The line of Aging Room Cigars, under the Altadis umbrella of brands, will soon expand 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 was by far my favorite new cigar from IPCPR this year and one of my favorites overall this year. This was so smooth and buttery and the flavors were always balanced and great. It had just the right amount of spice throughout. The flavor profile and aged tobacco flavors I found are usually unique to Cuban cigars. It was full flavored and complex with lots of transitions without being overly powerful. The price is a bit steep, but I will be buying a box of these, no question. I give this a personal score of 96 (Extraordinary).
Altadis U.S.A. is bringing back a line from Aging Room, Oliveros Gran Retorno. Oliveros Gran Retorno is a small batch production that undergoes a unique aging process. The blend uses extra aged tobacco that has been aging in traditional bales for 24 months, then they rested in “reposado” in the factory Cedar Room for six months, and then the cigars themselves have been aged for at least 33 months after rolling.
JR Cigar has announced another offering in its lineup of 50th Anniversary Celebration cigars - Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua JR 50th. The company worked with Rafael Nodal, Head of Product Capability at Tabacalera USA, and AJ Fernandez, to create a new exclusive size in the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua line.
In a "strategic alliance agreement," Altadis U.S.A. will begin distributing the products from Boutique Blends Cigars, a company owned by Rafael Nodal, his wife, Alina, and partner Hank Bischoff—and Nodal has accepted a position with Altadis as well. Starting June 5, all orders for brands such as Aging Room, La Bohéme, Oliveros and other cigars by Boutique Blends will be taken and fulfilled through Altadis and its sales team.
For the first time in over a year and a half, Aging Room is releasing a new cigar. The Aging...
There's a new production of Puccini's famous La Bohéme, but it won't be playing in any opera house—it will be found in tobacconists. Boutique Blends president Rafael Nodal, has named his newest cigar brand in honor of his favorite opera.
JR Cigar introduces the second blend of the JR Pure Origin line, Terra de Andes, available from November 1. This unique cigar, crafted with rare tobaccos, tells the story of South America's Andes Mountains.
Altadis U.S.A. will be shipping the new H. Upmann Connecticut by Grupo de Maestros starting next month, to selected retailers. It is being released in conjunction with the 175th anniversary of the H. Upmann brand. The H. Upmann Connecticut by Grupo de Maestros was envisioned and blended by Rafael Nodal as a unique and bold Connecticut cigar.
Altadis U.S.A. released the Trinidad Espiritu in July of 2019. Now, over a year later, they are releasing a followup cigar in a new blend, Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2. The original Espiritu actually had Series No. 1 on the band, but that kind of went under the radar. The original scored a 91 in our blind test.



