Room 101 #323

Overall Score

1 review for Room 101 #323

  1. The Cigar Spy

    Room 101 #323

    Origin : Honduras
    Room 101 cigarsFormat : Toro
    Size : 6 x 50
    Wrapper : Honduran Semila 101 (exclusive seed to Camacho)
    Filler : Dominican / Honduran
    Binder : Honduran
    Hand-Made
    Price : ~$7 each

    This is Agent 24. My mission was to review the Room 101 323, blended by Camacho Cigars. As a member of The Cigar Spy agency, I promise to respect the A.S.H.E.S. code of honor.

    Background info

    Room 101 is the brainchild of designer Matt Booth and Camacho Cigars. Matt has already established himself as a lights-out jewelry designer with his Room 101 line and this started as a collab on some cigar lifestyle items (humidors, lighters, etc.) and quickly turned into an opportunity to impact the cigar world with what they described as “a boutique handmade cigar that will appeal to all different types of lifestyles”. The brand was born and they called the resulting campaign, “The Conspiracy”. The Conspiracy has arrived at The Cigar Spy Agency and it is my job to delve deeper and go further into The Conspiracy than anyone has at this point. It is a dangerous job (ha, ha), but someone has to do it!

    Mission notes

    Fall is here! It’s windy and there is a chill in the air. I have had to adorn the black Hoodie and go stealth in my outdoor smoking lounge! It is fitting that I am joining The Conspiracy under the cover of night and in deep cover myself! Let’s get this bad boy rolling!

    Appearance and first impressions

    The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown and a little oily. In fact, I can feel it on my fingers as I test the construction of the Room 101. It is solid with one or two soft spots, but nothing that gives me any worry. The veins are virtually nonexistent and with the Room 101 band, it is a great looking cigar. The first whiffs of the head and foot reveal a hint of cedar along with the smell of fresh cut grass. The cold draw is beautiful and I do not anticipate any issues with the Room 101.

    Today’s pairing: pairing today’s Room 101 323 with some cold spring water!

    Flavor

    From the first light through the first few puffs, I am getting a dark chocolate mixed with roasted nuts and a hint of spice. The retrohale is pleasant, just a tiny bit of black pepper and it leaves just a touch of sweetness on the tip of my tongue. The Room 101 has strong, billowy clouds of smoke that smell slightly of cedar. It is a smooth start and since my expectations were high, I am not disappointed. Tonight feels like a good Irish punk night, so we start with some Flogging Molly. “Every Dog Has Its Day” and today I am that dog!

    As I get through the first third of the Room 101 323 by Camacho, one word springs to mind: SMOOTH! Everything about this cigar is smooth. The burn is consistent and the draw and finish are smooth as can be. The flavors are staying consistent with just a touch of cedar hanging around my palette. Also the aftertaste has just a hint of sweetness, I haven’t pegged it yet, but it tastes familiar to me. It has a bright white ash that is holding strong as we approach the halfway point. I am still getting that Flogging Molly vibe, so we stay with it.

    Now we are over halfway through the Room 101 and I just ashed the cigar for the first time. I think it could have held on longer, but with the wind really picking up, I didn’t want a lap full of ash. The Room 101 is still as smooth as any cigar I have encountered. The flavor profile hasn’t changed much. The cedar is a bit stronger, but still tasting the roasted nut and dark chocolate the most. I have retrohaled damn near every puff on this cigar and am enjoying the hint of spiciness at the finish. Also, the little bit of sweet that I get as an aftertaste has me loving this stick! I am feeling a bit more aggro, so we are moving onto the Dropkick Murphys and some good Boston Irish punk! I am “Shipping Up To Boston” and loving it!

    As I dig into the last third, the Room 101 is still the most consistent and smooth cigar that I have tackled up to this point. The flavor profile is still the same as when I started and other than a little burn issue that corrected itself quickly, I am finding no flaws in this cigar. This has been an enjoyable mission and one I plan to take over and over and over!

    Final Statement

    We hear a lot of hype and propaganda when a new cigar is launched. Most cigars fail to live up to our expectations and while still excellent smokes just can’t deliver in the end. The Room 101 is not one of those smokes! It actually went beyond my expectations and delivered an increasingly smooth and flavorful experience from start to finish. In my humble opinion, Matt Booth and Camacho have a definite contender for cigar of the year! I recommend it for all types of cigar smokers and I promise you will not be disappointed! Finally I need to give a shout-out to my good friend Keeley!

    Photo credit: The Burn Notice

    [sz]room 323[/sz]

    Helpful?
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    • The Cigar Spy

      I also tasted the #404 (6 x 54 Torpedo), here is the review:

      Giving the cigar a detailed visual examination, I found zero flaws in the wrapper, band or the cigar itself. The veiny wrapper, a Semilla 101 hailing from Honduras, was specifically grown for this cigar. The double band, hued a black and silver, really helped complete the overall look of the cigar, giving it an eye-catching visual appeal. The dragon mask on the side of the band especially caught my eye. Doing more research into the development of the cigar, using specific pieces from Japanese theatre and Buddhism practices was all part of developing the mystique and interest of the Room101 brand.

      Toasting the end of the cigar and taking my first couple of resistance-free draws, I was met with an immediate hint of dull, peppery flavors. Subtle, very light on the palette but noticeable. And throughout the first half of the cigar, it stayed exactly like this. Starting into the second half of the cigar is where more pepper and a touch of earthiness became more apparent. Also a modest increase to the intensity of the flavor of the tobacco. Think of turning a volume from four to six; it’s not a lot but you can hear the change. During the last third, that same intensity increased even more, giving the cigar a strong, almost full-bodied close to its smoking time. It’s because of this strong ending that the overall finish to the cigar is longer than on similarly-bodied smokes.

      The ash on this cigar was a bit flaky, so bear that in mind as you progress onward. The only complaint I had on the cigar was that the burn was somewhat uneven and needed some retouching. I did find that the second Room101 that I smoked, while still slightly uneven in burn, was much better overall.

      Recommendations

      A great combination of flavors and strength, coupled with a unique and hip marketing drive makes this cigar a formidable opponent in the market today. The price point is exactly what I would expect for this cigar and in my opinion, it’s a fair price for what you are getting. Buy these with confidence, knowing comfortably that you will be smoking what is in my opinion, an excellent cigar.

    • Mike

      Great review – cant wait to get my grubby little paws on one to try! I keep hearing how good they are, but I will test for myself someday 😉

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Cigar Region Honduras
Filler Honduras, Dominican
Wrapper Honduran Semila 101
Vitola Toro
Construction Hand Made