Rocky Patel Cuban Blend (natural)
I dug deep in the humidor for tonight’s review. I found this cigar on the bottom shelf. It turns out, I purchased a 5 pack from Famous Smoke Shop awhile ago and pretty much forgot about it. This particular cigar has been aging since August 8th, 2007. Thanks to this oversight, I bring to you my review of the Rocky Patel Cuban Blend, a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive.
Wrapper: Honduran Maduro
Binder/Filler: Honduras
Size: 6 x 52
Price: $16.80 for a five pack
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
Looking at the cigar was visually appealing. The dark wrapper had medium sized veins running throughout and smelled of cedar. Sniffing the foot had the same result. The pre-light draw was free, and tasted like sweet tobacco and cedar. I found no soft spots, and everything looked great for the pre-light inspection. I did no burn corrections, and the ash held strong for a little over an inch.
The first third began with a predominant woody flavor. A sweet spice developed into a flavor similar to caramel. All the while, I noticed coffee notes that complimented everything nicely.
The second third continued with that woody flavor. The smoke developed into a creamy texture, and the sweet spice began to fill out, or increase in strength. Once again my palate is lacking, and I can only compare the sweetness to caramel mixed with coffee.
For the last third, a few changes took place. The flavors sort of equaled out with each other. In other words… The sweet notes matched the intensity of the woody flavors. Throw in the coffee and there you have it – A sweet caramel type of flavor, combined with wood and coffee. Not bad at all.
Conclusion:
Buy a five pack, and you are paying around $3.50 a stick. Combine that with the fact that this is a good cigar, and you have a winner. Price aside, this was a decent medium bodied cigar. I’d say it was even a good cigar. If you have the urge, I’d say give the Cuban Blend a try. How much difference did it make since my cigars are aged a little? I don’t know, but I’d be curious if there is a difference between fresh sticks compared to my aged ones.
