mmburtch
Sleep deprived and cranky
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2006
- Messages
- 4,882
Well, this is the first time I have reviewed a cigar formally, and possibly the first time I have actually concentrated on the complexities of the cigar while I was smoking it.
The cigar:
The cigar as mentioned above is the Rocky Patel Cuban Blend, which is billed as an exclusive at Famous Smoke Shop. The size is a Petite Belicoso, 5” X 48. The wrapper is a Nicaraguan maduro, and the filler is a Honduran ligero.
The setting:
Me on my front porch, shorts, flip flops and a short sleeved sweatshirt. 35* and snowing. People driving by looking at me as if I was crazy. Perhaps they’re right.
The cigar was cut with a double guillotine, exposing about a 3/8” diameter.
Pre light:
My humidor is a cabinet, recently (3 days ago) moved from 70 to 66 RH, on the advice of this board. The cigar was well constructed, tight with just a bit of spring. The wrapper was dark and oily, with some veining, but not heavy. A pre light draw revealed a nice tobacco flavor and easy air movement.
Lighting and beyond:
I toasted the foot, and then needed one short draw to achieve a clean light.
The draw was fabulous.
The first inch was dominated by pepper flavors, intense spiciness that lingered in the mouth. There was more than enough smoke, and it felt rich and full in my mouth.
The second inch began with a diminishing of the pepper and just a hint of what I would call blueberry. It reminded me of what a really good Ethiopian coffee. As the pepperiness vanished, it was replaced with a woody flavor. In fact, the smoke reminded me of the smell of oak burning.
The final inch plus, returned to a spicy consistency, but this time, mellowed by the woodiness. The smoke remained ample and rich. There was pepper in the spice, but something else dominated, and I just can’t put a name to it.
The burn was mostly even, a couple of spots got hot, but resolved themselves without running or needing touch-up.
The ash:
The ash was light grey with darker grey around veining and a couple of hot spots. There were also a couple of areas that had a yellowish tinge to them. The ash had a couple of areas that peeled away, but did not fall off. The real surprise with the ash was that even though I was shivering, it hung on. I was even able to remove the band without the ash falling off. It did finally succumb to gravity and my shaky hands at a point about mid band.
I retired the cigar about where the band would have begun. Total elapsed time was 50 minutes. This is my second box of this make and size cigar, and I have been very pleased with them. They are one of my favorite daily smokes, and having reviewed them now, I have a better idea of why. Matt
The cigar:
The cigar as mentioned above is the Rocky Patel Cuban Blend, which is billed as an exclusive at Famous Smoke Shop. The size is a Petite Belicoso, 5” X 48. The wrapper is a Nicaraguan maduro, and the filler is a Honduran ligero.
The setting:
Me on my front porch, shorts, flip flops and a short sleeved sweatshirt. 35* and snowing. People driving by looking at me as if I was crazy. Perhaps they’re right.
The cigar was cut with a double guillotine, exposing about a 3/8” diameter.
Pre light:
My humidor is a cabinet, recently (3 days ago) moved from 70 to 66 RH, on the advice of this board. The cigar was well constructed, tight with just a bit of spring. The wrapper was dark and oily, with some veining, but not heavy. A pre light draw revealed a nice tobacco flavor and easy air movement.
Lighting and beyond:
I toasted the foot, and then needed one short draw to achieve a clean light.
The draw was fabulous.
The first inch was dominated by pepper flavors, intense spiciness that lingered in the mouth. There was more than enough smoke, and it felt rich and full in my mouth.
The second inch began with a diminishing of the pepper and just a hint of what I would call blueberry. It reminded me of what a really good Ethiopian coffee. As the pepperiness vanished, it was replaced with a woody flavor. In fact, the smoke reminded me of the smell of oak burning.
The final inch plus, returned to a spicy consistency, but this time, mellowed by the woodiness. The smoke remained ample and rich. There was pepper in the spice, but something else dominated, and I just can’t put a name to it.
The burn was mostly even, a couple of spots got hot, but resolved themselves without running or needing touch-up.
The ash:
The ash was light grey with darker grey around veining and a couple of hot spots. There were also a couple of areas that had a yellowish tinge to them. The ash had a couple of areas that peeled away, but did not fall off. The real surprise with the ash was that even though I was shivering, it hung on. I was even able to remove the band without the ash falling off. It did finally succumb to gravity and my shaky hands at a point about mid band.
I retired the cigar about where the band would have begun. Total elapsed time was 50 minutes. This is my second box of this make and size cigar, and I have been very pleased with them. They are one of my favorite daily smokes, and having reviewed them now, I have a better idea of why. Matt
