –Eric (smalls29)
“From start to finish this cigar was tasty and performed very well. The aroma was enjoyable and the flavors were consistent although they did not transition to my liking. I have a feeling that this blend, might be a little more in my wheelhouse in a smaller ring gauge. Not my favorite, however would definitely smoke again.” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“Overall this cigar was just OK for me. The final 3rd was the best and had a great mix of spice and creamy smooth which was a great way to end the smoke. Construction and burn was great. The 1st two thirds were a bit too light and grassy for me without any real spice to it. I could see this being a nice cigar to have with coffee in the morning or your 1st cigar of the day.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Aging Room | Pura Cepa Mezzo
Overall Score – 90 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Aging Room | Pura Cepa Mezzo
Summary
"There is something about a cigar that can't decide if it is mild or bold. The flavors of dark beer and chocolate were nicely balanced and would come and go in boldness. Towards the final third the chocolate flavors left and the dark beer flavor grew strong, but not to a point that it was bitter. There was also a nice peppery flavor and tingle that began in the second third and grew to the end. This really added to the experience." -Eric (smalls29)
