Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025 | halfwheel

When thinking of a name for a cigar that will become a key part of a company’s portfolio, the term severed head might not be the first one to come to mind. But change it to Namakubi, the Japanese word for it, and we have a different story.

Back in 2011, Room101 released a cigar called Namakubi, which at the time was the company’s third major line, though it was also a limited edition. Its blend used an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, a Honduran binder, and Dominican and Honduran tobacco for the filler, with Davidoff’s Camacho factory in Honduras making the cigars. In 2013, the line would return, this time made in Ecuador and with a new blend.

The next appearance would be in 2021, after Room101’s cigar brand was purchased by Scandinavian Tobacco Group, with the Room101 Namakubi Ranfla. That cigar was a short figurado using an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, an undisclosed binder, and a Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. Additionally, part of the proceeds from that cigar were to be donated to an Alzheimer’s awareness charity.

After being off the market for several years, the Room101 Namakubi returned in 2025, though bearing a band that says 2024.

The Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025 is a 6 1/2 x 50 perfecto, a size the company calls Chingon. The blend features a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Pennsylvania.

“The magic component of the Namakubi blend is that it is aged mathematically and strategically in the tears of our haters – this is the source of the depth of its deliciousness,” said Matt Booth, Room101’s founder, in a press release. “It is the taste of victory in the face of adversity.”

The cigars were made by Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic, and come priced at $24.99 each and $249.90 for a box of 10 cigars. Production numbers were not disclosed.

• Cigar Reviewed: Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera William Ventura
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés Maduro)
• Binder: Ecuador (Sumatra-seed)
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $24.99 (Box of 10, $249.90)
• Release Date: October 2025
• Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

I’ve always liked the perfecto vitola, so the Room101 Namakubi Ltd. 2025 has a certain visual appeal right from the start. The wrappers have some variation in color; when I turn around the second cigar, I can see four distinct shades of color going from darkest toward the foot and lightest near the head. The first and third cigars are firm, the second a bit less so, but still earning the term. All three cigars look good, and I can’t say I notice anything that stands out. The veins are fairly typical in appearance, while the seams are visible and generally quite flat. The aroma from the foot is light, a bit creamy, and with a bit of fruit, with the first cigar giving me a bit of peach. The second is a bit less aromatic, though I get some noticeable wood and black pepper on the finish, which elicits a sneeze. The third cigar is the tightest with its aroma, holding in the aromas but letting some creaminess, earth, and Hershey’s chocolate bar come through. The cold draw on the first cigar is firm and rather different from the aroma, reminding me of a pile of leaves with a bit of light earth mixed in. The second cigar’s air flow is smooth and essentially ideal, while the flavor is creamy without any noticeable accents. The third cigar’s draw is a touch open, offering a very mild chocolate and creaminess combination.

The Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025 starts with some creaminess, a simple, straightforward and welcoming flavor in all three cigars. In the first and second cigars, there’s a tangy, woody flavor emerging, almost like a popsicle stick that had been used to clean out a jar of marinade or dipping sauce. The third cigar is drier than the others, a bit like a bite of dry toast, but also with a bit of orange marmalade sweetness. About 10 minutes into the cigar, the flavor intensifies. Not long after, right around the one-inch mark, the first clump of ash drops and as it does, the flavor gets drier and reminds me of peanut shells. I also get a bit of powdery chalk for a few puffs before it starts to fade into the background. When it does, it feels like the profile recalibrates a touch, bringing black pepper into the mix, backing it with creaminess and some damp wood. Retrohales are brighter, and the pepper really shines here. Flavor dances on both sides of medium, body is medium to medium-plus, while strength is medium-minus. Construction is very good and I have no problems with the cigars other than the occasionally uneven burn line, though it’s never problematic.

While the first third of the Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025 felt like an introduction to its flavors, the second third feels like an exhibition of the flavors when more intricately combined. This results in a flavor experience that is more complex but less defined, though each puff seems to put a different individual component towards the front of the profile. Retrohales are a little less peppery, not giving up the peppery tingle, but diminishing it a bit to the point where it becomes a gentle tickle in my nostrils. At the end of this section, retrohales are thick and full in my nostrils, not overly peppery, but with a nostril-filling sensation. Flavor is medium and somewhat tight with how it hits my taste buds, while the body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus. Construction-wise, I don’t have much to complain about, though while the ash builds up well, it becomes very fragile in the process.

At the start of the final third of the Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025 has some creaminess, while a tangy wood and black pepper finish off the puff. The cigar now has a bit more smokiness than it has had thus far, and while I get some familiar campfire notes, they are mixed in with a dry creaminess and cocoa powder. The final puffs of this section pick up some rougher attributes, not quite harsh, but also not palate-pleasing. The flavor and body finish medium-plus, while the strength is mild. Construction is still great with no notable issues in any of the cigars.

Final Notes

• I’ve yet to see an official explanation as to why the bands say 2024 on them.
• Because of our measuring process, the outer paper bands were removed, so I didn’t get the opportunity to see the full presentation of the cigars.
• The packaging doesn’t factor into our scoring, but I still would have liked to have had the full experience. The blue in the photos looks great.
• Full Experience sounds like it could be the name of a future Room101 release. You’re welcome, Matt.
• None of the three cigars hit me with any nicotine strength.
• The press release for the Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025 listed this as a 5 1/2 x 60; we reached out to the company after acquiring the cigars for this review and noticing the discrepancy. A representative for Room101 confirmed that the press release contained a typo regarding the size.
• Scandinavian Tobacco Group advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.

• The company lists these as a 6 1/2 x 50 perfecto. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review.
• Final smoking time was a pretty consistent two hours and 10 minutes.
• Site sponsor Cigar Hustler carries the Room101 Namakubi Ltd 2025.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G-League’s Valley Suns. I was previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, and Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voiceover artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.