Room 101

The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is manufactured in the Dominican Republic By Room 101 Cigars.  Room 101 is a luxury lifestyle brand founded by Matt Booth in Los Angeles California in 2003, initially crafting custom jewelry.  The cigar brand was founded in 2009, and has had help with the manufacturing and distribution phases through a long list of  recognizable cigar industry faces such as Camacho, Davidoff, Caldwell, La Pallina, AJ Fernandez, Adventura, and most recently General Cigars.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro
• Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
• Binder: Indonesian
• Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania
• Size: 6 x 55

Appearance & Construction

Grape and apple harvest in Upstate New York is soon upon us!  I will be busier then ever.  This is a good and a bad thing.  Good, because I make the most income around this time of year.  Bad, because I don’t have that much time to smoke.  I’ve tried to be a tough guy on an apple ladder with a stogie hanging out of my mouth while delicately reaching into the tree of knowledge of good and evil and almost died in the garden of Eden before even having a chance to be cursed and banished for all of eternity.  I’m older and wiser now, plus, haven’t you heard silly rabbit? Tricks are for kids! That being said, I binge smoke up until the workload becomes an all-consuming fire.  Review cigars will just have to get included in this offensive troop surge, also known as my “pre-harvest rotation.”

Tonight, I curl up next to a gorgeous toro that feels like a baby’s breath in my hands.  The construction off-the-bat looks superb, almost like it came out of Perdomo’s factory.  For fans of Perdomo cigars, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  The cigar itself has a very sweet cedery aroma, with hints of mint tea with honey.  NOTE: fans of mint tea with honey, know exactly what I’m talking about! The wrapper leaf is a light brown with a rustic countenance.  It has a single cap.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is as loose as can be but with tons of weight on the palate.  TONS OF PEPPER! The leaf and construction, as mentioned, are perfect but also delicate.  It doesn’t take long to toast and combust the cigar. At first puff, the cigar is very pepper forward. Chili pepper! There are nice hints of baking spice and nougat at times depending on your smoking speed. Nougat on the retro as the cigar heats up. The tobacco keeps my palate wet, and is very reminiscent of drinking chocolate milk. The aroma coming from the foot smells like someone just baked brownies.

The second third opens up like the first day back to school.  The smoke production has been nothing but outstanding so far, but the mouthfeel is chalky with hints of pencil shavings.  There is still this lingering cocoa note.  As it progresses, I’m getting stronger notes of copper pennies, and black coffee.  The pepper which was very dominating throughout, begins to fade.  There is a tongue gripping floral and perfume note. Same on the retrohale. The cigar beigns to burn a little hot, and I take longer pauses in between sips. The foot aroma is similar to birthday cake.

The last third becomes harsh.  I also have some burn issues from the tobacco oils pooling on certain wrapper leaf spots.  The ash was solid on the first third, but for the last two sections, its becoming quite flakey.  Im getting burnt hazelnuts as the only tasting note.  Same on the retrohale. Some hints of cedar off the foot aroma.  The smoke singes my tongue and dries out my palate even after purging the cigar a couople times.  Theres no hope!

Conclusion

The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro reminded me a lot of a spicy corojo cigar with some unusal cupcake shop flavors.  I found the diverse tobacco blending to be quite the experience, until the last third.  It’s not that I’m bias towards larger vitolas, but I just hate smoking big cigars that cant go their advertised distance.  I find this to be the case alot of the time.  The MSRP on the Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is quite attractive for a larger well-packed cigar, but there are simply other bargain big sticks more worth your time. They may not be as nuanced, but will defintely burn better on the last half. Enjoy!

Final Score: 79

Room101 Snake Shake is a collaboration between Matt Booth and AJ Fernandez, sourcing tobacco entirely from Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. in Estelí. Not only is this the second time these two industry giants joined forces to make a blend, but it is also their second installment for a Luxury Cigar Club exclusive cigar.

There isn’t much information about this product. However, what stood out to me the most was per Luxury Cigar Club, “Snake Shake was designed to strengthen the relationship between the two companies.”

Yeah, I just got chills thinking about the possibilities…

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Room101 Snake Shake
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Size: Toro (6″x50).

Appearance & Construction

The wrapper on this cigar is very smooth and oily. It is sturdy to the touch, and I feel like I can wave it around and chant Wingardium Leviosa to make various objects float in the room. Like a wand, there are no visible veins, and even the seam is hard to locate visually. I examine the cigar between my fingers and find it filled proportionally throughout. Overall, this specimen is rolled masterfully.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

This cigar has a very alluring scent to it. It smells like sweet hay on the wrapper and dry apricot off the foot with a hint of baking spice. I sliced the cap off with my trusty Xikar XO Cutter, and the cold draw reinforces the dry apricot flavor.

Once lit, the sweet stone fruit flavors got replaced with gram crackers, cocoa powder, oak wood, and red pepper spice. The smoke has a creamy texture and is very thick as if I can chew on it. And I can only describe the lingering aftertaste as freshly baked pie crust. I then retrohale and got offered nothing but pain from an abundance of pepper spice rushing out my nostrils. It immediately activated my tear glands and shocked my senses. On the bright side, it did what two cups of coffee couldn’t. As you can guess, I became quite wary of where the smoke exits at this point. Other than the retrohale, this cigar is performing remarkably well. The airflow restriction is perfect, around 7 out of 10. Each puff produces an abundance of smoke, and you can level the burn line with a ruler.

Once I reached the second third, the flavor profile became more refined: raw peanut, Ovaltine, dark leather, and oak wood, with an undertone of sweetness and creaminess hidden within the smoke. The pepper spice departs from the palate and eases up on the retrohale. The smoke stays pretty consistent from this point on. I took my time and smoked it all the way down to the nub before realizing I’d been smoking this cigar for more than 2 hours.

Conclusion

The Snake Shake humbled me and helped me reevaluate my mindset when I’m blind reviewing a cigar. I won’t oust myself, but I thought I knew what this cigar was, and I was proven wrong.

I compare the experience of the Snake Shaker from being a raw mineral to a polished gem. The flavors during the first third were robust, natural, and untreated. I would taste a specific flavor per each puff. As I make my way to the second third, there is cohesiveness between the flavors, that is when I was able to experience all the flavors in a single draw. That being said, the pepper on the retrohale was almost irrefutable. I was glad the strength was toned down and meshed really well with the overall taste.

Final Rating: 89

Up for review today is a discontinued line from Matt Booth and Room101 called “The Big Payback.” I actually wasn’t aware of the cigar in its hayday, but my friend (and FTNYC event regular) Kevin generously gave me one of his last singles to review. Thanks Kevin!

Though currently unavailable, The Big Payback Connecticut was produced in three sizes:

• Room101 Big Payback Connecticut Chavala (5 x 50)
• Room101 Big Payback Connecticut Hueso (6 x 60)
• Room101 Big Connecticut Payback 7×70 (7 x 70)

According to Halfwheel, the origin of the colorful name is Matt Booth’s desire to give back to his loyal customers by producing an excellent cigar at value prices (between $5 – $7).

Let’s see if he delivered.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Room101 The Big Payback Connecticut Hueso
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Mexico
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size: 6 x 60

Appearance & Construction

As you can see from the photos, Room101 is led by a man who knows how to brand a product. The lightness of the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper complements the gold detailing on the white band, giving the cigar a classic look. The wrapper is mostly smooth, with a two significant veins popping behind the band. When squeezed, the cigar is decently spongy and seems to be packed consistently the length of the cigar.

Smelling the foot of the cigar, I pick up a hefty amount of sweet hay, light cedar, and thick cream. There’s also a decent amount of a very fine spice that I’m not entirely sure how to describe. After cutting using a (large) straight cut, I test the draw which is a bit too loose, about a 4/10 in terms of amount of restictiveness. We’ll see if that becomes an issue later. On the cold draw, there’s a decent amount of spice that lingers on the cold draw, along with some dry cedar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Room101 Big Payback opens with with mild to medium bodied smoke that is big in flavor and toasty in texture. Smoke production is fantastic (as you’d expect with such a free draw), with the cigar delivering large plumes of silky-white smoke. Flavor-wise, the smoke primarily hits bitter, with a touch of salt and sweetness in the aroma. Notes include heavily toasted bread, bitter wood, lots of kitchen spices, minerals, and just a touch of creaminess that coats the palate. The retrohale is surprisingly strong, consisting mainly of white pepper and cedar.

At an inch in, the ash on the Big Payback is holding surprisingly strong given the large ring gauge. The spice–enjoyable as it was–has drawn down nicely, though it is still present. Additionally, the bitter flavors have been replaced by a more assertive sweetness. Flavors at this point include cinnamon toast, baking spices, light nuttiness and cream on the finish.

In the second third, the body and strength settle down a hair below medium. The texture of the smoke is a bit less toasty and more silky. That toasted bread note shifts towards something resembling vanilla cake, which is layered on top of creamy cedar, baking spices, and a very slight floral note. The retrohale is still at medium, with no change in flavor. Construction wise, the Big Payback continues to perform excellently, with a straight, razor sharp burn. Smoke production is still great, and the temperature of the smoke remains cool.

The final third of the Big Payback is a natural extension of the first two, with the smoke settled fully on a smooth, creamy texture. The flavor profile showcases vanilla cake, salted peanuts, and a healthy dose of white pepper in the aroma. Big Payback continues this way until the end, thankfully avoiding the high heat and overly bitter experience that characterizes the end of so many Connecticut blends.

Conclusion

I was pleasantly surprised by the Room101 Big Payback Connecticut. I was expecting a flavor profile that was too diluted by the 60 ring gauge. What I experienced instead was a flavorful, complex, mostly balanced experience with great construction. This cigar is worth pursuing if you can find it, and a quick google search shows some online retailers still have it in stock at the time of this writing.

Final Rating: 90

We continue our 2018 reviews today with the Room 101 Farce Lonsdale. Room 101 is a brand known for producing flavorful, deeply complex cigars. One of my favorites is the Room 101 Uncle Lee, a perfecto-shaped cigar which is sadly out of production.

In any case, the Room 101 Farce is a 2018 release which has gotten solid reviews around the cigar blogosphere. But the Lonsdale vitola has yet to be reviewed, so here we are. TLDR on this cigar: it’s incredible and a likely member of our Top 10 of 2018 list.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Room 101 Farce Lonsdale
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Indonesia
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Pennsylvania
• Size: 6 1/2 x 42 Lonsdale

Appearance & Construction

The Room 101 Farce is attractively put together. The outer wrapper looks fairly standard in color, but on closer appearance proves to have a very fine layer of plume and a velvety feel. The single black and white band plays nicely off of the light brown of the wrapper leaf, though I’m a bit vexed by “PRE-RELEASE” designation on the label. I bought this online from a major retailer so… isn’t it… released?

In any case, I use a straight cut to cut the cigar and test the draw. It’s just about ideal, maybe a tiny touch too restrictive. The cold draw is gentle and mostly straightforward, with hints of paprika, dry cedar, and light earthiness. Off the foot, the smell is similar but has an added nuttiness.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Room 101 Farce Lonsdale kicks off with flavor-loaded smoke, at least partially the result of the small ring guage. The somewhat resistant draw hasn’t affected the smoke production, which is at or above average. The flavor profile is quite enjoyable, presenting a dominant cedar and black pepper that is augmented by bitter leather and salted popcorn. The smoke has an almost chewy character to it similar to a snickers bar, and strength and body are both medium plus. The retrohale is aggressive and dominated by freshly ground black pepper.

An inch in, the layered white ash is holding on to a mostly straight burn. The profile hasn’t veered from its primary breakdown, but every few puffs I pick up some vanilla notes that are a welcome balance to the more bitter notes.

As the cigar burns into the second third, the profile shifts more significantly, with the vanilla note moving from a secondary flavor up to a dominant flavor alongside the dry cedar an black pepper. On the nose, the smoke is fragrant and a great compliment to the intensity on the palate. Thankfully, the retrohale has toned down a lot, allowing it to become a more integral part of the experience. Smoke production improves even more, and the burn stays razor sharp.

All cylinders are firing now.

Also, a side note: when a cigar is this effortless to smoke and enjoy, you know you’re smoking a well crafted, well thought out product. During the second third, there are a few additional supporting flavors, including mild cinnamon and floral. Absolutely delicious.

In the final third, the body mellows while the strength remains medium plus. On top of the core profile a mushroom note gets layered in which in texture is similar to cream. Overall, an easy cigar to pick up. Much harder to put down.

Conclusion

It’s rare to find a cigar that balances complexity, power, and balance like the Room 101 Farce lonsdale. The cigar manages to take a somewhat dry, wood forward palate and keep it interesting with lots of nuances along the way, and the construction never fails. This cigar is an easy contender for our top 10 of 2018 list, and one you have to smoke if you are investigating 2018 releases.

Final Score: 92