RTDA Smokes and Reviews

[cigardawg]

Next in line for smokes at the RTDA is a small cigar from Rocky Patel. They are releasing tins this year, each containing 4 small cigars of the 1990 or 1992 Vintage or the Sun Grown. I smoked the Sun Grown while at the show.

Rocky Patel Sun Grown Junior

This little cigar measured only 4 inches long by about a 42 or 44 ring gauge. It had a nice, reddish-brown wrapper with no veins and only minor seams. The pre-light nose was mild, mostly of leather, coffee and maybe some wood. The pre-light draw was open and easy. Good lookng little cigar.

The cigar lit easily with a torch and the draw remained as nice as it was pre-light. This little puppy almost smoked itself, requiring only light puffs to produce mouthfuls of flavorful smoke. The cigar burned evenly, not requiring any touch-ups or corrections. The ash was light gray and a little flakey, but not overly loose. The cigar burned cool for the most part until the end. I think I might have been smoking it a bit too hard, but it did warm up some. Good construction for such a little smoke.

The initial flavor upon lighting was a blast of spice, primarily black/white pepper mixed with wood and leather. The pepper faded after the second puff, leaving a very nice leather/wood mix with a coffee and spice aftertaste. Very pleasant. As the cigar progressed, I noted a slight revival of the spice, before some of the wood/leather gave way to black coffee. Surprisingly, all of the flavors mixed up rather nicely. Complex for such a little smoke.

I was very pleased with this cigar. I have been smoking more and more petite coronas (and smaller) lately and the trend at the show was to provide me with even more to sample. I give this little cigar an A-. I forget what these will be retailing for, but I believe they will be available almost immediately.

 

[cigardawg]

For my next entry into this thread, I am going to give my review of two new cigars from Victor Sinclair. The first I smoked one morning at the show with my coffee. The second, I smoked last night.

Victor Sinclair 10th Anniversary Toro

This toro was more of a corona gorda, just about perfect for first thing in the morning. This cigar had a nice light tan wrapper. There were no appreciable veins and the seams were very well applied. The cigar felt very good in the hand, well-packed, but not hard. The pre-light nose was very mild, simply good earth and maybe some coffee. The pre-light draw was just to the open side of firm.

The cigar lit easily, even with my clumbsy match-lighting technique. The draw opened up just a bit...almost perfect for this ring gauge. Each puff coaxed ample smoke from the cigar. This was one of those cigars that benefits from "gentle" smoking. Don't draw too hard, just puff lightly and enjoy. The burn was even all the way down. The ash was light gray and firm, staying on an inch at a time. The cigar burned cool all the way to a nub as long as one obeyed the "smoke-gently rule." Great construction. :thumbs:

The taste is what captured my interest the most in this smoke. Now,I cannot be called an expert on Cuban SLR Serie As, but I have smoked a few. More than anything else, this is what this cigar reminded me of. It started with an herbal explosion right off the bat. This subsided to become a backdrop to mouthfuls of creamy coffee. The combination was quite entrancing. The cigar was on the mild side of medium, truly a great morning smoke. As the cigar progressed, the herbal note became a bit more pronounced and just a bit of wood appeared to compliment the complex mixture. On the back, the creaminess just took over and rocked. This was an excellent cigar.

The 10th Anniversary from Victor Sinclair is a cigar worth trying. I went back and ordered them and coaxed the guy into giving me some more samples. I really enjoyed it. If you want full-bodied, this is not the cigar for you. If you appreciate subtle complexity in a mild cigar, this one will do it. I rate the sample that I smoked an A . I hope they are all this good.

Victor Sinclair Legacy Perfecto

This little cigar was about the same size as a short story, but with a severe box press. The maduro Brazilian wrapper was attractive and had a velvety feel to it. There were no large veins, but some seams were apparent. The pre-light nose was very earthy and peaty, very much like fresh mulch. The pre-light draw was a little tight, mostly do to the shape.

The cigar took only a second to light and the draw opened right up. I love it when a perfecto draws well from the get-go. Smoke production was great and each puff produced heady clouds of thick smoke. The burn was very even, never requireing any corrections or even attention. The ash was white and quite firm. The cigar burned cool down to a nub. Excellently constructed cigar.

The taste was a bit young on this cigar. It started with an earthiness on the palate that was soon replaced by a sweet-herbal combination that I found quite unique. I got practically no coffee from this cigar at all...very unusual for my palate. The sweet-herbal concoction was enhanced by some earthiness again after a bit, but some greeness (youngness) showed up at the mid-point. Not unpleasant, but note-worthy. The cigar ended with some of the herbalness moving toward black tea and the sweet-earth staying around. All in all, not a bad smoke at all.

This little perfecto lasted me only about 30 minutes. Just right for a short smoke. I look forward to trying another sample. If aging enhances these, I think they will be great. For now, my sample was rated a solid B .

 

[AVB]

You’re doing a great job in letting us live vicariously through you. :thumbs:

 

[cigardawg]

Alright, time to revisit Rocky Patel. Rocky has a couple of new product lines out this year. I have already reviewed the Edge Lite which I thought was mediocre. The second was a product called the Olde World.

Rocky Patel "The Olde World"

This was a toro sized cigar with a slight box-press and an absolutely beautiful wrapper. Nice maduro looking wrapper, oily and seamless. This cigar is packed and heavy. In fact, one of their marketing schemes is that the cigar contains more tobacco than any other on the market. They accomplish this with a different rolling technique where they fold the tobacco together carefully instead of the standard bunch. Sounds similar to what the Fuentes do. Anyway, great feeling cigar in the hand. The nose was of concentrated earth and coffee. The pre-light draw was open and easy...perfect.

This cigar sparked easily and the draw stayed just as perfect as during pre-light. With each easy draw, I was rewarded with tremendous amounts of thick, rich smoke. This cigar just smoked itself, no effort required. The burn was sharp as could be, no irregularities or corrections. The ash was a light gray color and very firm, staying on for over an inch at a time. In fact, it was never close to actually falling off, I just ashed it occasionally. The smoke was cool throughout the cigar. I smoked it to the nub and it never heated up. I hope all of the cigars are like this. I can honestly say that this was one of the best constructed cigars that I have ever had the pleasure to smoke. :thumbs:

Upon lighting, the cigar gave me tastes of earth and espresso. The smoke was medium-to-full bodied, with an abundance of flavor. As I got into the cigar, the earth faded to become just a backdrop for one of the longest cups of espresso that I have ever had. This cigar was just that...the taste did not change much, but kept that deep espresso flavor thoughout. Now, the actual product will have a cedar sleave, so this will undoubtably pass on some woodiness to the cigar. However, if you like coffee/espresso in a cigar, this is the one for you. This flavor profile remained more-or-less constant to the end.

This cigar was an absolute delight to smoke. The construction was amazing. The taste was good, though not as complex as I would have liked. Maybe some age will help that along. This cigar is available only to those retailers that spent in excess of $5,000 with Rocky at the RTDA. I did not get these for the shop in Charlottesville. They will also be priced a bit higher than his other lines. I believe in the $8 to $12 range, but don't quote me on that one. I recommend trying these if you find them. I rate the sample that I smoke an A- .

 

[OutlawD]

cigardawg great review. i had one of these the other day. sample from rtda from my manager. loved it absolutely. weve got them comin i think in october. the owner and manager actually had dinner with niche patel at the rtda and he personally handed these out. awesome smokes cant wait till they hit the store :thumbs:

 

[sir-smokes-a-lot]

I second this review!
Picked up a churchill from them.
Wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be a great cigar! If any local shop carried them, would def buy a few.

:thumbs:

For number 2 in the series, I smoked something a little different. There was a company at the RTDA called Tabacalera del Oriente. They are out of Peru and have released a line of 100% Peruvian cigars. This is the San Martin line.

San Martin Robusto

This was a very nice robusto cigar, measuring around 5 inches by 48 ring gauge. I have already passed on the literature to the store owner that I represented, so I don't have it in front of me. The wrapper was a medium-tan color. There were no large veins and the seams were tight. The pre-light nose was actually similar to a Habano, very earthy and peety. The pre-light draw was open and easy...just right.

The cigar lit easily and the flavors exploded right off the bat. The draw stayed just right and each puff coaxed great mouthfuls of medium-to-full bodied smoke from the cigar. The cigar burned dead even throughout, no touch-up required. The smoked stayed cool all the way down. The ash was medium-gray and a little flakey. Some soft spots formed during smoking, but these did not hurt performance. This cigar was well constructed. I must mention that my Mate smoked the little 4" perfecto in the line. It performed just as well as the parejo. Very well constructed cigar. :thumbs:

The taste from this cigar was pleasantly surprising. I was honestly a bit skeptical...didn't know what a wrapper from Peru would be like. I found it much to my liking. The taste was earthy and peppery on initial lighting. This eased into a woody/earthy mixture that had light herbal and citrus notes. The cigar was rich and had a long finish. The flavor profile stayed pretty consistent, with some additional wood coming out after the 1/2 way mark. This was a very enjoyable cigar. My Mate said the perfecto was a little fire-cracker, so I can't wait to try it.

Really cool when a new cigar is constructed as well and tastes as good as this one. I have to give this cigar an A-.

The San Martin should ship within the month. They have the stock to almost immediately fill orders. These cigars come in boxes of 10 and there are 5 or 6 different sizes. They range in price from $5 to $8. I think these cigars will do well if they can make it into people's hands. I know I'll be getting a box as soon (or before) they hit the shelves.

[snapback]211867[/snapback]​

 

[OutlawD]

Found out this weekend there is a corojo version of the old world reserve.
Got one from the man Rocky Patel himself at an event this weekend at the outlaw.
Cant wait til these hit the shelf

 

[cigardawg]

OK, I know I've been a real slackass with regards to getting my reviews done, so here is another cigar that I got at the RTDA show in July.

Edicion de Silvio Maduro Torpedo

Now this is a beautiful cigar. The maduro wrapper was soft to the touch, very smooth. There were a few minor veins, but the seams were almost invisible. The heft of this cigar was something, very well packed with tobacco. The pre-light nose was of earth with a bit of that maduro sweetness. The pre-light draw was just about right...open, but with just enough resistance.

This figurado fell to torch like a natural, requiring little effort to light. The draw stayed just like the pre-light, open, but with a little resistance. Smoke production was good, each puff producing adequate amounts of medium-to-full bodied smoke. This cigar burned razor sharp all the way, never requiring any touch-ups even though I was working the grill and preparing the yard for a party. The smoke was cool throughout, never becoming hot to the mouth or hand. Like the Grovey (reviewed above), excellent construction. :thumbs:

Now, this is what I look for in a premium smoke. If I am going to pay this kind of money for a cigar, I want some flavor. Got it with this one. It started off with a burst of earth and coffee and settled into more of an earthy profile. There was just a bit of the maduro sweetness, but nothing cloying. As it progressed, it developed more coffee flavors and the Nicaraguan tobacco came through with just a little bit of sweet spice. Past the 1/2 mark, it developed a bit of wood flavors, but he coffee and earth remained to create a very nice balance. This was an excellent cigar.

The only wish I had was that I had smoked it indoors while doing nothing but concentrating on the cigar. I would have liked to savor this one. As it is, I still give it an A. I will look for these when they are released. I didn't much care for the original EDS, but the maduro (and the Cameroon-wrapped Grovey) really did it for me.

 

[cigardawg]

Ok, next up is the Gran Habano VL. I have actually smoked 3 of these since the RTDA show. Obviously I like them. Here is my review.

Gran Habano VL Grand Robusto

This is a great looking cigar. A massive robusto extra (5 1/2 x 54 I think). It seems bigger. It is also packed with tobacco...advertised as made in the "old style" of folding the tobacco instead of simple bunching. Anyway, the Nicaraguan maduro wrapper is dark and oily, showing some veins, but few seams. The pre-light nose is of earth and green mulch...a little young? The pre-light draw is open and easy, very typical of this brand of cigars.

The cigar took a little to light as the wrapper is almost dripping with oil. Once lit, the draw stayed open and the smoke production was out of this world. Abundant mouthfuls of thick, rich smoke with each puff. The burn was even for the most part, though the open draw made the cigar susceptable to tunneling. Just had to pay attention. The cigar burned a little hot near the end, once again due to the open draw. The ash was very white and firm, staying on over an inch and a half at a time. Well constructed cigar. :thumbs:

Note: I have smoked two of the Grand Robustos and one of the Torpedos. Both Grand Robustos performed as described above. The Torpedo, however, had serious burn issues. After about 1 1/2 inches, the cigar developed a hot-spot an inch away from the burn line. It burned all the way through and then the cigar just seemed to collapse. I've never had a cigar do that before.

Now to the taste. This is why I like this cigar and its cousin, the Corojo No. 5. The flavors in initial lighting were primarily of earth and espresso. In fact, the shot of espresso was quite impressive. As the cigar burned, the earth and coffee espresso flavors balanced out nicely. As I approached the midpoint, the cigar developed a bit of a greenness to it. There was no ammonia, but there was definite youth. It was at this point that the cigar's flavors became a bit muddled. As I reached the back end of the cigar, some wood developed, but it was overshadowed by the green earthy flavors of the young tobacco.

This is a cigar that will benefit from age. From the oily wrapper that doesn't really want to stay lit to the green earthy flavors...it needs time. I think it will most definitely improve. For now, the flavors were still good enough to earn it a B+.

 

[junkman_56]

Thanks for the review Scot.
I really like these reviews of the new cigars. It gives me some idea of what to try next.
I also really like Nicaraguan tobacco...

 

[macms]

Oh my. When I read CigarDawg's reviews I want to sit down with his review and the smoke and take the journey... :thumbs:

 

[cigardawg]

OK, here is another cigar that I received at the show. I smoked it a few days ago. Not sure of the vitola, but it was a short robusto.

Perdomo Estate Seleccion Vintage

This cigar was a short robusto, measuring maybe 4 1/2 inches by approximately 50-52 ring gauge. This was the natural wrapped version, but it is also being released in maduro and, I believe, Cameroon. There were no appreciable veins and the seams were well done. The pre-light nose was mild, but was of good pungent earth and wood. The pre-light draw was just right, not too firm, not too loose.

This little robusto lit right up and proceeded to burn well. The draw stayed open and easy, each puff producing mouthfuls of rich smoke. The smoke was nice and thick, floating aimlessly in the still evening air. The burn, as with the last several Perdomo cigars that I have smoked, was even and sharp, requiring no touch-ups or corrections. The ash was white and firm, making this a two ash cigar. This robusto burned nice and cool and I was able to nub it without it getting hot. Great construction.

Now, I didn't like the taste of this cigar in its first incarnation. I liked the maduro, but not the natural. This cigar has now been reincarnated. It started off with some nice coffee flavors with just a bit of "initial-light-toasty" flavors. After about a 1/4 inch, this cigar really settled into a nice creamy smoke. The coffee flavors remained, but a creamy (almost buttery) smoothness crept in and stayed throughout the rest of the smoke. On the back end, the flavors developed a bit more wood and additional toasty/charred flavors, but the creaminess stayed around. Very nice cigar.

Before going to the show, I was not a Perdomo fan. After smoking several of their offerings this year, I'm turning over a bit of a new leaf. I just hope they keep it up. I give this cigar an A- .