ROOM 101 13TH ANNIVERSARY CIGAR REVIEW | My Cigar Pack
Thirteen Years of Noise, Art, and Controlled Chaos
Thirteen years in the cigar world is no small thing.
Brands come and go. Lines disappear. Personalities fade out. But Room 101 has stayed loud, confrontational, artistic, and unapologetically itself since 2009. That alone is worth celebrating.
So when the Room 101 13th Anniversary cigar landed in the Elite pack, it wasn’t just another limited release. It was a marker. A moment. A nod to one of the most audacious creative forces the industry has seen.
Matt Booth said it best himself. This cigar exists to penetrate your mind and mouth, just like Room 101 has been doing for over a decade. Subtlety has never been the goal.
Why This Cigar Belongs in Elite
This cigar was always meant for Elite.
Not because of hype. Not because of scarcity alone. But because it represents something bigger than a blend. It celebrates thirteen years of pushing boundaries, bending expectations, and refusing to sand down rough edges for mass approval.
The original plan was for this cigar to hit earlier in the year. It was announced back in May and slated to ship to retailers in early September. Like many releases lately, delays happened. That’s reality. Transitions, logistics, timing. Nothing unusual in today’s cigar landscape.
When it finally arrived mid-October, the decision was made to move it into the November Elite placement. Not as a consolation, but as a statement.
This cigar didn’t need to be rushed. It needed to be right.
Matt Booth, the Brand, and the Win Everyone Wanted
You can’t talk about this cigar without talking about Matt Booth.
Matt Booth is one of those figures who simply doesn’t blend into the background. Everything he creates carries personality, humor, provocation, and intent. From jewelry to cigars, Room 101 has always felt like an extension of him, not a marketing construct.
Recently, Matt sold Room 101 to a large multinational company. And here’s the part that matters. He didn’t disappear. He didn’t lose his voice. He retained creative control and influence over the brand’s direction.
That’s a win. For him, for the brand, and for consumers who care about authenticity.
You love to see someone get paid and still stay true to what made them matter in the first place.
Built by AJ, Loud by Design
The Room 101 13th Anniversary is made by AJ Fernandez, and that presence is unmistakable.
This is a Nicaraguan puro, through and through. Nicaraguan wrapper, binder, and filler. That foundation brings structure, intensity, and unmistakable character.
From the first light, this cigar doesn’t tiptoe. Bold spice, assertive presence, and that familiar AJ backbone show up immediately. Coffee notes anchor the profile early, giving it weight and depth, while spice drives the experience forward.
As the cigar opens up, subtler elements start to emerge. There are gentle undertones of vanilla woven into the heavier profile, not enough to soften it, but enough to round it out.
This is not a cigar that whispers. It speaks clearly, confidently, and without apology.
First Impressions Versus the Long Haul
Initial impressions leaned heavily into spice and boldness. That was expected.
But as more time is spent with the cigar, nuance becomes clearer. The structure holds. The transitions are controlled. The intensity stays consistent without becoming exhausting.
That’s where the AJ influence really shines. Power without chaos. Strength without sloppiness.
At the time of filming, formal reviews hadn’t yet flooded the market. Many smokers were still waiting for fulfillment. This cigar was just beginning to circulate, which made the Elite placement even more meaningful.
Early access matters when the cigar is this limited and this time-sensitive.
Limited, Finite, and Already Moving Fast
This cigar is limited. Truly limited.
Once it’s gone, it’s gone. No reruns. No second wave. No quiet restock six months later. That urgency is real, not manufactured.
For those not part of Elite, boxes and five-packs are available through Cigar Yard, but availability will not last long. This is one of those releases that disappears before most people realize it was even out.
And that’s exactly how a 13th anniversary cigar should behave.
More Than a Cigar, It’s a Thank You
At its core, this cigar isn’t just about flavor or construction.
It’s a thank you.
A thank you to smokers who’ve supported Room 101 since day one. A thank you to an industry that allowed a weird, loud, creative outsider to thrive. And a thank you from Matt Booth himself, who continues to show that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of identity.
Even the humor, the pink energy, the irreverent language around it all fits perfectly. You couldn’t dress this cigar up any other way without losing the plot entirely.
Closing Thoughts From the Pack
The Room 101 13th Anniversary belongs exactly where it landed.
Elite isn’t about price tags alone. It’s about moments, milestones, and cigars that represent something larger than themselves. This one checks every box.
Bold. Limited. Intentional. Unmistakably Room 101.
If you have one, light it with purpose. If you don’t, keep your eyes open and your local shop close.
And to Matt Booth, wherever the next chapter leads, we’re still here, still smoking, and still backing the chaos.
Enjoy the 13th.