Best of Both Worlds Room 101 Namakubi Ecuador Chingon Review
The Room 101 One Shot One Kill (OSOK) hit the shelves of Emerson’s Cigars with force. With great flavor, eye grabbing packaging and great sizes, the cigar was gone as quick as it arrived. Ever since the limited edition OSOK disappeared from shelves, customers have been in a desperate search to find a cigar that can match the quality and flavor of the OSOK. Thankfully, that search is over with the release of the Room 101 Namakubi Ecuador. Utilizing the fantastic wrapper and binder of the OSOK and the sweet filler of the original Room 101 Namakubi, the Namakubi Ecuador is a hybrid cigar that packs all of the complexities of the OSOK with the sweet floral notes of the Namakubi. Being a fan of the OSOK, I was ecstatic to see the Namakubi Ecuador arrive. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the Namakubi Ecuador.
The Pre-light: Right way the Namakubi Ecuador is an attention grabbing cigar. In OSOK fashion, the cigar is packaged in a black sleeve with vivid crimson characters. Removing the cigar from the outer sleeve reveals an additional layer of white tissue paper encasing the cigar. Like an eager kid on Christmas, I quickly tear the paper away from the cigar revealing the dark brown Ecuadorian Habano Wrapper. Close inspection of the Namakubi Ecuador Chingon reveals a great diadema shape with impeccable construction. The chocolaty Ecuadorian Habano wrapper has an even shade with zero defects. A decisive cut of the cap and draw test is highlighted by an easy draw with notes of spice, wood, and a slight sweetness.
First Third: Since the Chinigon is a diadema, all I need to use to light the cigar is a single match. As I toast the tapered foot of the cigar, plumes of spicy smoke flail in the air. The initial flavor of the Namakubi Ecuador is riddled with pronounced spice notes that can best be described as earthy with a slight black pepper note. After a few draws, the strong earthy spice is toned down and complimented by the addition of a sweet cocoa note. The retohale is dominated by sweet spice notes with a slight hint of earthy flavors. While the cigar is definitely on the full bodied side, the Namakubi Ecuador develops into a balanced flavorful smoke in the first third. By the end of the first third, the Namakubi Ecuador has revealed strong ash and a flawless burn.
Second Third: Burning past the widest part of the cigar, the second third is signaled with a gradual concentration of the sweet and savory notes found in the first third of the cigar. While earth and pepper notes were the theme of the first third of the cigar, by the beginning of the second third, they have fallen into the background and provided a great subtle depth to the smoking experience. By the end of the second third, the spice notes of the cigar have fallen to a soft level that provides a soft reminder that I am smoking a full bodied cigar.
Last Third: Peeling off the double bands, the final third continues the trends of the second third. The pepper notes have disappeared from the cigar leaving me with a smooth, sweet cigar with earth notes present on the retohale. The experience I had with the Namakubi Ecuador Chingon was fantastic. From its powerful spicy beginnings to the sweet smooth finish, the cigar provided a complex flavorful smoke that fans of the OSOK will enjoy. The Room 101 Namakubi Ecuador is available in three sizes in boxes of 10 at all 5 Emerson’s Cigars Hampton Roads locations as well as emersonscigars.com.
