In addition to Altadis U.S.A. returning to the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show in 2023, the brands of Boutique Blends – the company co-owned by Rafael Nodal and Hank Bischoff – also made a return. Back in 2017, Boutique Blends entered into a strategic partnership where Altadis U.S.A. would take over distribution for Boutique Blends. Concurrently, Rafael Nodal came on board Altadis U.S.A. as the Director of Product Capability. Over the past six years, while Boutique Blends is still owned by Nodal and Bischoff, its brands have been integrated into the Altadis U.S.A. portfolio. These brands include Aging Room and Oliveros. Of the two, Aging Room has been the most successful by Boutique Blends to date. This year, there was a new Aging Room being showcased – the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata.
As mentioned, Aging Room is Boutique Blends’ most successful brand to date. In fact, it is the Quattro line that has brought Aging Room the most acclaim. This includes a #2 Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year in 2013 with the Aging Room Quattro F55 Concerto, and then a #1 Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year with the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro. Now Nodal is hoping to strike gold again with the Aging Room Nicaragua Sonata.
Like many Aging Room Cigars, the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata is inspired by brand owner Rafael Nodal’s love of music. A Sonata is a classic music composition for an instrumental soloist, often with a piano accompaniment. The Sonata cigar is a 100% Nicaraguan puro, but with a different blend that is lighter than the original Quattro Nicaragua. and like the original Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua, the Sonata is being produced by AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata is offered in six sizes – each in 20-count boxes: Espressivo (50 x 5, SRP $13.02/cigar), Maestro (52 x 6, SRP $13.13/cigar), Vibrato (54 x 6, SRP $13.24/cigar), Concerto (50 x 7, SRP $13.37/cigar), Impromptu (52 x 6 1/2, SRP $14.98/cigar), and Grande (60 x 6, MSRP $13.55/cigar).
The Sonata was first launched at Total Products Expo (TPE) 2023, but it shipped in the month prior to PCA 2023 and was also featured at PCA.
Product Reports
Photo Credits: Altadis U.S.A.
