Rocky Patel Connecticut Toro

As Rocky Patel continues to add to his ever expanding line of cigars there are some of the originals that are worth revisiting. The Connecticut is an often overlooked delight in Rocky's humidor.

This toro has a silky golden Connecticut shade grown wrapper with a mild cedary smell. The overall feel of the cigar is good with no obvious construction flaws. The draw has medium firmness and the foot smelled of wood and hay.

The initial flavors were mild cedar and nuts. The burn was even with a gray semi-firm ash that held for about an inch before dropping off. The flavor picked up a bit around the halfway mark with more woods and a slight earth undertone while the smoke became creamy and closer to medium bodied. It had a nice mellow finish with more creamy toasted nuts and a warm pleasant ending. The aroma was, like the cigar, mild and woody.

This wouldn't be classed as a complex, thought provoking smoke, but it's mild bodied smooth flavors work well after a light meal or for a smoke early in the day. As always, the construction was excellent and the price is right.

Wrapper: Conn
Filler: Nic, DR
Binder: Nic
Rating: 88

El Rey del Mundo Oscuro Robusto

The El Rey del Mundo Oscuro Robust just might be that cigar that I would smoke should I be allowed only one more cigar in my life. El Rey, which by the way has the best name in cigars, is unabashedly bold and flavorful and very reasonably priced. Almost every time I am buying cigars in bulk I'm throwing in some of these. I'd buy boxes if my humidor was bigger but se la vie.

Upon removing tissue paper I was left gazing at the a dark, oily Ecuadorian wrapper. After I snapped out of it I checked the cigar and found it to be firm without any evidence of soft spots or defects. The cigar itself had very little smell and my mouth was watering at this point so I gave it the snip and fired her up. Once lit this cigar starts off with tons of flavor. There are woods and rich coffee notes. The draw was a little tight but it never hurts to work a little for what you want! There was rich voluminous smoke and a tight white ash.

As I worked my way through the cigar I found hints of black pepper and a medium spice that gave a nice warmth to the smoke. By the end of the cigar I felt my whole mouth warmed and there was a bold resurgence of the coffee bean flavor.

The robusto is a great size for this cigar. You get a nice ring size to cool the smoke a bit giving you the full appreciation of the flavors. Even so, it is a bit of a kick in the face, but I'm in to that sort of thing. If you like full bodied cigars and haven't smoked on of these then get on it!

Wrapper: Ecuador
Filler: DR, Hon, Nic
Binder: Hon
Rating: 92

La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial #5

The first I had heard about La Aroma de Cuba was when a friend told me he had stumbled upon them in the local tobacconist shop last Spring. The next thing I know they are listed in the Cigar Aficionado top 10! Well, this I had to try. I picked up 5 of the Edicion Especial #5's and could barely give them a week in the humidor to tuck in and see what all the fuss was about.

The cigar has a nice medium brown wrapper that is a bit on the veiny side and has a nice sheen of oil. The smell is compost and hay but nothing that would put you off. The pre-light draw was on the light side and it remained so throughout the smoke. There was still adequate smoke to appreciate some of the subtle nuances but the only bad thing I can say about the construction is that it could have been tighter.

The first few puffs were a little rough but that quickly gave way to a deep earth that was on the full side of medium bodied. By 1" in it had picked up some hardwood notes and a hint of toasted nuts. I know a lot of people seem to call this a cedary cigar but I think if you can distinguish the flavors it is more of a hard oak with nutty overtones. At the 1/3 mark the solid earthy core had come back with a vengeance and a mild spice seemed to linger on the tongue. The final 1/3 mellowed a bit with some tobacco and coffee beans. The aroma was quite nice because it was subtle woods with a bit of sweetness, almost like maple.

I really didn't know how complex this cigar was until I reviewed my notes afterward. I can see it being a little overpowering for anyone not looking to pick through the flavors or a novice smoker. It is really a great smoke for a quiet evening at the end of the week. Kind of clears the mind.

Wrapper: Sun Grown Ecuadorian
Filler: Nic
Binder: Nic
Rating: 92

Punch Magnum

The Punch brand cigar is a bit iconic but in some ways under appreciated as so many "super-premium" cigars have hit the market and pushed the founding brands to the way side. I think Punch will always carry with it a faithful following of salty old cigar smokers who appreciate the meat and potatoes of a good smoke. For over 40 years now the Punch line has been rolled in Honduras and has branched out into several different blends.

This Punch Magnum is a whopper at 5.25 x 54. The wrapper was a bit uneven and blotchy and really not much to look at. It had a nice firm feel to it but the pre-light draw felt a little loose. Once the foot was firmly aflame I found the draw to tighten up a bit which was nice. The initial flavors were a bit muddled but I could pick out a few hard woods with a tobacco underbelly. After about the first 1/2" it began to settle and a peppery flavor began to emerge. Initially it was just pepper in flavor, but it began to build to a nice spicy pepper by mid-smoke. As I neared the final 1" it mellowed a bit to reveal the earthy woods that drifted in and out throughout the entire cigar. The construction was good and didn't require any additional work. The aroma was quite bold but still enjoyable.

I really enjoy the classics and this is a classic full bodied Honduran. I know that it is cool nowadays to smoke fancy brands like Gurkha and CAO, but sometimes you need to reacquaint yourself with an old friend.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Hon, DR, Nic
Binder: Conn
Rating: 91

Partagas Black Bravo

The Partagas Black is just 1 blend in one of the most extensive cigar brands on the planet. Partagas is one of the original Cuban names, and one of many who fled when Castro led his communist revolution to overthrow the Cuban government. Now Partagas has made its home next door in the Dominican Republic and produces some of the finest cigars on the market.

The Black label is a prime example of that fact. This Bravo measures 4.5 x 54 and is a perfect size for this blend. The sun-grown medio tempo wrapper is left to age on the plant in the Connecticut river valley. It is black, oily and has some texture from large veins. I found the construction to be excellent with an even, firm draw and burn. The ash came out white and firm giving it an attractive contrast to the body of the cigar.

I had difficulty pinning down the flavors but found a few different notes floating around. The most prominent was an earthy pepper. There was some toasted nuts on the tip of my tongue that came and went during the smoke. The finish was a bit creamy and added a warmth to the mouth.

Partagas is one of those reliable brands. The Black label was an excellent full bodied smoke. I would absolutely recommend giving it a shot for yourself. As for me, I'll be doing my best to pace myself.

Wrapper: Conn
Filler: Nic, DR
Binder: DR
Rating: 92

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Toro

Rocky Patel has become a master in the cigar industry to the point where at least one of his blends seems to pop up in the top 25 cigars of the year on an annual basis. The Vintage lines are quintessential RP and top class smokes for a great price.

This Vintage 1990 toro sports a rich chocolaty brown box pressed 12yr old Honduran wrapper. The cigar starts out with mild woods and cocoa beans. Within the first 2" a mild spice developed and held until about mid-way through the smoke. The woody flavor began to take on a more cedar character and some floral notes were evident in the aroma. The flavors were quite consistent from this point on and even mellowed a bit as neared the head. It had a nice light gray, compact ash and I was able to do an ash stand after about 1 1/2". Good times!

The construction was a little disappointing as it burned wobbly a couple of times but to its credit didn't require any touch ups. The draw was quite good and the overall quality of the cigar was excellent. Despite the Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, it would be classified as a medium bodied smoke, though I would consider it to be on the mellow side of medium bodied. I would highly recommend the Vintage series and although the '92 is my favorite of the two, I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to get my hands on one of these.

Wapper: Hon
Filler: Nic, DR
Binder: Nic
Rating: 90

La Gloria Cubana Corona Gorda

The La Gloria Cubana is (what seems to me anyway) one of a few brands that is rolled in the continental U.S., although it is also produced in the Dominican Republic. I purchased this Corona Gorda in a 5 pack which has become my preference in buying cigars nowadays.

The wrapper was medium brown with a few veins and no obvious blemishes. It lit up well with an easy draw. The first few puffs were a bit harsh but it quickly settled down to provide a very rich, toasty tobacco and cedar flavor. There was a bit of leather and spice that developed by 1/3 of the way in. Those flavors carried through almost to the head. By mid smoke it had moved more toward a full bodied smoke but was never overwhelming. The aroma was equally as rich and it produced an adequate amount of smoke. Construction-wise, it did burn uneven once but was easily corrected. Otherwise I had no complaints.

I found this cigar to be a smoke not to be taken lightly...at least not after a light meal. It was rich and a bit aggressive but never felt out of control. I really enjoyed this cigar, especially in this size.

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Filler: Nic, DR
Binder: DR
Rating: 90

5 Vegas Classic 55

The 5 Vegas cigar is part of the greater Don "Pepin" Garcia line of cigars. This cigar was the first in a line of now 7 different 5 Vegas blends. It has been consistently praised by aficionados and is so reasonably priced it has become one of my favorite "everyday" smokes.

This was the 5 Vegas Classic 55. It comes box pressed and at 5 x 55 is a hefty cigar. It has a medium brown wrapper with a clean head. The draw and burn are very smooth and even amongst the entire box I purchased. It lit up quickly and evenly and immediately put off huge plumes of smoke. I would have expected a good deal of smoke from a cigar with a ring gauge of 55 but this was a bit surprising. I found the main flavor to be hearty earth with some hard woods. A mild spice kicked in about 1/3 of the way in and carried down to about the final inch before tapering off. It ended with a mellow, almost cedary flavor.

The aroma was mild and I'd say the cigar overall was medium bodied. There isn't a great deal of complexity and the flavor isn't going to knock your socks off but it is consistent, well balanced and you can't ignore the price. This is a great cigar for having friends over who aren't regular smokers. You can pass them out without cringing that they won't appreciate the subtle nuances in flavor and construction (or price!) but you will hear everyone comment on how smooth and enjoyable the smoke was.

Wrapper: Sumatra
Filler: Nic, DR
Binder: Nic
Rating: 88