Matt Booth

Team Cigar Review: Room101 15th Anniversary

The Room101 15th Anniversary delivers a well-constructed, consistently balanced smoking experience. Its flavor profile leans toward light to medium-minus strength with prominent wood and spice notes accented by subtle chocolate and baking spices. While it may not push bold complexity, I found it to have a smooth progression for the majority of the review. The price point for the 15th Anniversary is average for the 2025 market, but based on the flavor delivery I would seek these out again.

John McTavish, June 30, 2025

Team Cigar Review: Los Statos Deluxe Connecticut Robusto

I think the Los Statos Deluxe Connecticut Robusto delivered textbook flavors of a Connecticut Shade offering. As a result, I found the overall experience to be pleasant, but I wasn't engaged or impressed by any of the flavor combinations. I have to assume this cigar is positioned to be a budget Connecticut Shade offering, and I think it will do well for those smokers who are looking for this consistent flavor profile at a good price. I'd smoke this again, but it isn't something I would seek out.

John McTavish, April 18, 2025

Personal Cigar Review: Room101 Hit & Run Redux Robusto

The Room101 Hit & Run Redux Robusto had an interesting start with cream, wood, earth, spices, dark fruit and tobacco notes all providing engaging combinations. The second third and last thirds were pleasant but lost complexity for me as they progressed. I think the natural comparisons here will be both the Room101 Hit & Run original, as well as the Part Deux Rip & Dip. I enjoyed both previous iterations significantly more.

John McTavish, August 9, 2024

Personal Cigar Review: Sancho Panza Extra Chido Robusto

The Sancho Panza Extra Chido Robusto started out quite promising with interesting flavor combinations. The second third was almost as good but just missed the mark, still delivering an enjoyable third. I found the last third to be pleasant but not at the same level as the first or second thirds. Although the second third wasn't quite to the same level for me as the first third, I think my overall takeaway is that this is something I would smoke again, especially taking into account the affordable price point.

Aaron Loomis, August 2, 2024

Personal Cigar Review: Room101 Daruma

The Room101 Daruma came out of the gate with a promising collection of flavors that combined in ways to keep me engaged. I found the cigar unbalanced and harsh on the palate through the second third and the acrid component in the final third only added to that. I can't recall a cigar dropping this far between the first third and the second third, and I find myself wondering if the humidity level of the cigar was partially or largely responsible.

John McTavish, March 22, 2024

Team Cigar Review: Room101 The Big Payback 70S

The Room101 The Big Payback 70S had an average flavor profile throughout, with a core set of basic flavors. Some slight transitioning, but nothing very exciting and the strength was getting me at the end. This format is not something I'm going to come back to, but the price point is low and I got a smoking time of four hours and twenty five minutes from it, so if you like large ring gauge cigars and enjoy this flavor profile, then it's well worth it, it's just not for me.

Aaron Loomis, December 11, 2023

Personal Cigar Review: Sancho Panza The Original Robusto

The Sancho Panza The Original Robusto started a bit dry, but by the second third, the cigar picked up in enjoyment. The final third dropped down as the earth picked up and was up front with the cedar. Overall, the cigar was decent. It's got a low price point, so it's an easy try. If I came back to this, I'd pair it with a sweet beverage to combat some of the dryness, but on it's own, it's not something I'd focus on.

Aaron Loomis, October 6, 2023

Personal Cigar Review: Room101 Snake Shake

The Room101 Snake Shake presented very full flavors through the first half, but it was a pretty basic set of flavors that didn't really grab my attention. The fullness of flavors waned in the second half, but that didn't really change the enjoyment level for me. Just an average flavor profile throughout and not something I'd be in a hurry to return to.

Aaron Loomis, February 24, 2023

Team Cigar Review: Room101 Namakubi Ranfla

I really enjoyed the Room101 Namakubi Ranfla. I thought Booth did a great job of capturing what the Namakubi was, while at the same time delivering the quality that you get with the new Room101 blends out of Tabacalera William Ventura. It smoked like any good Room101 blend has for 11 years. Packaging is just amazing as well.

Seth Geise, April 25, 2022

Team Cigar Review: Room101 11th Anniversary

The Room101 11th Anniversary is an LE cigar that doesn't command an astronomical price point and it's actually good. This is becoming a foreign concept lately, smoking through the various highly expensive store exclusives and other LEs. Buy this with confidence.

Jiunn Liu, May 10, 2021