Room 101 Serie SA Papi Chulo review

[c.ortiz108]

Eh.

Country: Honduras
Size: Papi Chulo (a petit corona, 4x42)
Wrapper: San Andres (Mexico)
Made by Camacho
Price: $5
Resting 6 months with 65% Boveda

Pre-light and cold draw were lighter than expected - just mild tobacco flavor and some cocoa. Very easy, loose draw, which I wasn't crazy about. The wrapper's kind of funky looking. Rustic, as they say, with some little cracks.



1st 3rd:
Cocoa is up front, with some pepper. There's initial bitterness but it smooths out.
Bread. I never got that when people say their cigars taste like bread, but I tasted it here.
Lots of smoke for such a little guy, medium strength
Very woody - not cedar, but oak maybe. Or baobob or monkey puzzle tree or Syrian spruce.
The damn thing went out.

2nd 3rd:
Very woody, like burning logs, and strangely enough, tobacco flavor.
Wavy burn. Answered the door for a UPS package and in just that short time it went out again.
Chocolate, more pepper, a nice richness, raisins.
There's some throat-constricting peppery bitterness for a while, then it smooths out again.
Then it goes kind of weird: petroleum, charred hogs knuckles.
Then it's okay again: wood, chocolate. Chocolate burning on a log.
Random floral, perfume flavor for a minute, which disappears like a ghostly wisp of fog.

3rd 3rd:
Went out again!
Wood. Leather. maybe that leather has been there all along, come to think of it.
Burning leather. Strength closer to full. Bitter again.... went out again....
So fairly consistent throughout.....

This was my first Room 101, and first San Andreas wrapper, and though I enjoyed it part of the time I found it kind of disappointing - especially the burn issues. Not sure I'd be eager to try this one again - there are too many cigars I enjoy a lot more, and life's too short. Maybe the larger vitolas are better, but for a small smoke I'd take a Short Story over this any day. I have an HN serie in the humi, and hopefully I'll like that one better.

 

[Cardinal]

First time I've read about charred hog knuckles or baobob in a cigar review, haha. Nice write-up, and your summary is about how I felt after I smoked one of these.

 

[PSD4]

Thanks for the write up. Well done

 

[WNYTONY]

Nice job Chico - have a few of these from the other lines resting and now strangely I'm looking forward to finding out what charred hog knuckles taste like

 

[Sirspanksalot]

This was also my first room 101, and was disappointed. Get yourself the Ecuadorian, an osok, a daruma lance. I've still been trying to find a mc1, and an mc2 which I heat are good too

 

[Master Shake]

Nice write up. While Ive never had the Papi Chulo size in the San Andres blend, I have tried the size in both the Daruma and MC 1 blends and ran into many of the same construction and burn issues as you did. Oddly enough, I love the SA in the 213 size (corona). I say oddly enough as its not like its that much of a larger cigar from a ring gauge standpoint but I've had almost no construction issues and I'm halfway through a box.

 

[Master Shake]

This was also my first room 101, and was disappointed. Get yourself the Ecuadorian, an osok, a daruma lance. I've still been trying to find a mc1, and an mc2 which I heat are good too

Got this.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

Got this.

Go to make a wish and get shit

 

[Mikenice81]

I am surprised by the difference between the Papi Chulo and 305 experience. Mine was coco, red pepper, sweetness, earth, wood, a touch of leather, and for a split second a grassy Virginia tobacco flavor. I also had zero construction issues.

Mine were all fresh out of the cigar room at a JR Super Store though.

 

[c.ortiz108]

Thanks, guys. I'm just discovering the joys of reviewing and find it really makes me pay more attention to what I'm smoking. Good to know it wasn't just me being unimpressed with this stick.

Interesting to hear that the larger vitolas work better, though for me the flavors weren't really appealing or special enough for me to seek them out.

 

[skyfoxsxer]

I've been hitting the Churchill size of this blend pretty hard and they taste awesome. You should try a different size before you write them off.