Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto

Room101 has created more than its share of memorable designs for cigar boxes, from the modified cherry blossom logo that has become a closely-associated logo for the brand, to the character of the Namakubi, to more pop designs like Uncle Lee, and the Big Delicious project done with Smoke Inn in South Florida.

Among the many designs that Room101 has used over the years, I still find myself pausing to admire the one used on the Johnny Tobacconaut lines, a design of an astronaut proudly striding on his way, carrying a shovel and with tobacco leaves sticking out of his backpack.

The original Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut line came out at the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, a Nicaraguan puro made at Davidoff’s Agroindustria LAEPE S.A. factory in Honduras and offered in three perfecto vitolas.

The line then returned in November 2021 as an exclusive release for Luxury Cigar Club and its retail partners. The blend for that release used an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder filler, with three of the original perfecto vitolas released and production handled by Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.

Then, at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, the Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut returned once again, with a blend that uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed, shade-grown wrapper, a Mexican binder and fillers from Nicaragua. The cigar is once again being produced by AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

It is being offered in four new sizes, three of which are parejos and one of which is a figurado:

• Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Gordo (6 x 60) — $10.99 (Box of 20, $219.80)
• Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto (6 x 56) — $15.99 (Box of 20, $319.80)
• Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.99 (Box of 20, $179.80)
• Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Toro (6 x 52) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)

The cigars began shipping to stores in August 2023.

• Cigar Reviewed: Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut-Seed Shade-Grown)
• Binder: Mexico
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 56
• Vitola: Perfecto
• MSRP: $15.99 (Box of 20, $319.80)
• Release Date: August 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Because we weigh and measure each cigar we review, which means everything but the bands come off, I didn’t get to see the cigar in its full dress, which I’m somewhat bummed about. While the secondary band feels like a perfectly fitting belt, the upper band is rather loose, sliding right off the cigar with little but friction for resistance. The wrapper appears to be fairly fragile, as there are some small signs of damage that look like they come more from handling than something like being dropped or packaging that didn’t protect the cigars. There is a network of small veins, while the leaves are all on the dry side with little in the way of oils. Coloring is generally even, though the heads of the cigars are where some variation is noticeable as a byproduct of the way wrapper leaves are cut to create that portion of the cigar. Given the wrapper’s fragility, I’m not inclined to squeeze too hard, but the three cigars are all on the firm side of the density spectrum, though I can’t tell if they are generally hard cigars with some give or fairly firm cigars with a couple of hard spots. With the incredibly small opening at the foot of the cigar, the aroma is pretty much all wrapper, which is sweet and creamy, with a bit of honey graham cracker and buttered popcorn as the next sensations. Air moves surprisingly well on the cold draw as there isn’t much resistance, which quickly makes me wonder if I should be concerned about the draw. The flavors are a bit muted compared to the aroma, led by a smooth, slightly sweet sensation of honey graham crackers, a little bit of caramel corn, and then a lighter flavor of a plain bagel on the finish.

The Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto starts with a hit of black pepper leading dry Frosted Flakes, a creamy latte, and a slightly metallic finish, a profile that feels like it would have at one point been described as a morning cigar that goes good with the newspaper. Retrohales are sharper, with the pepper much more focused, packing a bit less of the metallic edge, and the Frosted Flakes shifted to the finish. My concerns about the draw are dashed fairly quickly, as once lit, the cigar regulates its airflow much better. The cigar puts out a healthy amount of smoke both on puffs, but also keeps a decent amount of it going even when at rest. That allows for the smell of kettle corn to waft into my nose as I jot down some thoughts about the most recent puffs. If there’s one part of the profile that is probably getting overlooked and underappreciated, it’s the creaminess, reminding me of condensed milk or melted vanilla ice cream at certain moments, that blends in with the other flavors so well its contributions might not get the recognition they deserve. The Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto is a solid medium through the first third if I don’t retrohale, medium-plus if I do, while body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is fantastic.

The first third of the Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto is so dialed in and enjoyable that I find myself not paying much attention to when the second half starts. There’s not much of a defined transition in terms of flavor, but I do notice the retrohales adding some smokiness while the pepper gets a touch sharper. Since I don’t take retrohales at the same spot in every cigar, the point in time where I notice the earliest changes in the profile varies, but they all seem to be whenever I take my first retrohale in this section. From there on, the flavor locks on and doesn’t change much, though each retrohale seems to indicate that the pepper is changing and becoming more and more antsy to lead the profile. It doesn’t do that, though I wouldn’t be surprised to find the change laying in wait in the final third, as while the profile on my taste buds is largely the same, the pepper is now finding its way into my nostrils even without retrohales. Flavor is medium but seemingly headed up the scale, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is great on all fronts, as each smooth draw produces a good amount of smoke and nudges the burn line evenly up the body of the cigar.

The start of the final third sees the Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto turn more robust as it picks up some brawny black pepper and a bit of smokiness while shedding whatever sweetness and creaminess it had. Some sporadic notes of cold chicken and turkey slices come out in the aroma at times, but it’s clear the cigar is headed toward the fuller end of the flavor spectrum. While there is a bit more smokiness and a bit of char, none of the three samples overdue it, and one of the three stays impressively balanced, while the other two are only slightly out of balance. A bit of toast comes into the final puffs of the cigar, bringing it to a very pleasant conclusion, though I have to acknowledge that it seems the flavors are a bit less defined than earlier, which reduces the cigar’s vibrance and makes the flavor a bit less memorable than what was offered in the first third. Flavor is medium-plus at its most intense, body is medium, and strength is mild. Construction remains fantastic, there’s a bit less smoke in the final third but the burn line remains even and the draw stays very smooth.

Final Notes

• The ash builds up quite well on this cigar; so much so I had to knock it off on the first cigar so that I could get a good second photograph for this review.
• Charlie Minato reviewed the original Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Ranflactic back in December 2015.
• When he visited the Davidoff of Geneva USA booth at the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, he said that the Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut was “probably my favorite branding I’ve seen at the show, although the high-gloss boxes are a bit challenging to photograph.”

• Here’s what the wrap looks like when fully opened.
• I didn’t get any strength from the Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto, either during the cigar or after I was done with it.
• General Cigar Co. advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was one hour and 40 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Cigars Direct and Famous Smoke Shop carry the Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto.