In 2022, General Cigar purchased the Room101 brand, and brought on Matt Booth to be their creative director. One of Booth's first projects with the company was the revitalization of the Sancho Panza brand. We rated all three of those new blends Original, Double Maduro, and Extra Fuerte. Now, the brand is getting a limited edition line extension. Something that sets this limited edition apart from the regular production version is the fact that they are rolled at the Oliva Cigar Factory, as opposed to HATSA.
"Overall, this was a very good cigar. Starting off medium and remained at a medium in strength and body throughout. The cedar and nutty flavors followed all the way through, along with the background of citrus. There were no major flavor transitions, and it stayed pretty steady throughout the full experience. Making for an enjoyable cigar. I would definitely recommend this cigar to others, and I am interested to see what it turns out to be. " -Angel M. (Angel)
"Overall, this wasn’t a bad cigar. I don’t generally waste my time with a cigar that won’t stay lit, but this tasted too good. The first thing I noticed was the flavor of black tea. As I continued to smoke there were earthy tones that compliment the tea flavor quite well. About halfway through, a hint of spice was introduced to the palate, adding a layer of complexity. As the cigar rounded out, there was a nice balance of black tea, spice, and some mildly sweet earth notes. " -Jai P. (Jai)
"From the time I took it out of the bag and held it to my nose to the time I put it to rest in my ashtray, this cigar made a lasting impression on me. All around this was an effortless and undeniably pleasant smoke. With a near-perfect burn and draw, I didn't have to work to smoke this cigar which always heightens the experience for me. Although lighter with regards to body and complexity, the flavor was certainly not lacking and the transitions were smooth and made sense. I typically reach into my humidor for a stronger cigar but would not hesitate to start my day with this cigar accompanied by a solid cup of coffee. I would also recommend this stick to any beginner with a developing palate who is looking to broaden their horizons and start venturing into slightly more complex and flavorful smokes. I can't wait for the reveal as I would love to explore this cigar again!" -Noah S. (Noah)
The recently appointed Forged Cigars Creative director Matt Booth has teamed up with STG's Justin Andrews to refresh the Los Statos Deluxe brand. The new blend is being rolled at STG’s HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras, and was shown off in the Room101 booth at PCA last week.
"A solid cigar, that offered some classic notes in coffee and chocolate. Combine that with the punch of habanero, it really was a good example of a traditional cigar for someone looking for a medium-ranged smoking experience. Not full-bodied but also not a breakfast cigar for sure. This would be something I could see grabbing from a B&M while on vacation or away from home and looking for that simple comfort of a cigar and tasty beverage." -Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
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.
"The creamy sweet milk chocolate notes that slowly evolved into a more bitter dark chocolate by the end along with the classic leather and earth background notes made a very old-school quality Maduro. There was some great complexity and interest with the nuttiness, molasses, baking spices, and hint of cinnamon that upped this blend to another level. I'd be interested to try this in a larger size to see if more time allowed for even more transitions." -Lauren S.
Matt Booth and General Cigar have brought new life to the Sancho Panza brand by way of a complete rebrand and reblend. All three blends in the line get the same treatment and will ship this week. They were also shown off in the Room101 booth at the PCA trade show last week.
Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), the parents company behind General Cigar, The Forged Cigar Company, and Cigars International, has announced today that they have acquired the Room101 cigar brand from Matt Booth and has will be bringing him on as creative director. The acquisition only includes Room101 cigars and accessories not any of Matt Booth’s other Room101 entities such as the jewelry business.