Archive for the ‘patel’ Category

Rocky Patel HR 500 by Gary Sheffield

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

I can’t recall where I picked up the cigar being reviewed today. I suspect I got it at one of the few less than memorable places. This blend is a collaboration between Rocky Patel and Gary Sheffield. Apparently Gary is a celebrated baseball player, and this cigar pays tribute to him hitting 500 home runs.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Honduras, Nicaraguan

Size: Toro 6.5 x 52

Price: Around $11.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was oily, and had a rugged, porous appearance. The foot had a mild earthy smell. Off of the wrapper, I picked up a mild odor of cedar, earth, and leather. Overall, the cigar was evenly packed, and had a little give when squeezed. The draw was free, and had a fairly strong flavor of earth, leather, and wood.

The burn required a few corrections in the first third, and the ash held for about an inch.

1 Rocky_Patel_HR_500 cigars

Flavor:

The first third started off with an interesting minty, almost floral note. Things developed pretty quickly. Cedar, earth, mild spice, and a slight sweet bitterness overtook the initial flavors. The smoke feel was dry, yet somewhat creamy.

2 Rocky_Patel_HR_500 cigars

The cigar started to come to life in the second third. The dominant flavor was cedar, with coffee and a peppery spice following behind it. Bitter sweet cocoa would come and go, and it mixed nicely with coffee. The aftertaste became rich, and clung to the mouth for quite some time.

3 Rocky_Patel_HR_500 cigars

Bitter sweet cocoa dominated the last third. Behind it was coffee, spice, and wispy notes of cedar. Every now and then, the dominant flavor would switch between coffee and cocoa.

4 Rocky_Patel_HR_500 cigars

Conclusion:

This was a solid, down the middle, medium bodied cigar. The flavors were fairly complex, and sometimes subtle. If you’ve been to this site before, you can guess what my only complaint is. Yep, it’s the price. It’s just a little too high for my liking. Otherwise, I can’t complain.

Cargo by Rocky Patel

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

I picked up the Cargo by Rocky Patel at a shop near my job. I didn’t even know it was a Rocky Patel until later. This cigar features a double binder, which holds long and short fillers from the 15th Anniversary and 1961 Cigars. Long story short, this is a mixed filler cigar. Since I’m not a cigar snob, I don’t turn my nose up when I hear the term “Short filler.” As you know by now, I paired this cigar with water, and here is the review:

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Toro Grande 6 x 58

Price: $4.89

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

The tan wrapper had a toothy look and medium sized veins. The wrapper almost had no odor, only a slight natural tobacco. The foot had a more traditional earthy smell. When squeezing the cigar, I found a few soft spots, but it was nothing of concern. This draw had a little resistance, but was well within my tolerances. The pre-light draw was woody, earthy, and maybe a little fruity.

As you can see in the picture, the wrapper had a split in it and lifted during the first half. I think this was a fluke. The burn required a couple minor corrections, and the ash held for a little over an inch.

1_RP_Cargo

Flavor:

The first third had an easy prominent woody flavor. It was very smooth and easy to pass through the sinus with only a slight spice. There was a tinge of sweetness and something I can only describe as almost fruity.

2_RP_Cargo

The second third kept that dominant woody flavor. The smoke feel became a slightly creamy, and stuck to the lips and tongue for a few seconds after exhaling. The mild spice didn’t go anywhere, but took on a more sweeter note. Earthy flavors started to blend in as this third came to a close.

3_RP_Cargo

The last third crept up in to the upper medium bodied range. Out of nowhere, this thing started billowing out huge clouds of smoke. The spice through the nose had sweetness and woody notes, with a bit of a kick. That mysterious flavor I spoke of earlier (fruity?) was way in the background.

4_RP_Cargo

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. Sure the flavors were simple, and there was really nothing new or amazing here, but…  It may be on par with another favorite value cigar of mine, the Tabacos Baez Serie SF. I know I had some wrapper issues, but that was just with the cigar I did for review. The others I smoked were fine. I also never got bits of short filler on my tongue. I suspect the double binder helped keep everything in check. So put aside your attitudes about a mixed filler cigar, and give this one a try.

Rocky Patel American Market Selection

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

The Rocky Patel American Market Selection is an exclusive blend at the Famous Smoke Shop. The fine people there sent me a few samples to try. This cigar is aimed at those of you who enjoy a milder cigar. I tend to prefer fuller bodied stuff, but I’m always searching for a cheap and good mild cigar for the morning. For the sake of the review, I paired this cigar with water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan & Honduran

Size:  Robusto 5.5 x 50

Price: Around $5.00 if you buy a box

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The light colored wrapper looked nice, with only a few bumps and small veins. The wrapper had a nice mild odor of cedar, while the foot had a natural tobacco smell. The cigar was firmly and evenly packed with tobacco. The pre-light draw was free, and had a mild earthy and woody taste.

The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for about an inch.

1RPAMS

Flavor:

The first third had mild earthy and woody flavors. When I passed smoke through the nose, I didn’t get that common spice or pepper. Instead it was smooth cedar. A bit further in, a mild creamy sweetness wrapped around that cedary, earthy core flavor.

2RPAMS

The second third was very much like the first. It kept that core earthy and woody flavors. The smoke volume was thick and a little creamy. A very very slight spice developed and I noticed it if I passed a lot of smoke through the nose.

3RPAMS

The last third kept pace with the 2nd. Nothing really chanced. It stayed consistent with no bad flavors or harshness.

4RPAMS

Conclusion:

This was a good slow burning mild cigar. I couldn’t imagine smoking these later in the day. But for a morning cigar, these would fit the bill. I will probably try more of these and pair them with coffee. Thanks again to Famous Smoke Shop for letting me try these. If mild cigars are your thing, I’d have to recommend these for sure.

Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

I’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.

2RP15th

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.

1RP15th

 

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.

3RP15th

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.

4RP15th

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.

5RP15th

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.

Rocky Patel – Patel Bros.

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

The Patel Bros. line is a collaboration between Rocky and his brother Nish Patel. A unique feature of this cigar is the wrapper, which was grown in Pennsylvania. I tend to be a Rocky Patel whore at times, so I had to get my hands on this to try. After purchasing, I let them sit in my humidor for at least a couple of months before this review. As always, I paired this smoke with water and offer you my thoughts.

 

Wrapper: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Toro 6.5 x 52

Price: Around $6.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was very nice looking, with no real flaws and a few small to medium veins. The wrapper had a sweet earthy barnyard odor, while the foot was more of a rich soil. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and had a sweet earthiness with slight spice. I found a few hard spots here and there when pinching the entire length of the cigar.

The burn requires a couple major corrections in the first third, but evened out. The ash held for about an inch.

1PatelBros

 

Flavor:

The first third opened up with a simple tobacco taste accompanied by a smooth spicy pepper. It didn’t take long for sweet coffee notes to kick in. It reminded me of coffee with a touch of sugar. After about 1.5 inches in, mocha or cocoa-ish flavors were noticed.

2PatelBros

The second third kept that nice peppery edge. It had a small punch but wasn’t very strong and had no harshness. It was what I like about tobacco from Nicaragua, that “Nic-Zing” if you will. Coffee flavors were up next, with a coco-ish sweetness coming in afterwards. Lastly… There were slight notes of earth or leather.

3PatelBros

The last third had a dominant coffee flavor. The pepper fell back a little and wasn’t quite as strong as before. The sweetness would come and go. The aftertaste was earthy and leathery. All the while, it did keep some of it’s zing when exhaling through the nose.

4PatelBros

Conclusion:

This was a good upper medium to full bodied cigar. I wouldn’t call it a WOW cigar, but it wasn’t bad by any means. If this sounds like it’s up your ally, my pals over at Tex Cigars and Bonita Smoke Shop have em. I’d smoke these again if I run across them again. My final verdict is – Give them a try.

Rocky Patel 1961

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

The Rocky Patel 1961 commemorates the birth year of Rocky. That’s really all I know about this cigar. And personally, I don’t care to have any more details. I tend to focus on the flavor and construction. I found this cigar at a great local shop called The Cigar Loft. Being the Rocky fan that I am, had to pick some up. It just looked good. So without further ado, I offer you my thoughts…

 

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Honduran

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: 5 to $6.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper had a few bumps and small veins, but no construction flaws. The wrapper and foot had an earthy and somewhat spicy aroma. Overall the cigar was consistently packed with tobacco, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw was great, with a sweet earthy natural tobacco taste.

The burn required a couple corrections in the first third, and the ash held for about an inch.

1RP1961

Flavor:

Pepper started off the first third. Woody and sweet notes were up next and for the most part rounded out this thirds flavor profile.

2RP1961

The second third had a couple changes and additions. The spicy pepper became sweet, but kept it’s bite. The spice also took on a mocha flavor. A whole gamut of flavors followed in varying intensities. There was wood, espresso,  and hints of nuts. But overall, sweetness, pepper, and wood were dominant.

3RP1961

The last third really smoothed out and became creamy. The spice and pepper kept it’s zing, but became very mellow at the same time. Wood became the dominant flavor as well. There were hints of coffee in there somewhere.

4RP1961

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied smoke. Despite having a blast of flavors, the subtleties were nice too. This was just a good, well balanced cigar. The only issue I have is… I had a 1961 on new years eve. It was good, but not nearly as good as the one I smoked for this review. It makes me wonder if there are consistency problems from cigar to cigar. Either way, I think it’s worth trying and judging for yourself.

Rocky Patel Cameroon Especial

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

I was introduced to this cigar by Mike from The Stogie Review. His review didn’t go so well, but he basically had a bum stick in the construction department. What intrigued me about this cigar was the price and what sounded like decent flavor. I am always looking for something to have in the morning with coffee, and this sounded promising. Supporter of the site, Bonita Smoke Shop, has these at a good price. If this sounds like it is for you, it may be worth checking out. As always, I paired today’s review with water. See what I thought below…

 

Wrapper: Cameroon

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Dominican

Size: Toro 6 x 52

Price: Around $48.00 for bundle of 20

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

A quick glance at the wrapper shows a few blemishes, some medium sized veins, and an overall rugged appearance. The foot and wrapper both had a slight earthy, barnyard odor. There were a few hard and soft spots in the cigar, but overall it seemed to have decent construction. The pre-light draw was good with slight resistance, and had sweet earthy notes.

I did no burn corrections, and the ash held for just under an inch before falling off in my lap or ashtray.

1RPCameroonEspecial

Flavor:

The first third began with mild mellow notes that were typical to Cameroon wrapped cigars. By that I mean a smooth, somewhat earthy and nutty flavor. A tinge of sweetness sort of wrapped around the core flavors.

2RPCameroonEspecial

The second third kept the same flavors, but overall things became sweeter. I picked up a very slight spice when passing the smoke through the nose. The smoke feel became a little smoother with a slight creaminess.

3RPCameroonEspecial

And on to the last third. The creamy smoke feel went away but was very smooth. There was an addition of a mild sweet spice on the lips and through the sinus. The body increased a little higher into the upper mild or lower medium range. That same nutty flavors with whisps of earthy notes were there like before.

4RPCameroonEspecial

Conclusion:

This was a pretty good mild to medium bodied cigar. For a bundle cigar, I can’t complain. There were no harsh sensations or bad flavors. My only complaint is that you may get a stick or two in a bundle that have a tight draw. But for a bundle cigar, this lives up to the price range.

Rocky Patel Nicarao

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

The only reason I knew this was a Rocky Patel was because of a label in the shop humidor. From what I could gather, the Nicarao brand was bought out by Rocky Patel. At one time these cigars were made in Nicaragua, but are now rolled in Honduras. Enough meaningless babble that no one cares about… I paired with water and bring to you my thoughts of the Rocky Patel Nicarao.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: 4 – $5.00

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

This cigar had a nice looking wrapper with no visible flaws and minimal veins. The smell of the wrapper reminded me of a barn and the poo smell that comes with it. The foot had a more mild earthy and peppery smell. The pre-light draw was perfect, and had a simple earthy/tobacco taste.

The burn required no corrections, and any waviness straightened itself out quickly. The ash was firm, holding on for over an inch.

1Nicarao 

Flavor:

The first third began with a peppery and earthy punch. The volume of smoke was plentiful and enjoyable. The punch of pepper started to calm down as time passed. The core taste was a smooth earthiness. Behind that was an unidentified sweet flavor.

2Nicarao 

The second third opened up a little, and the body crept further up into the medium range. The earthy flavors switched places with the sweet flavors. The peppery zing persisted when passing the smoke through the sinus. I started to detect a grassy flavor that was so faint that I really had to pay attention or I’d miss it.

3Nicarao 

The last third crept into the full bodied range. This was was the most enjoyable part of the cigar for me. The sweet flavors would become mocha-ish, and revert to something I couldn’t identify. Again, the earthy flavor was there, but it remained in the background. That strange but good grassy flavor continued to make an appearance every now and then. To wrap things up, that common Nicaraguan pepper took on a small kick. I like…

4Nicarao 

Conclusion:

I wasn’t wowed by this cigar, but I did enjoy it. It had no bad qualities, and it helped me really unwind after a long day of work. The simple flavor profile was good and did challenge me from time to time. Any Rocky Patel fan should give it a try.

Rocky Patel Renaissance

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Up for review today is the Rocky Patel Renaissance. Is it a rebranded RP Edge Sumatra? I don’t know… As many of you know I’m a little Rocky fan boy. Whenever he puts out a new blend, I try to find it. A majority of the time I enjoy his products. I was turned on to this cigar by a couple cigar reviewers, Jerry and Barry. Make sure you see what they have to say about it. In the mean time, here are my thoughts. As always, I paired up with fine Florida tap water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Jalapa Valley Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 5 x 50

Price: $7.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

Giving the cigar my usual pre-smoke inspection, I found that overall it looked nice. The wrapper was smooth, a little shiny, and had small to medium veins. The cigar was consistently packed and felt a little stiff when pinching. The odor of soil and a touch of poo were noticed when sniffing the wrapper. Sniffing the foot revealed a simple earthy sweet odor. The pre-light draw had a slight resistance, and had a sweet earthy tobacco taste.

The burn required a few touch up’s, and the ash held for well over an inch.

1RP_Renaissance

Flavor:

The first third started out easy and smooth with earthy notes. A dry woody flavor was up next, along with a sweet and mild peppery spice. As the first third came to a close, the sweetness increased in strength.

2RP_Renaissance

As I dug into the second third, the earthiness decreased a little in strength. The woody, peppery, and sweet spicy flavors were pretty much equal and mixed together well. The overall flavor profile came together in this third and I found it to be enjoyable.

3RP_Renaissance

The last third went well and increased in strength a bit. The woody notes seemed to dominate. The sweet pepper remained and lingered after retro-haling. The sweetness evolved into a dry mocha-ish flavor, while the finish was dry and somewhat toasty. The smoke had a thick feel. Overall this third was very satisfying.

4RP_Renaissance

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to upper medium bodied cigar. I seem to recall liking the Edge Sumatra a bit more though. All in all, I think the Renaissance is definitely worth trying. Get a few and see what you think.

Rocky Patel Autumn Collection 2009

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

The latest addition to Rocky’s seasonal blends is the Autumn Collection. So far I’ve enjoyed them all, except for the Summer Collection from 2008. I think overall, the seasonal blends are a success. Considering I’m such a Rocky Patel fanboi, I had to pick up a few of these to review. You know my routine by now… Glass of water and a cigar. On to the review!

 

Wrapper: Colorado Maduro

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 6 x 52

Price: Around $7.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

Construction on this cigar looked great. There were only a few smaller veins and one larger size. The tobacco was firmly packed, giving the cigar a hard feel. The wrapper and foot had a sweet, earthy, spicy smell. The pre-light draw was a little stiff, and had sweet tastes of earth and wood.

1RPAutumn09

Flavor:

The first third – I was greeted with an earthy, rich soil type of flavor. There was a slight peppery spice when exhaling through the nose. It had a heating effect in the nose, if that makes sense. I started to detect a slight woodiness as the first third came to a close.

2RPAutumn09

The second third saw a reduction in the earthy flavors, and that seemed to allowed woody flavors to become more noticeable. The pepper went down a notch as well, and became more of a sweet spice. The heating effect in the sinus remained. Hints of mocha would come and go, and made things a bit more enjoyable.

3RPAutumn09

The last third continued with the sweet spice, and it left a tingle on the lips. It was similar to cinnamon on the aftertaste. The earthy notes would come and the woody flavors varied in strength. Subtle mocha flavors came and went as well. With about an inch to go, I had to put this cigar down. It wasn’t due to it being bad, I was just pressed for time. I can assure you this cigar is worth nubbing.

4RPAutumn09

Conclusion:

This was a very nice medium to full bodied cigar. The change in flavors kept my attention to this slow burner. It was enough to distract me from the draw, which was a tad too tight. I have to give the Autumn Collection 2009 a thumbs up. Try them while you can.

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