We here at the TNCC have always enjoyed the Namakubi line from Room 101 (yes, I’m aware that it’s technically Room101 but for search engine purposes I’m typing it how I want to). Our first taste of the blend was way back in 2016 when we featured the Namakubi Ranfla on the podcast. Then in 2022, I reviewed a new variation of the Ranfla that scored a 92 rating and it made our “Top Ten” list later that year. Namakubi translates to “severed head” and Room 101’s Matt Booth kept that hardcore vibe going in a recent press release for tonight’s cigar:
“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. It is the taste of victory in the face of adversity.”
I know what you’re thinking – how, exactly, did they acquire the tears of their haters? Did the haters willingly submit Tupperware® containers full of their tears? Did Matt Booth poke fun of the haters publicly and humiliate them to the point where they began sobbing and he then pulled out some type of black titanium or sterling silver receptacle to capture the salty discharge as it streamed from their eyeholes? Are there really enough glum Room 101 haters out there to possibly fill the multiple barrels necessary to age all of this tobacco properly with their tears? I realize that we will most likely never learn the answers to any of these questions. But I’ve been in the cigar media game long enough to smell the stench of marketing bullshit a mile away and I’m going to go on record as stating that 2025’s Namakubi was, in actuality, NOT aged in the tears of their haters. And I’m personally happy about that because smoking a cigar aged in human bodily fluids sounds gross.
THE CIGAR – NAMAKUBI CHINGON 2025 by ROOM 101
Size: 5.5 x 60 (perfecto)
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Pennsylvania, Nicaragua, & Dominican Republic
Price: $24.99
The 2025 Namakubi (curiously, the secondary band reads “LTD 2024”) is presented with a deep blue paper wrapper this time around and the cigar is encased in white tissue paper within. The dark, semi-oily wrapper leaf features a very slight leathery aroma and there are no soft spots detected.
After experiencing a cold draw that brings in equal shares of light cedar and toffee nut, it’s time to light this motherscratcher on fire. A warm, nonaggressive pepper arises through the nose first and foremost. After a few more puffs, a heavy blanket of earthiness joins that pepper. The draw’s primary profile early on is straight-up coffee beans with muted oak on the backend.
The Namakubi’s burn line has been wavy from the start and it’s not correcting itself so I put flame to leaves once again. While the combination of earth and dwindling pepper upstairs is pleasant enough, I’m having a difficult time discerning flavors downstairs. The coffee beans are clear and steadfast but the oak note is both murky and fleeting at times. The amount of smoke pulling in with each draw seems to improve as the cigar approaches the middle portion.
A noticeable dose of mineral has now joined the retro adding another layer to its complexity. The same cannot be said about the Namakubi’s draw as it continues to play the same two-note song. Right around the fifty yard line, a creaminess begins to develop through the nose and that addition immediately improves the enjoyability of the draw’s distinct coffee note. The burn line has also straightened out at this point, so everything is performing better here in the middle third.
Remember when I said the pepper’s strength was “dwindling”? Well now it’s “ascending”. It’s a full-blown battle between pepper and cream and there’s no clear dominating force. While those flavors duke it out above, the draw’s oak note has now begun to push back against the coffee beans. And the Namakubi pushes its way up into full body, med/full strength territory at this point.
The cigar’s final third is where everything starts to work cohesively as a whole. The retrohale settles down, delivering a smooth pepper/cream combo that both works on its own and is also complimentary to the draw’s consistent coffee/oak profile. The mineral sensation still comes and goes occasionally which keeps things interesting. As the burn line approaches the primary blue band, I think that I’ve detected a touch of saltiness through the nose and I can only conclude that it’s a direct result of the Hater’s Tears Aging Process®. So, humbly, I stand corrected and I will burn my officially-licensed Cigar Media ballcap post haste…
THE NUB
TNCC Final Score = 90
The Namakubi Chingon 2025 is a strong yet smooth cigar that really comes alive in the final act. Well-defined heavy cream, coffee beans, strong pepper, and oak… these are all good things; however, it takes a while for the blend to find its groove. But when it all eventually comes together, the end result makes for a nice addition to the Namakubi lineage.
I’m going to need more than “nice” to fork over $25 to smoke this cigar again. Unlike many recent historic price increases, 2022’s Namakubi was also priced at $25 but that variation of the brand delivered a homerun of similar flavors from start to finish. At this price point, I don’t expect my patience to be tested quite this much. So if you’re in the Room 101 mood, or in the Room101 mood for the purists out there, I suggest saving $10 and smoking the company’s recent 15th Anniversary offering. It’s a winner from soup to nuts.
* Total Smoking Duration: 66 minutes
