Sitting here in the Gar-cave watching my NE Patriots play the Chiefs. I reached into the humidor and pulled out a Room 101 Big Payback 6×60 Hueso. In case you did not know, the word Hueso translates in Spanish to “bone”, but more important to this article, it translates to Cocksucker in the urban dictionary. You may ask why do I bring this up; because there is an interesting back story to the Room 101 Big Payback. There are three vitolas to the Big Payback line of cigars. Each one has been given a special name:
- 5×50 Robusto is named Chavala which translates to “Pussy“
- 6×60 Gordo is named Hueso which translates to “Cocksucker“
- 7×70 Gordo is named Culero which translates to “Asshole“
At first I found it strange that Room 101 would name their Big Payback line with such vulgar names and I was thinking about who this payback is really aimed at. Certainly not us the loyal consumer. So I did some research and noted another interesting fact about The Big Payback – how they are packaged.
- The Chavala comes 50 to a box
- The Hueso comes 50 to a box
- The Culero comes 30 to box.
Again you may ask why I bring this fact up. Well if you would look at the Asylum 13 line, which came out 2 years before the Big Payback you will notice a very interesting correlation. The Asylum 13 comes in the same sizes and are packaged in the same box quantity. Both lines are Nicaraguan Puros and they sell for about the same price. So is it possible Room 101 is making a statement to Tom Lazuka of Asylum Cigars and also Christian Eiroa from CLE Cigars, who collaborated with Tom and distributes the Asylum Line?
It is public knowledge that Tom Lazuka was an area sales manager for Davidoff International before leaving to create Asylum. Christian Eiroa was the President of Camacho Cigars before selling the line to Davidoff International in 2008 and branched out to create his company CLE Cigars which now distributes CLE, Asylum, Edgar Hoill . It seems to me that there is a little more than friendly competition happening here. But that is just my view.
Well the Patriots got creamed as I was working through this review, smoking the Hueso, I guess Kansas City got some payback also.
Now lets talk about the cigar itself.
The Room 101 Big Payback Hueso is a beast of a robusto, not as big as the Culero but a big enough size just the same. It has a chocolate brown wrapper and is packed tight. There is a large vein running down the barrel from the band to the foot. (I just can’t get the images of the names of these sticks out of my mind as I pen this review).
I clipped the head with my twin blade just enough to open it up to draw on it. The pre-light draw hit me with pepper it actually made me cough a bit as I was not quite ready that much front pepper. I also noticed it was rather heavy in weight which should deliver some long staying power.
Firing it up, there was an immediate chocolate and raisin flavor, like a handful of Raisinettes. The draw was not loose and required a little puffing on it to start it up. The scent is just wafting chocolate and the dry draw pepper flavor receded into the background. The burn is perfect and for large ring gauge stick, it is burning extremely well. Other than the two noticeable thick veins, the wrapper is silky smooth and those veins don’t seem to be interfering with the pleasure at all.
As it gets past the one inch mark the draw opened up a bit and the Hueso is starting to deliver some mouthfuls of smoke. There is a delectable sweetness finding it’s way deep into the 1st third. It is almost like a drip here or there of sweetness, teasing my palate for whats to come. Ending the 1st third, the foot is letting off a scent of spicy nuts. I do like to sniff the burn on the foot as I enjoy a stogie as it adds to the overall experience. The light grey ash is holding tight.
The early sweet tease is coming more to the front of the flavor profile and the nut scent gives way to more of a floral smell. There is a developing whip cream flavor starting with some fruit undertone and it is very clean on the palate. The burn did require a touch up around half way. The sweetness is now lip smacking and the flavor dances back to nuts. Other than the one touch up the burn is impeccable. The ash held tight and fell just before the band line. The flavor continued through the final third building up to a crescendo of sweetness and a gentle burst of pepper now and then.
This is a great full flavor smoke and a solid medium body cigar. I have to get myself an Asylum 13 and see who is getting the payback.