Feature Story: Spotlight on Room 101 Cigars at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show

Matt Booth and Room 101 Cigars were back for their second IPCPR since splitting from Davidoff early in 2017. Unlike last year, this year would feature some of the first Room 101 branded products since the split. And yes, the video games were back at the booth.

For several years, Davidoff had been handling both production and distribution of the Room 101 branded cigars. In January 2017, Booth announced he and Davidoff were ending their relationship and that he was taking some time off from the industry. The break was short-lived as shortly before the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, it was announced that Booth was returning to IPCPR and was working on a couple of combinations with Robert Caldwell known as Hit & Run and The T.

This year, the duo continued to work on their collaboration lines as new installments of Hit & Run and The T would make their debut.

Hit & Run, was the first collaboration done with Robert Caldwell and Matt Booth, will have a sequel. At the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, the duo showcased Hit & Run Part Deux (Rip & Dip). It’s a cigar designed to be a bolder offering than the original Hit & Run.

The cigar features what is described as a Central American Habano wrapper over an undisclosed binder and a mix of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and U.S. fillers. The cigars will be released in four sizes, each presented in ten-count boxes: Short Corona (4 1/2 x 46), Almost Robusto, (4 3/4 x 54), Super Toro (5 x 54), and Almost Churchill (6 1/4 x 48). Production comes from Tabacalera William Ventura in Tamboril in the Dominican Republic.

Last year a collaboration between Booth, Caldwell, and AJ Fernandez was introduced that would eventually be named “The T”. This year a Connecticut Shade offering in the line was introduced called “The T Connecticut”. While the original The T was a Nicaraguan puro, The T Connecticut features Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos. The T Connecticut is available in four sizes: Corona (6 x 44), Short Robusto (4 x 48), Double Robusto (5 1/2 x 54), and Toro (6 x 50). Each size will be presented in 20-count boxes. Both are produced at Fernandez’s Tabacalera Fernandez factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Earlier this year, Booth introduced his first Room 101 branded product since setting out on his own called the Room 101 Farce. The cigar was originally soft-launched in bundles with simple black and white pre-release bands for select retailers. The final packaging was introduced prior to IPCPR, and that packaging was showcased at the 2018 IPCPR.

The blend for the Room 101 Farce features an Ecuadorian wrapper, Indonesian binder, and a combination of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Pennsylvania tobaccos as well as an undisclosed leaf for the filler. Production is being handled at Tabacalera William Ventura. There are four regular production sizes each packaged in 20-count boxes: Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 42), Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 1/4 x 54), and Gordo (6 1/2 x 60). There is also a 4 1/2 x 42 Petit Corona being used for events.

There was a second installment to the Farce line launched at the trade show, the Room 101 Farce Connecticut. The Room 101 Farce Connecticut features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Production also comes out of Tabacalera William Ventura in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. It will be available in four sizes: Short Corona (4 7/8 x 46), Robusto (5 x 50), Churchill (7 x 48), and Super Toro (6 x 56). Each will be presented in 20-count boxes.