Rocky Patel Decade

Cigar: Rocky Patel Decade
Vitola: Robusto
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 5.00
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
Price Point: $8.30

Brand:
The Decade, by Rocky Patel, was a release to celebrate Rocky’s ten years in the cigar business. To accompany this cigar for the anniversary, Rocky also produced a ITC 10th anniversary to showcase his Indian Tabac line as well. The Decade features premium tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ecuador.

The line is available in four sizes; including a Robusto (50 x 5.00), Lonsdale (44 x 6.50), Toro (52 x 6.50), and a Torpedo (52 x 6.50). Cigars come packaged in boxes of of twenty.

Pre-Light:

After removing my cigar from its cellophane sleeve, I gave it a once over to check for any apparent flaws in the wrapper. I found dainty veins, consistent color, and an all around good looking cigar. Giving it a gentle pinch from head to foot showed that this stick was consistently packed with tobacco. When I was unable to find any obvious soft spots, I moved to opening up the head of my cigar.

After opening up the head with a pair of cigar scissors, I checked the pre-light draw. I found it to be excellent with just enough resistance for my liking. I could not detect any significant flavors on the cold draw. The aroma on the wrapper and exposed foot were both mild and earthy.

First Third:

After a quick and easy light, I had my Rocky Patel Decade lit and producing lots of smoke. The body starts off as medium with a complex finish which leaves me with a very creamy feel across the palate with a savory aftertaste. The aftertaste makes me salivate and seems to prolong the finish by a considerable amount.

The long savory finish seems to wash out the initial flavors. As the cigar is puffed, I can taste a distinct leather flavor as well as woody tones. As soon as I begin to expel the smoke, the flavors quickly get washed out by the wave of aftertaste.

The burn rate is about average while the burn line is thin and even. As the cigar burns, it produces a tightly compacted ash which is fairly light in color. Looking closer at the ash, I can see what looks like a stacking pattern. There appears to be distinct formations within the ash which are visually appealing.

Second Third:

After about forty-minutes I reached the second third of my Rocky Patel Decade and had to remove the secondary band. The body didn’t progress much and was still in the medium spectrum. The finish remained creamy and left a long savory aftertaste.

As I progressed into the cigar, the flavors of leather and wood began to get a little richer and more apparent. The savory aftertaste continued to wash them out, but they didn’t dissipate nearly as quickly as they did in the first third.

The burning characteristics of this stick were fantastic. The burn rate was about average while producing a thin and even burn line. The draw was excellent and produced loads of thick smoke which was easily passed through the sinuses. The resting smoke was light and left mild and inoffensive aroma wafting around the room.

Final Third:

As I rounded the ninety-minute mark, I reached the final third of my Rocky Patel Decade. The body progressed slightly but remained medium. The finish remained long and savory while causing me to salivate profusely.

The flavors suddenly turned harsh and bitter. Not knowing why I had such a sudden turn of events, I looked closer at the stem on the exposed head of my cigar. With a little work I was able to pull the stem out completely, which took away majority of the harshness.

After about a half dozen puffs the flavor was back to normal once again. I was picking up the same flavors as before, leather and wood, along with an additional flavor of nuts. The savory flavor continued to wash out the base flavors, although much less at this point.

Final Thoughts:
When it was time to set this cigar down I was unsure of exactly how I felt about it. I enjoyed the flavors but definitely would have enjoyed them more if they weren’t washed away so quickly by the finish. The consistent medium body was nice, as was the development of the core flavors.

The stem within the stick was a huge ding on my overall impression. Having heard Bob from Dog Watch Cigar Radio talk about issues with the Olde World Reserve when it first came out, I couldn’t help but think that this could be a potential problem with the brand. I realize that these two issues were spread out over a very long period of time, but it just didn’t sit well with me for a $8.00 cigar.

Ignoring the stem, I think that this was an enjoyable cigar. I don’t see it living up to the hype that Cigar Aficionado gave it, but it was a solid smoke none-the-less. I’ll most likely try this cigar again, but I don’t feel the urge to run out and buy one at the moment. Maybe this would be a good candidate for a Short Ashes review later on down the road.

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