THEMISCHMAN
SGT Hulka
Cigar: Today I am reviewing the Uncle Lee by Room 101 which was released in December of 2014 . This cigar comes in one size, 6.5x30/50/19 (yes, you read that right). It's described as a mesh between a Salomon, a Preferido, and a Belicoso. The cigars come in a box of 10. Each cigar is wrapped in tissue paper and covered by another wrapper that captures Matt's funky artistry. It is Matt Booth's tribute to his Uncle Lee, hence the name. Apparently, Uncle Lee was a hip cat who introduced Matt to some of the finer things in life. I purchased a box of these cigars from @Emerson's Cigars, a big shout out to @Craig Mac for making it happen. Thanks, Brother.
Leaf Stats:
Capa: Ecuadorian Habano
Banda: Nicaraguan Corojo
Tripa: Dominican Piloto Ligero/Honduran Corojo
Smoke time: Right about two hours, I took my time.
Wrapper: The wrapper is very smooth with no visible tooth and a nice oily sheen. A few veins are visible but nothing to fuss about.
Construction: The Uncle Lee is rolled very well. The cap is wonderfully done and the seams are nice and tight.
Equipment: Palio cutter, Xikar Allume single flame torch, shitty folding camp chair, water.
Cold Draw: I picked up a slight sweetness and earthy tobacco.
Band: The band is pretty cool. It has a caricature of both Booth and his Uncle Lee on a black background with metallic silver lettering.
1st Third: Upon lighting I get a slight pepper on the retro that calmed down almost immediately. I am picking up some floral notes that almost resembles tea. There is a bit of cocoa in the background. The finish is long and it is producing a very nice amount of smoke. I had to relight it once but that was my fault for browsing the forums.
2nd Third: The floral notes are still present and the strength is on the high side of medium. I'm really enjoying this cigar. The ash is a grayish white and comes off easily about every inch. The cocoa is moving to the foreground, it's very pleasant. I'm not getting a complex array of flavors but the ones I'm getting are balanced and very nice. It has been pissing down rain most of the afternoon here in central Texas and it was hot and muggy when I started smoking. It has since cooled down and the humidity has waned. It has turned into a wonderful night to enjoy a cigar and I'm glad I chose this one. I'm getting a nice sweetness on the lips from the wrapper. The retro really brings out that floral tea-like flavor. This is a great cigar for those who don't like the peppery sinus burn some cigars have.
Final Third: This cigar is really starting to shine. The sweetness is subtle on the lips and it's beginning to develop a coffee element. The burn has been very well behaved, not quite razor sharp but not getting very wonky either. The floral elements are very prominent and there is a dark fruit component, almost like a plum flavor developing. Cedar and a nice earthiness are now in the mix. The smoke has been creamy with a nice mouthfeel throughout the entire smoke. I would say the halfway mark is where this cigar starts to pick up some complexity. I'm going to sit back and relax and finish enjoying this cigar now.
Final Thoughts: I haven't smoked many cigars by Room 101 but the Uncle Lee surely did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this cigar to anyone who likes a flavorful cigar that is light on pepper. Again, the strength stayed at the high end of medium and became quite complex near the halfway mark. I have had this box for about a month and this is the first one I've smoked. I'm not sure this is a cigar that would benefit from long term aging. Anything over a year might mellow it out too much. I hope you have enjoyed this review and hopefully you will get to experience this fine cigar.
Leaf Stats:
Capa: Ecuadorian Habano
Banda: Nicaraguan Corojo
Tripa: Dominican Piloto Ligero/Honduran Corojo
Smoke time: Right about two hours, I took my time.
Wrapper: The wrapper is very smooth with no visible tooth and a nice oily sheen. A few veins are visible but nothing to fuss about.
Construction: The Uncle Lee is rolled very well. The cap is wonderfully done and the seams are nice and tight.
Equipment: Palio cutter, Xikar Allume single flame torch, shitty folding camp chair, water.
Cold Draw: I picked up a slight sweetness and earthy tobacco.
Band: The band is pretty cool. It has a caricature of both Booth and his Uncle Lee on a black background with metallic silver lettering.
1st Third: Upon lighting I get a slight pepper on the retro that calmed down almost immediately. I am picking up some floral notes that almost resembles tea. There is a bit of cocoa in the background. The finish is long and it is producing a very nice amount of smoke. I had to relight it once but that was my fault for browsing the forums.
2nd Third: The floral notes are still present and the strength is on the high side of medium. I'm really enjoying this cigar. The ash is a grayish white and comes off easily about every inch. The cocoa is moving to the foreground, it's very pleasant. I'm not getting a complex array of flavors but the ones I'm getting are balanced and very nice. It has been pissing down rain most of the afternoon here in central Texas and it was hot and muggy when I started smoking. It has since cooled down and the humidity has waned. It has turned into a wonderful night to enjoy a cigar and I'm glad I chose this one. I'm getting a nice sweetness on the lips from the wrapper. The retro really brings out that floral tea-like flavor. This is a great cigar for those who don't like the peppery sinus burn some cigars have.
Final Third: This cigar is really starting to shine. The sweetness is subtle on the lips and it's beginning to develop a coffee element. The burn has been very well behaved, not quite razor sharp but not getting very wonky either. The floral elements are very prominent and there is a dark fruit component, almost like a plum flavor developing. Cedar and a nice earthiness are now in the mix. The smoke has been creamy with a nice mouthfeel throughout the entire smoke. I would say the halfway mark is where this cigar starts to pick up some complexity. I'm going to sit back and relax and finish enjoying this cigar now.
Final Thoughts: I haven't smoked many cigars by Room 101 but the Uncle Lee surely did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this cigar to anyone who likes a flavorful cigar that is light on pepper. Again, the strength stayed at the high end of medium and became quite complex near the halfway mark. I have had this box for about a month and this is the first one I've smoked. I'm not sure this is a cigar that would benefit from long term aging. Anything over a year might mellow it out too much. I hope you have enjoyed this review and hopefully you will get to experience this fine cigar.
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