Room 101- Preproduction

Brooks W · 09-07-2009, 01:05 AM

When this new Camacho cigar was announced, the immediate reaction I had was that it was just one more stick that was being promoted to death that would never live up to it's billing. ("The Room 101 Cigar collection will be a blend of attitude, culture, celebrity, and some of the world’s finest tobaccos" screams the press release...)

The fact that the Room 101 cigar is a joint project with Los Angeles jeweler Mat Booth (who owns the Room 101 jewelry brand) only intensified the feeling in my gut. On the surface, it seemed to be a cigar that was made ONLY for promotion (*COUGH* Opus Lost City *COUGH*), with the cigar thrown in merely as an afterthought...

Oh, how wrong I was...

The cigar itself sports a binder from Honduras and a filler with a blend from Honduras and the Dominican Republic, but the big news in this stick is the wrapper, which uses an exclusive seed variety they call "Semilla 101" (also from Honduras)...Due to be released in September, it will come in six sizes (25 to a box), each named for a different area code in the United States (Editor's Note: I have included the cities for each zip codes for purely informational reasons, they have no bearing as far as I know on the cigars or where they are to be released or anything like that...If it was me reading this review, I would wonder about which zip code each one was and obsessively look them up, so I figured I would do the work for those who think like I do

~brooks]:

The 213- 5.5x44- MSRP $7.00 (Los Angeles, California)
The 305- 5x50- MSRP $7.50 (Miami, Florida)
The 323- 6x50- MSRP $8.00 (Los Angeles, California)
The 404- 6x54- MSRP $8.50 (Atlanta, Georgia)
The 702- 6x54- MSRP $8.50 (Nevada)
The 808- 6x60- MSRP $9.00 (Hawaii)

(One other interesting note is that a portion of the proceeds from the Room 101 cigar sales go to the Wounded Warrior Project.)

The wrapper on the cigar is a nice medium brown, and has very little oil on it...smells of tobacco (I really hate to keep repeating that) and it is very firm when squeezed...The Preproduction version I smoked did not come with a band of any sort...

After lighting, I got just a bit of pepper for a few puffs (no spice, just pepper) which fairly quickly morphed into a great earthy creaminess that was extremely balanced and pleasant...this lasted for pretty much the entire 1st third...

Right around the start of the 2nd third, the pepper was reduced even more (it became more of a background element at his point) and the earthiness turned almost gritty (ie, it lost it's creaminess for the most part)...not an unpleasant taste, but it definitely made me take notice...

The last third was where this stick really surprised me...we were rolling along with the above flavors, just a nice, almost boring amalgamation of tastes when BAM! out of the blue came a huge rush of spice and pepper...it was almost like someone had turned on a switch labeled "SPICE"...I literally sat up in my chair and said "Holy Sh*t"! (scaring my wife who was sitting beside me...she said later she thought I had been stung by a wasp)...it melded wonderfully with the tastes from the first two thirds, and it made my mouth and tongue tingle for a while after I was done with the cigar...

The Bottom Line: The first two thirds of the Room 101 cigar were not bad, but we have tasted it all before...however, when combined with the spice bomb of the final third, the flavors blended into an EXTREMELY enjoyable smoke....it was almost as if the people putting together the cigar wanted to lull you into a false sense of security, then shock you into submission. I was very impressed with the cigar as a whole and the clean finish it had, and this is one I will be waiting to buy when it is released to see if it has the same characteristics...

gbum · 09-07-2009, 05:00 AM

great review plus superb pictures !
thanks brooks

longknocker · 09-07-2009, 05:06 AM

Awesome review & Pics, Brooks! Sounds like a great stick!

NickyTeen · 09-07-2009, 10:11 AM

Thanks for a great review.

I am definately looking forward to these now!

09-07-2009, 10:45 AM

Thanks for the great review and pictures. Can't wait to try one!

09-07-2009, 10:46 AM

thos pics are a work of art mate do u do weddings ?

09-07-2009, 11:22 AM

Thanks for the review! I read about these in a magazine and wasn't sure, but from your review they sound like a good smoke.

Giant & 49er Fan · 09-07-2009, 11:37 AM

Great review! Thanks.

Kreth · 09-07-2009, 02:59 PM

Thanks for the review.

Posted via Mobile Device

09-07-2009, 05:01 PM

Great review! I agree with you; this is a cigar that lives up to all the hype! I really enjoyed mine.
Keep up the good work.
Bill Pappy Ferrara

Skywalker · 09-08-2009, 07:21 AM

Thank you for a wonderful review!!!

I'll keep my eye open for this one!!!

BlackDog · 09-08-2009, 07:44 AM

Good review. I like much of what Camacho offers, will have to look out for these. Also, I just spent 15 minutes reading your blog. Very nice!

thebiglebowski · 09-08-2009, 02:17 PM

wait. when i think room 101, i think, that which i fear the most...

09-08-2009, 05:23 PM

Great review and pic's as always Brooksey!

joetownhound · 09-12-2009, 03:22 AM

great review thanks

kelmac07 · 09-12-2009, 07:15 AM

Great review and pics...thanks!!

09-07-2009, 01:05 AM	#1
Brooks W Feeling at Home Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 833 Trading: (70)	Room 101- Preproduction When this new Camacho cigar was announced, the immediate reaction I had was that it was just one more stick that was being promoted to death that would never live up to it's billing. ("The Room 101 Cigar collection will be a blend of attitude, culture, celebrity, and some of the world’s finest tobaccos" screams the press release...) The fact that the Room 101 cigar is a joint project with Los Angeles jeweler Mat Booth (who owns the Room 101 jewelry brand) only intensified the feeling in my gut. On the surface, it seemed to be a cigar that was made ONLY for promotion (COUGH Opus Lost City COUGH), with the cigar thrown in merely as an afterthought... Oh, how wrong I was... The cigar itself sports a binder from Honduras and a filler with a blend from Honduras and the Dominican Republic, but the big news in this stick is the wrapper, which uses an exclusive seed variety they call "Semilla 101" (also from Honduras)...Due to be released in September, it will come in six sizes (25 to a box), each named for a different area code in the United States (Editor's Note: I have included the cities for each zip codes for purely informational reasons, they have no bearing as far as I know on the cigars or where they are to be released or anything like that...If it was me reading this review, I would wonder about which zip code each one was and obsessively look them up, so I figured I would do the work for those who think like I do ~brooks]: The 213- 5.5x44- MSRP $7.00 (Los Angeles, California) The 305- 5x50- MSRP $7.50 (Miami, Florida) The 323- 6x50- MSRP $8.00 (Los Angeles, California) The 404- 6x54- MSRP $8.50 (Atlanta, Georgia) The 702- 6x54- MSRP $8.50 (Nevada) The 808- 6x60- MSRP $9.00 (Hawaii) (One other interesting note is that a portion of the proceeds from the Room 101 cigar sales go to the Wounded Warrior Project.) The wrapper on the cigar is a nice medium brown, and has very little oil on it...smells of tobacco (I really hate to keep repeating that) and it is very firm when squeezed...The Preproduction version I smoked did not come with a band of any sort... After lighting, I got just a bit of pepper for a few puffs (no spice, just pepper) which fairly quickly morphed into a great earthy creaminess that was extremely balanced and pleasant...this lasted for pretty much the entire 1st third... Right around the start of the 2nd third, the pepper was reduced even more (it became more of a background element at his point) and the earthiness turned almost gritty (ie, it lost it's creaminess for the most part)...not an unpleasant taste, but it definitely made me take notice... The last third was where this stick really surprised me...we were rolling along with the above flavors, just a nice, almost boring amalgamation of tastes when BAM! out of the blue came a huge rush of spice and pepper...it was almost like someone had turned on a switch labeled "SPICE"...I literally sat up in my chair and said "Holy Sh*t"! (scaring my wife who was sitting beside me...she said later she thought I had been stung by a wasp)...it melded wonderfully with the tastes from the first two thirds, and it made my mouth and tongue tingle for a while after I was done with the cigar... The Bottom Line: The first two thirds of the Room 101 cigar were not bad, but we have tasted it all before...however, when combined with the spice bomb of the final third, the flavors blended into an EXTREMELY enjoyable smoke....it was almost as if the people putting together the cigar wanted to lull you into a false sense of security, then shock you into submission. I was very impressed with the cigar as a whole and the clean finish it had, and this is one I will be waiting to buy when it is released to see if it has the same characteristics...

09-07-2009, 05:00 AM	#2
gbum Feeling at Home Join Date: Jul 2009 First Name: Asyraf Location: Cyberjaya-Malaysia Posts: 772 Trading: (0)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction great review plus superb pictures ! thanks brooks __________________ http://mrgbum.wordpress.com

09-07-2009, 05:06 AM	#3
longknocker Postwhore Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Greg Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 11,114 Trading: (82)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Awesome review & Pics, Brooks! Sounds like a great stick!

09-07-2009, 10:11 AM	#4
NickyTeen My barn door is open Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Kriss Location: The Barn Posts: 561 Trading: (12)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Thanks for a great review. I am definately looking forward to these now!

09-07-2009, 10:45 AM	#5
scooter Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Thanks for the great review and pictures. Can't wait to try one!

09-07-2009, 10:46 AM	#6
adampc22 Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Room 101- Preproduction thos pics are a work of art mate do u do weddings ?

09-07-2009, 11:22 AM	#7
GHC_Hambone Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Thanks for the review! I read about these in a magazine and wasn't sure, but from your review they sound like a good smoke.

09-07-2009, 11:37 AM	#8
Giant & 49er Fan Formerly known as RPguy Join Date: May 2009 First Name: Jaime Location: McCovey Cove! Posts: 1,318 Trading: (35)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Great review! Thanks. __________________ "This cigar tastes like the weekend!" - JBoogie

09-07-2009, 02:59 PM	#9
Kreth Ronin smoker Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Jeff Location: Oneonta, NY Posts: 3,620 Trading: (14)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Thanks for the review. Posted via Mobile Device

09-07-2009, 05:01 PM	#10
PappyFerrara Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Great review! I agree with you; this is a cigar that lives up to all the hype! I really enjoyed mine. Keep up the good work. Bill Pappy Ferrara

09-08-2009, 07:21 AM	#11
Skywalker BABOTL Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Dice Location: Galaxy Far Far Away Posts: 10,168 Trading: (18)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Thank you for a wonderful review!!! I'll keep my eye open for this one!!! __________________ Smoke what you like!!!

09-08-2009, 07:44 AM	#12
BlackDog Gonna make you groove... Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Warren Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 2,468 Trading: (19)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Good review. I like much of what Camacho offers, will have to look out for these. Also, I just spent 15 minutes reading your blog. Very nice! __________________ "We live in the good of this."

09-08-2009, 02:17 PM	#13
thebiglebowski Jack White's Roadie... Join Date: Nov 2008 First Name: larry Location: music city, USA Posts: 665 Trading: (0)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction wait. when i think room 101, i think, that which i fear the most...

09-08-2009, 05:23 PM	#14
SkinsFanLarry Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Great review and pic's as always Brooksey!

09-12-2009, 03:22 AM	#15
joetownhound EYH Survivor Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Dennis Location: Tampa FL Posts: 380 Trading: (18)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction great review thanks __________________ "The tree of freedom must be nurtured from time to time with the blood of its patriots" -Thomas Jefferson

09-12-2009, 07:15 AM	#16
kelmac07 Resident Maduro Whore!! Join Date: Apr 2009 First Name: Mac Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 27,322 Trading: (218)	Re: Room 101- Preproduction Great review and pics...thanks!! __________________ Dom in the MLB thread "I could probably get you to wear a Yankee hat for a Maduro!"