PCA 2023: Room101

Cigar Coop has been covering the Trade Show since 2010, and each year we always had a visit with Matt Booth and Room101 Cigars. At this year’s Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Room101 had a station in the Forged Cigar Company booth. While we did get to see the products being showcased by Room101, we could not get time with Matt for our interview because the booth was quite busy. The good news is Matt made himself available after the trade show to talk about his offerings via a zoom video calll. This was the first full Trade Show that Matt and Room101 had with Forged Cigar Company. Room101 would bring back an old brand and introduce brand extensions to two others. It was most exciting to see the brand has kept its identity and roots – and even more importantly, Matt Booth is still Matt Booth.

First up, Room101 has brought back Johnny Tobacconaut. Johnny Tobacconaut was first released in 2015, but when Room101 split from Davidoff, Johnny Tobacconaut was put on hiatus. It reappeared last year as a limited release to Luxury Cigars Club. This time it comes back as a full-time regular production offering.

The blend for Johnny Tobaccanaut has been completely revamped, consisting of an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a Mexican binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigars are available in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50, SRP $8.99/cigar), Toro (6 x 52, SRP $9.99/cigar), Gordo (6 x 60, SRP $10.99/cigar), and Perfecto (6 x 56, SRP $15.99/cigar). Each is presented in 20-count boxes except for the Perfecto, which is presented in ten-count boxes. AJ Fernandez is handling production. Regarding projects, this might be the cigar Matt Booth is most excited about.

Also coming from AJ Fernandez’s factory is the limited edition Room101 14th Anniversary. This is the fifth consecutive year Room101 has done an anniversary cigar. Typically these have been one-and-done productions. The Room101 14th Anniversary is a Nicaraguan puro where all of the tobaccos are sourced from the farms of AJ Fernandez. It comes in one size – a 6 x 52 Toro. The cigars are presented in 20-count boxes. Pricing is set at $13.99 per cigar.

A month earlier, Room101 added a new blend under its Big Payback line, The Big Payback 70s. Big Payback is a brand that originated during the Room101 Davidoff days. After a short hiatus, Booth has brought back the line and has revamped the blends from different factories. During the Davidoff days, there was a 7 x 70 offering in the portfolio, but until last month, there hadn’t been a 7 x 70 offering since the revamp. Now that has changed with The Big Payback 70s. Not only is this a 7 x 70 offering, but it was done in a distinct blend different from the other Big Payback offerings.

A Honduran Olancho San Agustin highlights the blend over a U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a combination of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican fillers. The 7 x 70 offering will be presented in 30-count boxes priced at $8.99 per cigar. Production comes from Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s HATSA factory in Honduras. This cigar started shipping last month.