Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary
Sunday, July 18th, 2010I’m sure you’ve seen every blog out there reviewing this cigar, and I am no exception. Patrick Vivalo, executive sales at Rocky Patel, contacted me to review this cigar. Being a Rocky Patel fan, I accepted and before I knew it, two samples were at my door. Along with the samples was a press release flyer and a hand written note from Nish Patel.
The 15th Anniversary is produced out of their new “boutique” factory in Nicaragua, and will be released on July 30th, 2010. Obviously this line is in celebration of Rocky Patel being in the cigar biz for 15 years. And like Jerry said in his review at the Stogie Review… Even if you aren’t a huge Rocky fan, he is very active in the industry and always fighting those who want to hinder our right to sit back and have a cigar. He deserves to be applauded for his efforts. Anyway, enough babble. I paired the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary with water and offer you my thoughts.
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Jalapa
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: Around $9.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The dark oily wrapper had a rugged look to it, and a few small to medium veins. The odor coming off of the wrapper was dark, sweet and woody. The foot also had that same sweet woody smell to it. This box pressed beauty was rock solid and evenly packed with tobacco. Despite that, the draw was good with a slight resistance. The pre-light draw had a dark earthy, woody, sweet taste.
The ash held for an inch and the burn required no corrections.
Flavor:
The first third had a nice smooth peppery spice that had some punch to it. Wispy earthy notes mixed with a dark wood. A rich natural tobacco taste mingled in with the other flavors and it had a nice balance. The smoke feel was crisp and had a lingering finish. As this third came to a close, I started to pick up some sweet notes.
The second third continued the trend to a sweeter flavor profile. Eventually it developed into mocha. That peppery spice stayed pretty constant and kept things lively. The woody flavor took a turn towards cedar. The smoke feel was dry and crisp, and the smoke had a lot of volume. At times mocha was a dominant flavor, and other draws had cedar as the main flavor. Overall everything mixed together for a good balance.
The last third had an increase in body and but didn’t go over the top. The pepper calmed down a bit and had a nice tingle on the lips and tongue. Not a lot changed in terms of flavor profile. It basically kept the same pace as before.
Conclusion:
This was a good full bodied cigar. The flavors were good and everything came together nicely. While not a powerhouse, this wasn’t a beginner smoke. I wasn’t “Wowed” by the experience, but I wasn’t let down either. If I had to complain, it would be about the price. But overall, I would recommend you try the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary. Thanks to Rocky, Nish, and Patrick for letting me get a sneak peek.
