Room 101 The Payback Maduro

This was another one that I smoked on a recent work trip. This was the second of the trip and after the fiasco that was the Diesel Unlimited d.5, I needed something that I would enjoy. This trip was harder than most. No wheels and nothing much to do with the Covid-19 pandemic around the DFW area; a good cigar smoke was exactly what the doctor ordered to end my mental funk for this particular day. 

This was the last travel trip for the year, in a year of reduced travel. Typically, I find my self getting on (and off) around 120 to 130 airplanes a year. This year was very different (obviously) but I still managed to accumulate 32,000 miles. 

The Room 101 Payback Maduro can be commonly found and is available in three vitolas: a Robusto, Toro, and Gordo listed from largest to smallest. Each stick cost around $6 to $7 USD per smoke which is pretty reasonable when you think about it. 

The tabacco is sourced from a multitude of places in the world. The Maduro wrapper leaf is grown in Honduras, which is coincidentally where these cigars are assembled. The binder comes from Connecticut and is filled with tabacco from The Dominican, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Honduras

Binder: United States (Connecticut)

Filler: The Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua

Length: 5 1/4"

Ring Gauge: 50

Size: Robusto

The Smoke: This one was enjoyed outside the my Airport Hotel early in the evening. The weather was down right balmy for the Dallas/Fort Worth area in December. Vibes were much better than they were during my last smoke.

I used my trusty punch cutter; its about the only thing I can get through TSA while not being sequestered into an interrogation room. A bic lighter was used to toast and light for similar reasons.

The cold draw of the Room 101 The Payback Maduro was excellent. There was solid notes of cedar and leather while cold. After lighting, the cedar note remained but the more prominent notes were cocoa, pepper, and earth. The smoke began sweet but over time transitioned a more balanced overall flavor profile. The body of the cigar was medium. 

The construction of the cigar was good and it maintained its assembly. The burn rate had no issue remaining mostly straight and it did not require any corrective burns. The draw was very good from beginning to end as well. 

This is a great cigar and an extremely good value for the prices you can grab one of these. I look forward to my next smoke of one. This one restored my faith in a lot of things.

The Score: Pick up a 10 Pack