Aging Room Quattro Maestro

The Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro is one of the most decorated cigars of the modern era — a box-pressed torpedo measuring 6" × 52 that was named Cigar Aficionado’s #1 Cigar of the Year in 2019 with a 96 rating. A Nicaraguan puro built entirely from Nicaraguan-grown tobacco cultivated from Cuban seed, the Maestro is the combined work of Aging Room founder Rafael Nodal and Nicaraguan cigar-maker A.J. Fernández, hand-rolled at Fernández’s Estelí factory using leaf from his own farms. Full-bodied yet remarkably balanced, it delivers a dynamic, evolving profile of chocolate, espresso, red pepper, earth and toasted almond across roughly an hour of smoking. It is, by common consent, a modern New World benchmark.

Read next: inside Nicaragua on the 2026 TOR Tour | how a premium cigar is rolled, aged and boxed

About Aging Room

Aging Room is a boutique brand founded by Rafael Nodal in 2011 under the Boutique Blends umbrella (formerly the Habana Cuba Cigar Co.). A classically trained musician, Nodal arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1980 as part of the Mariel boatlift, and built his brand around small-batch production, aged tobaccos and inventive blending — musical names like Quattro, Concerto and Solera run throughout the range. The first Aging Room cigars were rolled by José “Jochy” Blanco in the Dominican Republic and quickly earned acclaim in Cigar Aficionado. The line has since expanded through celebrated collaborations, none more so than the Quattro Nicaragua with A.J. Fernández — widely regarded as the brand’s crowning achievement, and the cigar that carried Aging Room to the very top of the industry.

Tasting Notes of the Aging Room Quattro Maestro

The Quattro Maestro is a masterclass in movement — full-bodied and complex, yet harmonious from light to nub across its hour-long smoke.

- Pre-light: Chocolate, cedar and earth on the nose from the wrapper and foot.

- First Third: Chocolate, coffee, red pepper and earth open together. The smoke is creamy, with a peppery spice riding over a subtle underlying sweetness.

- Second Third: The pepper recedes and chocolate and earth take centre stage, joined by toasted almond, espresso and a touch of caramel. Construction is impeccable — a smooth draw, even burn and firm ash.

- Final Third: Pepper returns alongside sweet cedar and a lingering tobacco sweetness. The finish is long and satisfying, balancing sweet, spice and earth.

- Overall: Full-bodied, refined and endlessly balanced — the New World cigar against which others are measured.

Sourced through TOR Imports, the official UK distributor of New World cigars — the assurance that these cigars reached the UK through the proper channel and arrived in optimum condition.

Free UK delivery for purchases over £50.

Explore more Aging Room cigars: Aging Room Quattro Concerto | Aging Room Solera Sun Grown | Aging Room Collection

Fun Facts About the Aging Room Quattro Maestro

The Maestro’s 2019 #1 Cigar of the Year win was a landmark for boutique cigars — Aging Room is a small-batch brand without its own factory, yet it beat every major house to the top spot, a rare feat for a collaboration blend.

The Quattro Nicaragua was the first Nicaraguan puro in the Quattro line, which had previously been built on Dominican tobacco. Bringing the blend to A.J. Fernández’s farms in Estelí gave it the richer, spicier Nicaraguan character that defines the Maestro.

Rafael Nodal named his brand “Aging Room” after the dedicated rooms where blended tobacco is rested and married before rolling — a nod to the patience at the heart of the brand’s philosophy. The musical size names (Quattro, Concerto, Solera) reflect Nodal’s own background as a trained musician.

FAQ About the Aging Room Quattro Maestro

Is the Aging Room Quattro Maestro good for beginners?
It is a full-bodied cigar with a bold, peppery opening, so it suits smokers with some experience. Newcomers may prefer to build up to it — but those who enjoy rich, complex New World cigars will find it hugely rewarding.

What does “Nicaraguan puro” mean?
It means every leaf in the cigar — wrapper, binder and filler — is grown in Nicaragua. The Maestro’s tobacco is Nicaraguan-grown from Cuban seed, combining Nicaraguan terroir with the character of the Cuban plant.

Who makes the Aging Room Quattro Maestro?
It is a collaboration between Aging Room founder and master blender Rafael Nodal and Nicaraguan cigar-maker A.J. Fernández, hand-rolled at Fernández’s Tabacalera A.J. Fernández factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

How long does it take to smoke?
Approximately one hour at a relaxed pace.

Why is it so highly rated?
The Maestro was named Cigar Aficionado’s #1 Cigar of the Year in 2019 with a 96 rating, praised for its complex, evolving flavour, flawless construction and the balance it maintains despite being full-bodied.

Where are your Aging Room cigars sourced from?
Our Aging Room cigars are supplied through TOR Imports, the official UK distributor of New World (non-Cuban) cigars — the equivalent, for New World brands, of Hunters & Frankau for Cuban Havanas. It confirms the cigars reached the UK through the authorised channel and passed condition checks on arrival.