"Very spicy cigar from beginning to end. The only exception was on the cold draw, which has sweet tea notes. The spicy notes include notes of cinnamon, jalapeno, and black pepper, and licorice. Veiny construction and hard spots that don't hinder the pleasure. Good draw and burn. Very strong grey-white ash that hangs on for half of the cigar. I'd smoke this stick again and include in my humidor." -Sean F. (fullermaine)
Room101 came out with the original Daruma in 2012 as a sequel of sorts to Namakubi. The cigar disappeared from the market a handful of years later, but now in 2023, the line is making a comeback.
"This cigar, although milder than I'm used to, was a very impressive performer with the construction and the flavors presented that worked so well. I'd try this again as a morning cigar or one I'd try with a fresh palate to really discern the flavors and aromas. I'd recommend this to new and seasoned smokers alike." -Kevin J. (maninblack77)
"This was a very good cigar. It stayed in my wheelhouse in the mild to medium strength. This cigar gave me some interesting flavor notes that I appreciated with a mixture of nuts, cedar and other wood notes, root beer (?), salt, and even a salsa note at one point as well as some popcorn aromas on the aromatics. Very enjoyable cigar for the 2 plus hours that I smoked this. I highly recommend picking up a fiver at least. I know I will be picking up more once I know what this is. " -Mickey T. (irratebass)
"Pretty much any amount of inattention would result in a relight or touch up. Half of the cigar would burn and it would take some time for the other half to catch up. There were no visually identifiable flaws, but I am sure there had to be something off kilter about the construction to have such a tight draw and tough burn. I would not be eager to smoke it again, but it was not unsmokable." -Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
"It's a shame the construction really took away from what could have been a quality session. The flavor profile was never really a problem, as this was a pleasant smoke flavor-wise. Being on the lighter side, this would work well for an early morning cigar. Unfortunately, when you have to focus on the construction issues as much as I did, it ruins any chance of enjoyment. Could be that it's a one-off and I just got lucky. " -Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
"From start to finish this cigar billows out a ton of smoke. Great complex dark flavors. Starts strong smokey molasses and hickory. Then middle and end notes of coffee and cocoa come in to develop some complex darker flavors. Retrohale started light black pepper and musty flavor with it converting to the end more intense black pepper and no musty flavor. " -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
"As I sit and ponder the cigar I just finished I am reminded why I smoke cigars. It is for experiences like this…wonderful flavors, excellent performance, and a perfectly relaxing 90 minutes where the troubles of the day disappear and I feel like the richest man in the world. Cigars like this remind me of how this is a luxury for everyone and I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who has a liking for full flavor and just enough power to keep them humble. I could smoke this daily, and would be proud to have boxes of this on the top shelf of my display humidor. I can say with a certainty I will be buying a box after this is revealed." -Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
"This is one of those cigars that might create problems with some smokers. The flowery ash and uneven burn might cause some to relight it too many times. This would change the flavor profile for most. If they can get past all of this they might enjoy the smoking experience. All that being said, this cigar is a “Don’t judge a book by its cover” kind of cigar. You should try it out and see what you think." -Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Cigar Info Foundation Cigars debuted a new core line of cigars, Olmec, at the 2022 PCA trade show. Foundation Olmec...