As with most of my cigar reviews, there’s an interesting story behind the cigar selected. Originally I was going to review a Gran Habano cigar for this week. In fact I had half the the review done when I noticed that Walt, hardest smoking contributor to the Stogie Review, had already reviewed one! I really enjoy them, but two reviews in one week is just too much Gran Habano love. (Keep an eye out for that review next week around this time!)

So what should I review? Well, this past weekend I went to a huge cigar event at one of the biggest B&M’s in the state. While I was there I came across a cigar I hadn’t run into before. In fact I haven’t even seen much written about them online anywhere. We’re talking about the Rocky Patel Edge Sumatra. What I have read makes it sound pretty intimidating. Not one to be daunted by slick, boastful sale pitches frequently seen at online cigar merchants, I let one up. Let’s see how it measures up.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 x 52 (toro)
Wrapper: Sumatra (Ecuador?)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Smoking Time: 2+ hours
Beverage: Water
Price: ~$5.00

That’s a whole lotta tobacco!

The Pre-Smoke
As with all cigars in the edge line, this cigar doesn’t bear your standard band. It instead it sports a less flashy band right at the foot. (Rumored to have been added to prevent counterfeits.) But unlike the other edge cigars, the band is bright, eye-catching red, a visual clue that isn’t your average Edge.

In looking the cigars over, one really obvious thing jumped out at me. Somewhere along the line the wrapper had split. I mean really split. As in I could see the filler through the crack running up from the foot. Since I picked the cigars up this weekend (I know I wouldn’t have bought one with such an obvious issue), my guess is that I somehow damaged it in travel. Fortunately the crack was all in the first third, so I decided to give it a chance.

The tobacco crevice

Aside from the massive crevice in the first third, I found the smoothness of the wrapper and fineness of veins impressive. The second, undamaged cigar was a little less smooth and had thicker veins, which I guess kind of evens the visual score. I also noticed that these cigars had considerable weight in the hand. In addition to being firmly packed, you could tell the cigar had some substance.

Before clipping the cigar for a cold taste, I checked out the scent of the wrapper. I found the aroma to be light a sweet, almost syrupy, barnyard scent that became considerably earthier toward the foot. In the cold taste I noted an earthy dark chocolate.

The Burn
These cigars had refreshingly great burn. Even more impressive considering the formidable crack in the first cigar I smoked. The cigar burned like nothing ever happened. Aside from having a little more discolored bits in that portion of the ash, it was solid.

Both cigars slowly produced a great, solid light colored ash that easily held for an inch and a half before dropping. And when I say slowly, I mean it. This isn’t a cigar you want light up if you’re in a hurry. I’m a pretty slow smoker, but you can expect these guys to easily last you a couple of hours each.

The tobacco crevice after!

My only complaint about the burn is that I found the draw to be a bit tight in the second cigar I smoked. I generally favor a looser draw. And the nearly perfect draw line strayed a bit in the final third.

The Flavor
The Edge Sumatra started off with a rich tasty nutty flavor with a light cool sweetness that kind of reminded me of nougat. But right around halfway through the first third (yep, that’d be an inch in) an acidic citrus flavor began to appear that would go on to dominate the cigar for the rest of its length. In the first cigar, this citrus flavor was a bit sharper, like lime, but in the second, I found it to be a little sweeter and more like orange or tangerine.

Though the citrus flavor was dominant, I did get pockets of sweet cocoa in the second third and a good deal of rich leather in the final third. The cigars also became a bit spicier in the final third.

Though a few websites make this cigar sound like a smoke that will curl your toes, I didn’t find either to be especially strong, though the body did approach full by the end.

The Price
At five bucks a cigar, these cigars at the top end of the bargain range. But in my opinion, they are well worth the price.

The Verdict
By now, you probably have a good idea of what my verdict is. And I’m not going to surprise you. I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. Though I must say that the length of the smoke does definitely make you happy to finally finish it. Too much of a good thing is a good problem to have. (I think I may be coming down with a bit of a cold, so that may contribute to this feeling.)

And on a completely unrelated note, have a happy Thanksgiving!

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes
Recommend It: Yes

The Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.

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Related posts:

• Rocky Patel Edge Sumatra
• Rocky Patel Edge Missile
• Rocky Patel - Vintage 1990
• Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve - Corojo (Toro)
• Rocky Patel Vintage 1999

Filed under: Stogie Reviews