Room101 cigars are a design-driven brand that former Marine and Los Angeles jewelry designer Matt Booth launched in 2009; Scandinavian Tobacco Group, parent of General Cigar Co., bought it in 2022, and Booth joined STG as creative director. Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic rolls most Farce cigars, Joya de Nicaragua makes Farce Nicaragua, and The Big Payback Maduro has come from General Cigar’s STG Danlí factory in Honduras. Strength runs from mellow to full-bodied. The brand calls Farce Connecticut and Big Payback Connecticut smooth and creamy, Farce Habano medium-bodied, and Farce Maduro and Big Payback Nicaragua full-bodied, with earthy or peppery notes. Milder-cigar smokers can start with Farce Connecticut, or with Johnny Tobacconaut, which the brand calls smooth, creamy and citrusy; for more intensity, try Farce Maduro or Farce Nicaragua. Oxford Cigar Company lists Room101 on its Room 101 Cigars category page when in stock.
Room101 Cigars
Room101 Cigars is a boundary-pushing boutique brand founded in 2009 by Matt Booth, a former U.S. Marine turned Los Angeles-based jewelry designer who launched the Room101 lifestyle brand in 2003 before channeling his creative energy into premium tobacco. Distributed by Davidoff of Geneva from 2009 to 2017, Room101 quickly earned a cult following for blending traditional cigar craft with edgy, avant-garde design inspired by Booth’s Asian influences and L.A. grit. The current portfolio—produced across factories in Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic—includes the Farce and Farce Connecticut (Ecuadorian wrapper, Indonesian binder, multi-national fillers), The Big Payback (large ring gauges in Connecticut, Maduro, Nicaragua, 70s Original and 70s Maduro versions), the limited-edition Namakubi (Samurai-inspired), and Doomsayer, ranging from mellow to full-bodied, with typical notes of cream, spice, earth, pepper and cocoa that reflect Booth’s relentless drive to innovate within the cigar world.
Frequently asked questions about Room 101 Cigars
Who makes Room101 cigars and where are they made?
Room101 cigars were launched in 2009 by Matt Booth, a former Marine and Los Angeles jewelry designer. Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), the parent company of General Cigar Co., bought the cigar brand in June 2022, and Booth joined STG as creative director. Production depends on the line: Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic makes most Farce cigars, Joya de Nicaragua makes Farce Nicaragua, and The Big Payback Maduro was moved to General Cigar's STG Danlí factory in Honduras in 2019.
How strong are Room101 cigars?
It depends on the line, from mellow to full-bodied. Room101 describes Farce Connecticut and Big Payback Connecticut as smooth and creamy, and Johnny Tobacconaut as smooth, creamy and citrusy. It calls Farce Habano and Doomsayer Passive medium-bodied, and describes Farce Maduro and Big Payback Nicaragua as full-bodied. Typical notes across the range include cream, citrus, spice, earth, pepper and cocoa.
Which Room101 cigar should I try first, and how do the lines differ?
If you prefer milder cigars, start with Farce Connecticut, which the brand calls smooth and creamy, or Johnny Tobacconaut, which it describes as smooth, creamy and citrusy. Farce Habano is the medium-bodied middle of the Farce range. For more intensity, Farce Maduro is described as rich and earthy, and Farce Nicaragua as a Nicaraguan puro with a peppery kick. The Big Payback line covers large ring gauges in Connecticut, Maduro, Nicaragua, 70s Original and 70s Maduro versions.
Where can I buy Room101 cigars?
Oxford Cigar Company lists Room 101 Cigars on its category page when in stock: https://oxfordcigarcompany.com/room-101-cigars/. Free US shipping on orders $50+.