Pre-light Experience

The Room101 Daruma comes entirely overlaid in a gold and black paper with tissue out of the top and bottom. After removing the paper and tissue, the cigar is revealed to have a primary Daruma band along with a black on gold LTD/ASF secondary band. For additional artisanal complications, the cigar has a closed foot. Examining the cigar, the head had some sponginess to it. I weighed the cigar with the paper wrap and tissue at 19.2 grams, and 17.2 grams with everything removed. I also measured the humidity with the HumidiMeter Pro at 73.4%. Aromas from the wrapper included chocolate, cured tobacco and an aged wood sitting underneath the aromas. As the foot was closed, I was not able to pick out anything distinct.

First Third

The first third opens with chocolate and creaminess. A sweet creaminess minus the chocolate lingers on the post draw. As the cigar settles in, a light plus strength leather develops on the post draw between each puff. Some light plus baking spices and a background earth add to the retrohale profile as the first third continues. Some salty accents are detectable at times. Not long after, vegetal notes are present at times on the finish.

Second Third

The second third gets going with medium strength spices on the retrohale, a cotton candy sweetness that follows and a creamy wood to finish. It doesn’t take long for the spices to ramp up in intensity to medium-full, with earth and wood combining on the post draw. I am getting some vegetal on the finish, and wood moving into the center not long after. Moving towards the halfway point, the earth on the post draw has moved up to medium strength and is sitting heavily on the palate, eventually taking on some char.

Final Third

Dry wood kicks off the last third with an acrid earth finishing into the post draw. The acrid component fades as the last third settles in, as baking spices and wood combine on the retrohale. Earth defines the post draw at medium strength as the last third progresses. Before the halfway point, char rejoins the earth on the finish.

Burn

The burn was even to start, with the ash holding on in one inch increments. The burn became uneven in the second third, requiring a touch-up by the halfway point. The cigar went out in the last third, requiring a re-light.

Draw

The draw was at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw.

Overall

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. The draw was perfect, while the burn required a touch-up and a re-light to correct. 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. It has been my experience that cigars with a closed foot tend to retain humidity, but I’d be willing to take another pass at this cigar to see if another cigar performed better. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 32 minutes.

John McTavish

SCORE

4.83

Cost/Point

$2.69

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Room101 Daruma