Syrinxx’s Cigar Shack

Rocky Patel Sun Grown Toro

Size – 6.5 x 52
Age – 6 months
Cost – $5 online
Wrapper – Sun Grown (Ecuador)
Construction – Nearly flawless appearance and construction that was marred by a small wrapper tear during smoking.  The symmetry and firmness were very good.
Burn – Slow and even with one relight in the beginning of the second half
Ash – Ash was very light grey and compact, holding tight in 3/4″ pieces.
Draw & Smoke – Draw was firm but the payoff was a large volume of tasty smoke per puff.
Flavor – The Sun Grown by Rocky Patel started off with a crisp, cedary and sweet flavor.  I detected some very light citrus notes just before a very nice blend of smooth spice and a bit of black pepper set in.  As the stick progressed into the 2nd third, the clean woody and cedar tones gave way to a deeper array of  leather and spice.  The creaminess and sweetness remained throughout the stogie.  In the final third, the flavors remained rich and leathery with sweet spice; there was plenty of flavor without the dizzying full body experience that can sometimes go alongside a bold set of tastes.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 9/10
Value – 8/10

Drink – Diet soda.  Nothing remarkable although the sweetener did compliment the sweetness of the cigar.  I did not start the drink until after the first third, making me reasonably convinced that the drink did not cause the sweet notes in the cigar’s flavor profile.
Notes – These days I regularly try not to sound like a Rocky Patel apologist or fanboy, but the man can blend.  This is another excellent cigar from the man who seems like he can do no wrong.  To my knowledge this is an online and mailorder-only stick which means you may not run across it in your local shop, but it’s worth seeking out; this is a great cigar at an attractive price.

Second Opinion – Matt’s Cigar Journal has a positive, although not quite as glowing, review of the Sun Grown.

Reviews 52 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Med/Full, Rocky Patel, Sun Grown

Indian Tabac Co. (ITC) 10th Anniversary Toro by Rocky Patel

Size – 6,.5 x 52
Age – 3 months
Cost – $7
Wrapper – Corojo (Nicaragua)
Construction – Flawless construction as I have come to expect from RP.  The wrapper was smooth and had a very nice sheen in the light.  The cigar felt a bit light for its size, but did not have any soft spots or a spongy feel.  Unfortunately the tightly wrapped bottom band created a small wrapper tear when it was removed.
Burn – The burn started very straight but eventually became somewhat uneven and had a bit of stair-stepping.   No relights were required, although it did need a couple of quick touchups.  I did purge the cigar one time, as I normally do with a toro.
Ash – Very light grey and compact.  Held in 1″ pieces.
Draw & Smoke -  Draw through a v-cut cap was perfect.  There was not a whole lot of smoke per draw, but it did increase as the cigar progressed.
Flavor – Prelight aroma was leather and earthy tobacco.  Upon lighting, however, I was pleasantly surprised by a good amount of smooth corojo sweetness mixed with subtle peppery spice and some leather notes.  Progressing into the second half, the cigar picked up in spice, including red pepper, but also remained creamy and smooth.  A very slight harshness crept into the second half, but it was still balanced by the sweet corojo tobacco flavor.  The finish throughout was slightly woody and dry.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 8/10
Value – 6/10

Drink – Water
Notes – This is another tasty stick from RP.  Rocky has proven that he can blend some fine cigars at the $5-6 price point and this is no exception.  I was comfortable overlooking the band-caused wrapper tear, which really did not impact the smoke, and found a nice cigar that has a good, balanced array of flavors and a medium body suitable for a day or nighttime smoke.

Reviews 52 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Corojo, Medium, Rocky Patel, Toro

Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro Toro

Size – 6 x 52 boxpress
Age – 3 months
Cost – $2-3
Wrapper – Maduro (Nicaragua)
Construction – An expertly constructed boxpress, cloaked with a gorgeous, oily and smooth maduro wrapper.  The band is a bit large and overstated.
Burn – The burn was a bit stubborn in the beginning, requiring one relight early in the first half.  The burn line was very uneven at times with a couple of touchups needed.
Ash – Ash was a bit flaky and held in 1/2 – 3/4″ pieces.
Draw & Smoke – Draw was tight but not impossible.  Amount of smoke per puff was average.
Flavor – The flavors of this cigar are mostly earthy and rich tobacco.  Conspicuously absent was the smooth sweetness typical of a maduro wrapper, although this was occasionally present in the aroma of the smoke.  In the second half, some flavors of caramel and cocoa became apparent, but the stogie also became a bit harsh.  The cigar is full bodied but does not have the usual black pepper or tingle of a fuller smoke.
Strength – Full
Rating – 6/10
Value – 5/10

Drink – Water
Notes – The Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro is a decent low priced cigar that was a bit disappointing when compared to other Rocky Patel blends.  It was also difficult to keep the cigar lit and burning evenly, which cost it bit in rating.  Super Fuerte means extra strong, but I’d put this in the Medium/Full or lower end of Full bodied.

Reviews 52 Ring, 6/10, Indian Tabac, Maduro, Rocky Patel, Toro

Rocky Patel Autumn Collection 2008 Toro

This is a perfectly constructed cigar with a light brown wrapper.  Draw was just right, while the burn was a little uneven with some tunneling.  The ash was one of the lightest grey I’ve seen, nearly white.  The flavors are mild and include paper, wood and a bit of a sweet note.  The mouth feel is a bit dry until the second half when some creaminess arrives.  The body is medium.   This was a nice but not remarkable cigar, and at $7-8 each, you can find a better smoke.

Mini Review Grade: C+

Mini Review 52 Ring, Grade C, Medium, Mini Review, Rocky Patel, Sumatra

Today I attended a small Rocky Patel event held at my local shop.  I typically buy about 75% of my smokes online simply becuase of the much better prices, but I still try to patronize “brick & mortar” shops for single sticks and to talk cigars with people who know a lot more than I do.

The event was run by Rocky’s brother Nish Patel, and the deals were quite good.  20% off boxes, free RP cigars with singles or box purchases, and a raffle for some cool stuff like an HDTV and a nice RP humidor.  Until today I’d completely forgotten about the SCHIP tax increase poised to hit in just a few days.  I’m really not opposed to some taxes, but taxing something that people are supposed to be quitting seems like a stupid idea because if the plan works and fewer tobacco products are consumed, the needed tax revenue will evaporate and then will have to come from somewhere else.  But I digress.  I decided that despite my nearly overflowing coolerdor and humidor, I’d see if I could find some goodies to add to the collection before the tax increase.

After a long internal debate between a box of the Vintage 1992 and the Olde Worde Reserve Maduro, I opted for a box of the Vintage 1992 Robustos, it being one of my overall favorite blends and a great value at only $95 for the box plus 5 free extra Rocky cigars.  I also picked up a variety of smaller cigars, which I have begun to appreciate more as I don’t always want to commit 2 hours to a stogie.

The final SCHIP-evading  haul:

20 RP Vintage 1992 Robusto
3 RP ITC Toro
2 RP Autumn Collection Toro
1 RP Vintage 1990 Petit Corona
2 Don Tomas Maduro Robusto
1 AF Hemingway Short Story
2 RyJ Vintage Love Story
1 Oliva Serie V Double Robusto
1 Padron 2000 Natural

After making my picks I sat in the lounge and smoked one of the RyJs.  I think I was the only one of the 30-40 people around who wasn’t smoking a RP, but I wanted to age those for a bit.

It required some creative shuffling but I managed to fit everything into the coolidor, which is now absolutely packed.  I should have quite a bit of review fodder for the year!

If you have a local shop I’d encourage you to look into whether they are planning any of events, whether it be a basic herf or a manufacturer sponsored sale.  It’s a good way to meet some of your local enthusiasts and possibly get some good deals.

Blog Aging, Cigar, Cigars, Coolidor, Event, Herf, Humidor, Rocky Patel

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Corojo Toro

Size – 6.5 x 52 boxpress
Age – 3 months
Cost – $11 online
Wrapper – Corojo
Construction – Very well constructed with a single noticeable vein in the wrapper and an attractive label and paper sleeve on the foot.
Burn – Quite even throughout the cigar.  The wrapper did begin to come unraveled in the last third.
Ash – Very light grey and compact.  Held firm with no flyaway ash on the laptop keyboard (my pet peeve)
Draw & Smoke – A slightly stiff draw produced a copious amount of smoke per puff.
Flavor – The Olde World Reserve is not exactly a dainty cigar.  This is a full bodied, full flavored smoke that starts off immediately with layers of rich flavor including wood and earthy tobacco.  I was expecting just a bit more sweetness on the finish from the corojo wrapper, but the maduro version of this cigar better provides that.  The finish was dry and had just a hint of black coffee.   Despite the body of the cigar being full, I was interested to see the absence of the typical black pepper tingle on my whole palate, although a small amount was there tickling just the back of my tongue and throat.
Strength – Full
Rating – 7/10
Value – 4/10

Drink – The first half of the cigar was accompanied by a hot earl grey tea.  The second half, Meyers dark rum.  The rum made a good pairing.
Notes – I think I was expecting just a bit too much of this cigar simply due to its $11+ price tag.  While I liked the core flavors, the finish was not quite as smooth as I would have liked.  If you get an OWR in a sampler or as a gift, by all means enjoy it!  However, I wouldn’t make a special trip to the local shop for this one.  The maduro version of this cigar is excellent.

Reviews 52 Ring, 7/10, Cigar Review, Corojo, Full, Rocky Patel

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Toro

Size – 6.5 x 52 boxpress
Age – 2 months
Cost – $7
Wrapper – Maduro (Honduras)
Construction – Very well constructed with great symmetry.  The smooth chocolate brown wrapper had a couple of very small blemishes.  (8/10)
Burn – Mostly even with no touchups or relights.  (8/10)
Ash – Light grey and compact.  Held tight in 1 – 1.5″ pieces.
Draw & Smoke – The smoke felt a bit firm and dense but there were no problems with the draw after clipping the cap.  Smoke volume was low.
Flavor – The prelight aroma of this cigar was sweet aged tobacco.  After getting it lit I was rewarded with a smooth and mellow flavors of sweet tobacco, wood and cherry.  The room aroma was excellent, a sweet and clean maduro tobacco smell. As the cigar moved along, the flavors stayed consistent but not quite one-dimensional.  In the second and final thirds, a bit of spice crept into the mix, along with some aroma of chocolate.   I also caught a few hints of citrus but I discounted those as I believe they were provided by my drink (earl grey)
Strength – Mild/Med
Rating – 8/10
Value – 6/10

Drink – Hot earl grey tea
Notes – I keep waiting for Rocky to deliver a cigar that I don’t like.  Looks like I’ll still be searching for that stick, because the 1990 was a good tasting and wonderful smelling cigar that is a perfect for an afternoon (or morning).  If the flavors of this blend were just a bit more pronounced it would earn a 9/10.

Reviews 52 Ring, 8/10, Cigar Review, Maduro, Mild/Med, Rocky Patel

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Toro

Size – 6.5 x 52 boxpress
Age - 2 months
Cost – $10 online
Wrapper – Maduro (Costa Rica)
Construction – This is a very well constructed cigar with a flawless, nearly vein-free wrapper that is a beautiful dark brown.  The review cigar had a couple of small crinkles from the box press.  (9/10)
Burn – The cigar started out with a little runner but quickly caught up and burned slowly and evenly the rest of the way.  (8/10)
Ash – The ash was compact and light grey, about 1.5″ of grab
Draw & Smoke – An easy but not loose draw produces a medium amount of smoke.
Flavor – The Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Toro (whew) has a whole lot going on.  From the light it produces a mellow and smooth blend of flavors which seem to mingle to the point that you can’t really discern them.  This is deceptive though, because as the cigar progresses you realize a really wonderful array of flavors has been blended into this cigar – earth, toast and leather each emerged in the first half, while the room aroma was a delicious sweet chocolate, fig and tobacco smell.  The second half continued the rich blend of flavors with a bit of coffee, black pepper and more body.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 9/10
Value – 5/10

Drink - Earl grey tea, hot with cream and sugar.  A nice pairing with this amazingly creamy and rich cigar.  A good alcohol pairing would be a malty, dark beer such as a doppelbock or a porter.
Notes – A really nice cigar and a real treat to a (mostly) value smoker like me.  The blend is really impressive and is yet another testament to the skills of RP. 

Reviews 52 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Maduro, Med/Full, Rocky Patel, Toro

Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Toro

Size – 6.5 x 50 boxpress
Age – Less than 1 month
Cost – $7 online
Wrapper -  Natural (dark), oily and smooth.
Construction -  Nearly flawless constuction with a couple of crinkles that seem to be due to the boxpress.  (9/10)
Burn – Mostly even with no problems (8/10)
Ash – Salt and pepper (mostly salt), slightly loose but held tight for 1.5-2″
Draw & Smoke - Draw was just right, not too loose or tight.  Lots of blue-white smoke pours off the foot when it’s resting.  A good amount of tasty smoke accompanies each puff.
Flavor – This stick has plenty of deep, rich flavors including sweet nuts, chocolate and a small amount of cedar, coffee and spice.  There is little to no peppery tingle, just a satisfying creamy blend of all these flavors.  A beautiful room aroma enhances the smoking experience.  With such a deep and tasty cigar, I found the body to be lacking just slightly.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 9/10
Value – 6/10.  This is a cigar that is worth every penny.  The $9-10 MSRP does not help the value score, however, and it would be hard for most people to justify this as an everyday cigar.

Drink – Hot coffee.  Really brought out the coffee flavors in the cigar and enhanced the others.  A good pairing.
Notes – I picked this up with a dozen RPs from a weekly sampler deal at Cigars International for a great price.  I feel lucky to have bought this stick for about 3 bucks; I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for another special on them.

Reviews 50 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Medium, Natural, Rocky Patel

The UPS person came by today with a package for me – inside was a bunch of low price/value stuff I had bought on Cigar Bid!  So the humidor gets a lot of new stuff and is pretty much full for now.   I’m hoping a lot of the stuff I have in there will age well.

The total order:

• 20 Cu-Avana Maduro Toro
• 20 Petrus Reposado No. 6000 Torpedo
• 20 Victor Sinclair Corojo Robusto
• Victor Sinclair mega sampler (5 Connecticut Yankee Toro, 5 Primeros Toro, 5 Triple Corojo Toro, 5 Vintage Select Toro),
• CI Mild/Med sampler (2 Perdomo Lot 23 Churchill, 2 Fonseca 5-50, 2 Gurkha Doble Maduro, 2 RP Connecticut Toro, Perdomo Reserve Champagne Epicure)

Humidor Cigar, Cigars, Corojo, Cu-Avana, Gurkha, Humidor, Maduro, Natural, Rocky Patel, Victor Sinclair