Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is on the lighter side of medium brown and has a couple of slightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth but visible due to vein placement. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. There are two bands, the first having the brands flower design in appropriate Fall colors for the time I’m smoking it while the secondary band is gold and carries the 101 designation in black. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of leather and hay while the foot brings wood, hay, white pepper and a slight tobacco sweetness. The pre-light draw is a mix of floral notes and hay with a very faint spice present on my lips and tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The Hit and Run Part Deux (Rip & Dip) Almost Robusto has a gold accented band, with a secondary 101 gold band. The wrapper is a chocolate brown color and has a veiny texture. Nosing the wrapper, I’m able to detect aromas of spices and cedar, with sweet hay in the foot.

First Third

The cigar begins with some wood, a full cinnamon note and some breadiness. At a half inch in, the wood becomes fuller while the cinnamon eases up and the breadiness is quite faint now. At an inch in, all of the flavor components become even which is a pretty good combination. The retrohale is a mix of the breadiness and wood. At an inch and a quarter, the wood takes on a little char which knocks down the cinnamon a bit, but the bread note remains at the same level. As the third comes to a close, the charred wood is up front with the bread slightly behind and the cinnamon note in the background. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

On the first few puffs, I’m tasting sweet spices and cedar at a light plus level, with chocolate on the retrohale. The spice intensity picks up rapidly in the first few minutes. Some caramel sweetness joins into the flavor profile as the first third settles in. Once the first third has settled in, the chocolate evolves, combining the flavors of milk and dark chocolate.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the bread evens out with the charred wood as some cream enters the profile to become even with the cinnamon in the background. At a half inch in, the bread, cinnamon and cream drop out and is replaced by mustiness which is even with the charred wood. The retrohale is musty wood. At an inch in, the char picks up on the wood while the mustiness is right behind. As the third comes to a close, the wood gains a unique combination of toast going along with the char as the mustiness is still right in the mix. The strength in this third remains at medium.

Second Third

The cedar flavors join in with the chocolate to harmonize moving into the middle third. Some mild earthiness joins in a few puffs into the second third. At the halfway point, the chocolate falls off the flavor map, with the predominant flavor being cedar. At the bottom half of the middle third, the earth begins to match the cedar in strength.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the toast note takes the lead over the char with the wood while the mustiness is still right behind. At a quarter inch in, the char and toast swap positions. At three quarters of an inch in, the cigar begins to heat up and a fair amount of mintiness joins in. The retrohale provides toasted wood and mustiness. At an inch in, the heat and mintiness ease up as the wood loses the toast but has some char to go along with some mustiness. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

Some sweetness returns in the final third, with spices returning on the retrohale. Some mild char detectable. No other flavor evolution through the rest of the cigar.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy at times but always maintained itself. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

The burn starts out razor sharp with ash holding on in 2 inch plus increments. Some waviness to the burn in the middle third requiring two touch-ups.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The first third started with a nice mixture of wood, bread and cinnamon. Starting in the second third, the profile became less complex and centered around wood and mustiness. Strength was right around medium the whole way and the construction was very good. This is a good offering from the Booth/Caldwell collaboration, but wasn’t something that wowed me. The level of enjoyment here could be found in any number of cigars and probably isn’t something I’d be in a hurry to revisit, but I’d have no problem smoking it again if it was available.

Draw

The draw is in the ideal zone with a slight resistance to each puff.

Overall

The Hit and Run Part Deux (Rip & Dip) Almost Robusto from Room 101 starts out with rich layered complexity. Unfortunately, the flavor declines as the cigar progresses becoming an average experience by the last third. It’s possible the drop off from each third could indicate the cigar needs some rest for the tobaccos to marry, so I look forward to revisiting this review in 2019.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.85

Cost/Point

$1.97

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.07

Cost/Point

$1.63

Scoring System

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