Aging Room’s M21 Fortissimo

Oliveros Cigars launched a new operation in 2012 called Boutique Blends Cigars whose primary target is consumers looking for “complexity and character” in limited production cigars. The concept is to use aged, flavorful tobaccos which are also limited in supply. Boutique Blends includes the Swag and Aging Room Small Batch Cigars, some of which received high honors from Cigar Aficionado in 2011.

I attended the 2013 IPCPR and Boutique Blends gave me their M21 Fortissimo (“very strong” in written music) to review. This cigar is a 5.5 x 47 perfecto vitola with interesting finishing touches at both ends. The cap has a triple twisted pig tail that ends in a beautiful knot while the foot narrows to a nipple for extra flavor at the beginning. The wrapper is Dominican Habano, and the binder and filler are also Dominican. The cigars are produced by one of the oldest cigar factories in the Dominican Republic, Tabacalera Palma. They are packed 10 to box but only 3,000 boxes were made, clearly a Small Batch.

The Fortissimo begins with a strong taste of pepper that soon includes nuts and leather. There is a good volume of smoke and a nutty aftertaste. This is a full bodied cigar with an acceptable draw and an exceptional ash that held its form and was almost pure silver in color. The construction for the final third was a little weak but that may have been due to my handling since July 2013. The final taste was of nutmeg and spice.

I spent 1 hour enjoying the flavors of the Fortissimo and at a SRP of $12, I should have. The appearance of the Fortissimo was interesting and excellent but when combined with the price I would consider this a cigar to be shared with others during/after a noteworthy occasion. The band is marked “M21” to denote the weekday (Monday) and numeric date (21^st ) of the year when the blend was finished. This is consistent with other Aging Room names. The construction was good and I rate this one a 4 out of 5.