I was in the middle of finishing up a review for Saxjazzman's
'bundle challenge' and made sure it was ok with Marc before I posted it here as well. Congratulations to Marc for his time here and thanks for the contest!
My review:
Thank you again to SJM for providing the goods and allowing me to do this…I did learn something in this journey…that how well a cigar is rolled and how long it has been aging makes a drastic impact on flavor-even within the same brand. Don’t judge a cigar having had only one.
I smoked my lot of 3 cigars. The first 2 were ok. I decided to do my review on the 3rd cigar and something happened…it was much better than the first two. So, for the purposes of allowing everyone else to make better informed decisions, I will annotate the differences within this review. Scoring was done according to SJM's request. Rating of 5-10, 5 being awful, 10 being great, in 3 categories with the overall score of A+B+1.5 x C divided by 3.5
Rocky Patel Factory Selects (a 2nd of the RP Sungrown)
Size: 5.50 x 50
Wrapper: 5-Year aged Ecuadorian Sun-Grown Rosado Natural
Binder: NIC
Filler: 7-year aged NIC/DR
MSRP: 20 cigars in a bundle for $77.20
Price Payed: $46.95
Stated Strength: Full
Comments: This is supposed to be RP Sungrowns that did not make the cut to get boxed. They did not make the cut for supposedly cosmetic reasons. Claimed to have the same QC as all of RP cigars. These cigars have been aging for about 6 months.
I smoked this gem at midnight by tiki torch and starlight with a light breeze to soften the warm night, and a sky that was streaked with clouds that reminded me of the Pirates ride at Disney. My drink was room temp distilled water to keep my palate honest.
A. Appearance: 8.75
The pre light aroma is very mild with awesome earthiness. I can’t stop smelling it! It is great! The wrapper looks enticing-though it has some veins, it looks silky and mildly oily. (The first 2 were not oily) The roll and cap are not perfect, overall it’s nice, but is worthy of the title ‘2nd’. The pre light draw is on the tight side with a mild/earthy and spicy taste. (In contrast, the first 2 were a loose draw)
B. Taste: 8.75
Many thanks to Wilkey for his
SCORE AND LIFT method of cutting, which I use almost exclusively now and did so with this cigar. The Light: Good Lord the aroma was awesome! Slightly sweet like nutmeg or clove (not a gross sweet). It had a cedary start which mellowed as the cigar progressed but remained evident. It also had a subtle pepperiness with a short, pleasant finish. I am not huge on pepper, but this was just right. It is full bodied but not overpowering. It is strong (nic) but not harsh. At this point I am bewildered because had I been blindfolded and asked if this were a Fuente or a Patel, I would have said Fuente! The aroma in the 2nd half has lost some sweetness and gotten stronger but is still pleasant overall. The flavor is getting more complex with some leather coming out. I had to put it down in the last third because I had borderline sweats coming on. (Cigars 1 and 2 did not have this much flavor, were much more peppery and somewhat harsh, I am thinking they were much younger due to the lack of oil on the wrapper. The flavors don’t seem to have melded yet.)
C. Construction/Performance: 8.5
The draw was a bit tight so the smoke volume was below average. (The first 2 had a loose draw and smoke vol. was average). The ash was a fine light gray, had a nice sharp burn and the ash fell at 2” where I already feel a slight buzz coming on. No touch ups required!
Final Score: A+B+(1.5)C/3.5=8.64
Final Thoughts: I’m sure I am letting the cat out of the bag by divulging this best kept secret. When you cannot wait to take the next puff, you know it is a good cigar. I also kept smelling my hands a good while after. For $2.50 a stick, this is one of the best bundle cigars I’ve ever had. SJM had them aging for 6 months and 2 of the 3 still weren’t ready. I would highly recommend buying a bundle or two if you are patient enough to let them sit for a year. These sell out quickly from Famous. This is my final review for SJM’s bundle challenge and of all 6 brands, this one is hands down my favorite. I will definitely be ordering some in the fall. Thank you SaxJazzMan for the experience!
