Aging Room M356 Rondo Review

Hey Guys,
This week I bring you a review on the Aging Room M356 in the Rondo Size.

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

Aging Room M356 Rondo
Cigar Info
Frontmark: Rondo
Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican Long Filler
Classification: Dominican Puro
Aging: 6 Months in 50ct Humidor w/ PG Humidification

Research: The Aging Room M356 is made by Oliveros and was originally intended for the Swag cigar line. Being made from a particular blend of tobaccos that are not in ample supply, The M356 was released as a small batch under the Aging Room name.

Prelight: The stick itself has many noticeable veins with a few small mottled bumps in the wrapper. The wrapper itself has the color of lightly creamed coffee. The pinch test showed no soft spots and the cigar itself was firmly constructed. for it's size the stick had decent weight and feel in my hand. A prelight draw gave flavors of spice and slight pepper.

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

First 3rd: The stick gave a medium draw with ample smoke output. The most notable flavor being spice and a slight pepper. I would not go so far as to say the stick is spicy but there is a building flavor of pepper in the mouth which I am starting to enjoy. On Retrohale, there is a bouquet of flora that fill the nostrils. The stick is burning evenly, much to my surprise given that most reviewers on other sites say the stick usually gives an off kilter burn. I am much enjoying the start of this stick.

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

Second 3rd: The spice flavors have peaked in my mouth and, while still present, are becoming less the forefront of this stick. I pick up a bit of pepper here and there on the sides of my tongue occasionally but the primary flavors seem to be heading towards earth with a bit of wood mixed in. little to no oils forming in my mouth for the time being which is both a positive and negative to me because I like a rich oily taste. I will say that the lack of oil is leaving my taste buds open to the earth and wood flavors which I am rather enjoying. As you can tell by the picture, the stick is burning "more or less" even and the slightly dark ash is holding on firm. I will say this stick is a pleasure for those that can retro-hale as the Flora left behind in the nasal cavities is quite pleasant.

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

Final 3rd: Still pretty much the same flavors. I have quit retro-haling due to the fact that at this point more of the pepper flavors are entering my nostrils and causing them to tingle. I did not have any real issues with the burn other then after loosing the ash it seems the burn line went slightly off kilter but did not require any corrections. Now the nub is warm it has become pliable and tasty to chew on slightly.

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

Conclusion: Very good cigar, while I could have dealt with a bit more oil I believe it might have taken away from the flavor profile.The spice was tasty yet not overpowering and the pepper gave another nice dimension to the profile. The earthy taste was enjoyable and covered up most, but not all, the wood flavor, which is good for me because I do not particularly like strong wood notes. The stick's construction was solid, and even though after loosing the ash the burn began to see-saw it did not require any touch ups as others have complained about.

I would smoke it again if I had another, that being said with box prices being $139.00 retail (20) or $7.69 for a single stick on Famous, I would rather wait and get them on special or in a sampler. Definitely not a stick to pass up if you like cigars with similar flavor profiles.