It was back in 2014 when Rafael Nodal introduced the Aging Room Bin No. 1 line. Then later in 2015, he added a couple of more chords to the concerto of cigars in the line, with the D Major and D Minor. The latter being a lancero and the former being the cigar I will discuss today.
The Bin No. 1 blend from Aging Room is described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Habano
- Binder – Habano Dominicano
- Filler – Habano Dominicano
The Line was originally introduced with 3 vitolas which was then increased to a total of five:
- B Minor – Toro 6 1/8 x 52 (MSRP $13.23)
- C Major – Robusto 5 1/4 x 54 (MSRP $14.16)
- G Major – Bellicoso 6 1/4 x 63 (MSRP $14.76)
- D Minor – Lancero 7 x 38 (MSRP $10.50)
- D Major – Box Pressed Toro 6 x 54 (MSRP $13.23)
With the exception of the D Major, the Bin No.1 line comes packaged in 20-count boxes. The D Major is packaged in individual coffins and arranged in 18-count boxes.
All Aging Room Bin No. 1 cigar are manufactured at Tabacalera La Palma in the Dominican Republic. The factory has been producing cigars since 1936 and now is under the watchful eye of José Arnaldo Blanco III, affectionately known to all as “Jochy”, the current owner and CEO of Tabacalera Palma.
So let’s discuss the Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major, which I was gifted from a a good friend and BOTL.
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
Pre-Light Examination
We should start with the coffin Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major is encased in. It is a dark brown stained coffin with a slide lid and the golden words “Aging Room Bin No. 1” etched into the lid. Sliding the lid back you will see a box pressed toro that is 80% covered by an outer sleeve and band that also identifies this as the Aging Room Bin No. 1.
Taking the cigar out of the coffin and removing the outer band you will find a dark brown and marbled cigar that is finished with a well applied double cap. The wrapper has a smooth waxy feel to it and is light on veins. The box pressing is soft in the sense that the edges are not crisp but rather slightly rounded.
Running it across the nasals I picked up a natural sweet tobacco foot and a light curing barn sweetness along the barrel.
I used my double blade Colibri cutter to slice the cap just above the first line and gave it some cold draw puffs. The draw had a restriction to my liking and provided a growing pepper and honey graham cracker sensation on the palate.
With a fine pre-light examination, it was time to hit the foot the soft flame of my single flame lighter and see where the Aging Room Bin No. 1 will take me. To add to the experience I decided to cue up the Firebird Suite by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. This is my favorite ballet and orchestral concert work.
Cigar Review Notes
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major
- Right of the ignition I am greeted with a nice dose of pepper
- Earth and fruit show up quickly to tone down the pepper
- Nut aroma almost like a peanut, fills the air in the lounge
- Super rich and creamy smoke
- Dark grey, slightly flaky, ash forms on a thick char line
- Vanilla notes enter after an inch of burn joined with a hint of raisin
- Damn, there is an inward burn starting after an inch and a half
- A dry leather note enters
- Touch up is needed to fix the burn and increasing the puff rate helps
- Spice enters midway
- Wrapper is showing good signs of oiling up
- Coffee bean and cocoa powder notes fill out the second third
- Barrel gets squishy moving through second half
- Earthiness and a honey like sweetness grows near final third
- Though not inward, the burn is still wavy and even goes off near the final
- Aroma shifted to more of a sweet honeysuckle
- Finishes with a bitter honey and spice
- Medium in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 35 minutes
Overall, the Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major offered a wide complexity of flavors and aromas but the burn was not to my liking and that is the positive takeaway on this. On the negative though, the early inward burn was troubling and even after the touch up, it still had some wavy points and a slight canoeing near the end of the second third. It should also be noted how the barrel got more squishy in the second half.
Aging Room Bin No. 1 D Major