Remember back in 2017, Matt Booth decided to retire from the cigar industry after his service to Davidoff was completed. Yea… That did not last long! Matt loves this business too much. In fact, he loves it so much he partnered with Robert Caldwell to produce what would be known as the Hit & Run. Well, that blend was just that – a Hit and Run. Or was it? Oh Snap, they did again in 2018 with the Booth and Caldwell Hit & Run Part Duex.
Now that Matt is joined up with Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) as the Creative Director for the Forged Cigar Company, he has been doing some fun things with blends. Most recently this year, he has once again rebirthed the Hit and Run with the aptly named Room 101 Hit & Run Redux.
In the press release for this, Matt states:
“I’m thrilled to bring another Room101 sub-brand back to life with this expression of Hit & Run. The brand was born of a collaborative seed between myself and Robert Caldwell. It’s about our creative process as much as it is about two-like minded psychopaths who’ve stuck together over the years. This cigar is the physical and combustible manifestation of an intergalactic connection which proves that an authentic friend and a good cigar can help more than you may imagine.”
The blend is described as
- Wrapper – Mexican San Andrés
- Binder – Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Filler – Undisclosed Nicaraguan varietal plus tobacco from Pennsylvania
Matt describes the blend in his unique way as:
“Sophisticated with depth and transition that blends power with balance and pairs well with your favorite memory of the DMV.“
The Room101 Hit & Run Redux is expressed in 4 vitolas, each packaged in 20-count boxes exceot for the Perfecto which is packaged in a 10-count box.
- Robusto (5 x 50) – MSRP $12.99
- Toro (6 x 50) – MSRP $13.29
- Gordo (6 x 60) – MSRP $14.39
- Perfecto (5 1/8 x 60) – MSRP $16.99
The Room101 Hit & Run Redux is hand crafted by the Ventura family in the Dominican Republic.
For this review, I sampled 3 of the robustos, which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Room101 Hit & Run Redux is draped with a dark brown and mildly toothy wrapper that exhibits a few veins. The cigar has solid packing from head to foot. No discernable soft spots were detected. A simple cap finishes the construction.
Two bands adorn the cigar. The primary band displays the colorful Room 101 logo and the Mat Booth (MB) initials. A secondary band declares this as the Hit-Run in white on a black background with Robert Caldwell’s signature.
Running the barrel along the nose, I detected an earthy and fresh floral set of notes while the foot offered nuances of baking spice and a sprinkle of pepper.
Using my double blade cutter, I sliced the cap straight above the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that offered a pleasant natural sweetness with a touch of fruit and growing pepper.
I warmed the foot with my double flame torch, bringing it to an even orange glow as I drew in the first notes of natural sweetness and pepper to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this Hit and Run to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Initial sweetness and pepper notes
- A nice light grey ash forms on top of a mildly jagged char line
- Hint of fruit
- Savory notes deep in the first third
- Enticing sweet aromas waft off the foot
- Ash fell in a decent chunk, revealing a nice, centered and well-formed burn cone
- Caramel notes add to the pleasure
- Dark chocolate develops midway through the burn
- Hint of cedar in the final
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 25 Minutes
Final Analysis
The Room 101 Hit & Run Redux begins with a delightful interplay of initial sweetness followed by subtle pepper notes that easily awaken the senses. A delicate hint of fruit emerges, adding a nuanced layer to the experience. As the smoking progresses, savory flavors enrich the first third, complemented by enticing sweet aromas that delicately waft from the foot. Pleasure deepens with the introduction of caramel notes, which mingle with the evolving profile. Midway through, the taste journey takes a delightful turn as dark chocolate emerges, captivating the senses. Towards the end, a subtle hint of cedar gently lingers bringing this medium strength and nuanced journey to a conclusion. This is worth grabbing a fiver of. I rate this a 94.
Point Deductions: (-1) Mild Jag in Burn
Bonus Points: (+1) Balanced and Consistent across Multiple Samples
