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
Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Factory Seconds Natural
This inexpensive, unbanded second of the Arturo Fuente 858 is a bit of a mystery to me, as the banded cigar normally sells for only $5. The smoke is a tasty, rich blend of sweet tobacco and mocha with a hint of cedar and peanut. The aroma is excellent, almost intoxicating. If you’re willing to overlook some construction issues such as small wrapper flaws, a slightly loose cigar that creates flowery ash and has an overly easy draw, you will find a very tasty cigar at an unbeatable price. Thanks to my co-worker Rocky (no, not that one) for the sample cigars!
Mini Review Grade: B-
Mini Review
Arturo Fuente, Cigar, Grade B-, Mini Review, Natural, 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
Victor Sinclair Vintage Select Toro
Size – 6 x 50 boxpress
Age - Around 2 months
Cost – $2 – 2.50 online
Wrapper – Maduro (Brazil)
Construction – A nice wrapper marred by a couple of small spots. Sharp boxpressed shape with fair symmetry except for an uneven cap. The bands are unattractive with an awkward font and spacing in the text, and were put on poorly. (5/10)
Burn – Other than an early lopsided burn caused by a vein the wrapper, burn was even and slow. (7/10)
Ash – The ash was medium grey and held for about 3/4″ at a time with an unruly flowering that left bits of ash on my lap and the floor.
Draw & Smoke – The draw was looser than I expected from such a sharp boxpress. It was just right and resulted in a medium volume of smoke.
Flavor – The Vintage Select is a cigar with a smooth and mild flavor. While no distinct flavors “popped” from this smoke, it has a nice earthiness and was complimented by the common maduro smells of sweet tobacco, chocolate and a bit of raisin. On a few puffs I did note a very slightly sour flavor up front but the finish was smooth (if a bit short) throughout the cigar.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 7/10
Value – 8/10
Drink - English black tea
Notes - I believe this is currently an exclusive to Cigars International, or maybe a line that just the largest online stores carry. It’s not even mentioned on the Victor Sinclair website. This is a solid value cigar with ok construction, great aroma and a mellow flavor profile. Take off the tacky gold bands and ribbon and enjoy this $2 maduro.
Reviews
50 Ring, 7/10, Cigar Review, Maduro, Toro, Victor Sinclair
Victor Sinclair Primeros Toro
Size – 6 x 50
Age - 2 months
Cost – $2 online
Wrapper – Connecticut (Ecuador)
Construction – This is a very well constructed cigar with a nice firm springy feel, a pretty connecticut wrapper with very few veins and a well made cap. The label and matching ribbon on the foot are nice. (8/10)
Burn – Burn was even and slow. (9/10)
Ash – Ash was very light grey but loose and a bit flaky. Ash held for 3/4-1″ at a time.
Draw & Smoke - The draw was slightly firm and produced a medium volume of smoke per puff.
Flavor – I’m not sure if it’s a limitation of my still-developing palate or just a characteristic of mild cigars but I have a difficult time identifying individual flavors in some mild-med sticks, especially those with connecticut wrappers. This cigar has a pleasant flavor with a woody and creamy taste and a buttery mouth feel. The mouth feel does become a bit heavy and I found myself drinking more of my beverage than I would with most other cigars. The aroma was nice with a bit of sweetness and a smooth tobacco smell.
Strength – Mild/Med
Rating - 7/10
Value - 7/10
Drink - Hot English blend tea. Would go well with iced tea as well. For an alcoholic drink I’d pair this with a gin and tonic.
Notes - One of my pet peeves is cigar ash that is not compact and winds up flaking off bits of ash all over the place, particularly on my laptop. I nearly knocked this smoke down another point due to the unruly ashes in the first half, but it’s really a pretty nice value cigar and one that you can share with your newbie friends. Once the weather warms up I can see myself on the porch with this cigar, a cold drink and a book.
Reviews
50 Ring, 7/10, Cigar Review, Connecticut, Mild/Med, Toro, Victor Sinclair
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
Gurkha Doble (Double) Maduro Toro
Size – 6 x 52
Age - 1 month
Cost – $4-6 online
Wrapper – Maduro (Dominican Republic?)
Construction – This is a well constructed cigar with a very attractive dark chocolate colored wrapper that had no evident flaws. The symmetry was good and the feel was springy and firm. (9/10)
Burn – Burn was a little unruly but mostly even. No touchups were needed but I did have to relight once and overall it was not a straight, even burn. (6/10)
Ash – Ash was very light grey, nearly white. It held solid for 2″
Draw & Smoke – Draw was just right and a fair amount of smoke was produced with each puff.
Flavor – There is a type of beer called a rauchbier, in which the malted barley is smoked, usually by virtue of being dried over an actual fire, before it is used in making the beer. Their flavor is very distinctive and not always in a good way. The Gurkha Doble Maduro had a base flavor profile of coffee bean, some cocoa and dark bittersweet chocolate, but it also had another, distincive smoky characteristic. The closest thing I could compare it to was a rauchbier – it has almost a campfire-like quality to it. The cigar is mellow and smooth but I found the “smoky” quality to be equal parts interesting and off-putting. Room aroma was nice, with a cedar note and some of that sweet maduro smell.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 6/10
Value - 4/10
Drink - Australian Merlot. A good pairing but nothing extraordinary.
Notes - I am still on the fence about this cigar. I’m not sure if the unique flavor I experienced was typical of this line or if my review stick had one strange leaf tucked in it somewhere. I am looking forward to revisiting this cigar once my other stick has aged.
Reviews
52 Ring, 6/10, Cigar Review, Gurkha, Maduro, Medium, Toro
Victor Sinclair Triple Corojo Toro
Size – 6 x 50
Age - About 1 month
Cost – $2.25 online
Wrapper – Corojo (Dominican Republic)
Construction – Construction was fair with no wrapper tears or holes. There was a significant vein in the wrapper leaf. (5/10)
Burn – The first third was uneven but it leveled up and burned reasonably well for the rest of the cigar.
Ash – Dark grey and held for 1″ at a time. There was some flowering and bits of ash falling from the medium-to-loose ash.
Draw & Smoke – Draw was firm but not difficult and produced a moderate amount of smoke per puff.
Flavor – This cigar is named because the filler, binder and wrapper are all corojo leaves. This results in a powerful spicy and earthy flavor that is fairly well balanced by some creaminess and a bit of sweet spice in the finish. Prelight moistening gives a tingly zap to your lips and you know you’re in for a pretty full-bodied smoke. The red pepper zing hangs on the back of your palate throughout the smoke and I found it to be just a bit annoying by the end. Overall this is a rich, flavorful cigar with a nice room aroma but not a lot of complexity in flavor.
Strength – Full
Rating – 7/10
Value – 8/10
Drink - Hot herbal tea – a nice refresher between puffs of this cigar.
Notes - I’m a big fan of corojo wrappers but I didn’t think a cigar made entirely from corojo tobacco would be a nice experience. However, I found the VS Triple Corojo to be a solid value with some nice bold flavors and a great room aroma. Anyone looking for a new and interesting corojo (and willing to accept a few burn and construction inadequacies) can do a lot worse than the $2-3 the Victor Sinclair Triple Corojo will cost.
Reviews
50 Ring, 7/10, Corojo, Full, Toro, Victor Sinclair