Room101 Namakubi Ecuador

Fresh off the heels of the wildly popular One Shot One Kill, Matt Booth and Room 101 Cigars have released a limited edition cigar called the Namakubi Ecuador, which is a combination of the OSOK and the Namakubi. This fusion features the same maduro corojo wrapper and binder from the OSOK, yet the Honduran and Dominican filler from the Namakubi line. Even the packaging of this offering will remind you of the OSOK, with its tissue paper sleeve and paper covering. I chose the Filero version to review because I believe the Filero was the best size for the OSOK.

After removing the slick packaging, you are presented with a dark (and oily in my case), bulb shaped beauty that features the standard Namakubi band, with an additional “Ecuador” sub-band. The pre-light draw is understandably tight, as is the case with cigars that come in a bulb shape. The initial light of the cigar takes a bit of effort, but once you get past the nipple and the first quarter inch of the bulb, the draw opens up and the cigar begins to perform much better.

The flavors are intense! This cigar is a flavor-bomb for certain. Concentrated notes of black licorice (anice), leather, and spice fill your mouth. This full flavored, full strength cigar will grab your attention and will not release it. I would seriously recommend smoking this cigar at night after a full meal. The cigar performed well after the initial burn and draw issues, yet it was oddly inconsistent at times; alternating between producing a medium amount of smoke, to erupting in a smoke explosion! Some folks might find that inconsistency a flaw, however, I enjoyed the roller-coaster of smoke production. Sometimes in life you just need to enjoy the ride.

If you like black licorice, this cigar is for you, it’s intense anise flavor is unmistakable. In my opinion the OSOK is a better overall smoke, featuring a more balanced flavor profile, but I also enjoyed the Namakubi Ecuador. In a way, the Namakbi Ecuador is like a much more intense version of an OSOK. This cigar comes in at about $8 per stick and it seems to be (in my opinion) a reasonable price for such a unique tasting stick.

Would I smoke this cigar again? To be honest, anise isn’t my favorite flavor in a cigar, therefore I probably wouldn’t find myself buying more of these; however, that doesn’t mean this cigar isn’t for you. If you enjoy deep, intense, black licorice flavors, combined with oily leather, you will absolutely love the Namakubi Ecuador.

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