Tag Archives: rocky patel

by | February 18, 2024 · 8:34 am

A Couple Rocky Patel Cigars and a HVC Seleccion No. 1

I stopped in to my local Cigar Mojo Thursday evening as the Rocky Patel rep, Alex, was stopping in. It was a fairly quiet evening there, people wise, not really sound wise. Between the air system and the music, I struggle with being able to hear people talk in there (most places, really), it’s fine if I’m there alone, but it’s hard for me to carry on a conversation. I have some specific hearing loss issues, so that’s my problem, if we are ever together and I ask you to repeat yourself, that’s why.  Anyway, I picked out a couple cigars I hadn’t smoked before, that weren’t the $100 Conviction.  I lit up a, A.L.R. Second Edition in the Toro size.  I always liked the Rocky Patel Toros, 6½” x 52, I like that extra half inch.  The A.L.R. has a San Andrés wrapper, although not maduro to my eye or palate. The binder and filler are Nicaraguan and the “limited” part of the “aged,” “limited” and “rare” is that they only made 120,000 of them. While that seems like a big number, it’s not UNlimited, so there’s that. They are aged 2 years and rare?, not sure about the rare part.  I’ve heard raves about this cigar, and it wasn’t inexpensive (by my standards), so I had expectations.  Sadly, those expectations were not exceeded, however it was a fine cigar.  It has some cocoa and woodyness, I liked it enough, but it wasn’t mindblowing. Solid B+.  I left Mojo after the cigar to watch hockey a home, it literally only takes me a TV timeout to get home from there. 

 

Friday evening I smoked another Rocky Patel cigar that I hadn’t smoked before, the Disciple. Why is this Toro only 6″ insead of 6½”?  Seems like it comes from the same factory in Nicaragua.  I was drawn to the color scheme, and the fact that it was the only other one (besides the aforementioned silly $100 cigar), that I hadn’t moked before. The copper and black bands look sharm against the San Andrés maduro wrapper.  With the binder and fillers listed as Nicaraguan, the blend looks identical to the A.L.R., but this is a vastly different cigar!  For one, this is one I really liked, which means it will probably be discontinued soon, as happens with every RP cigar I’ve found that I liked.  I hope this isn’t the case, this one was right up my alley. It had dark chocolate and dark dried fruits, a flavor combo I like a lot.  No complaints about the burn and draw on either of the RP cigars I smoked, I generally have no problems with TAVICUSA output.  They do a nice job in that factory, although I’ve probably moked more All Saints than Rocky Patel.  This is a must try.

 

Also while I was at Mojo I grabbed a HVC Seleccion No. 1 Maduro Podorosos, the toro size.  I’ve really been enjoying the HVC line and have been trying to sample something new whenever I stop in there.  I’ve got some catching up to do.  This is yet another San Andrés wrapped cigar with Nicaraguan binder and fillers, I’ve apparently fallen into a rut.  A delicious rut, as this is another cigar that I really enjoyed.  It would have been totally appropriate for me to have smoked an Upsetters from Foundation as we saw the Bob Marley: One Love movie yesterday, but I neither had one on hand, nor do I desire to smoke an infused cigar.  Not even the least bit curious.  The HVC Seleccion No. 1 Maduro was really tasty, rich and meaty.  I feel compelled to sample the natural version next time.  I continue to be impressed with the HVC line.  If you’re wondering, “Poderosos” translates to “Powerful”, which I don’t think this cigar necessarily is, but I would call it full bodied.

 

I believe I promised to announce a winner of the giveaway, which includes a five pack of the Crowned Heads Mother Church, along with five other cigars from my humidor.  I have to say, I’m disappointed in the turnout for this one, although it’s better odds for those who entered!  I consulted the random number generator and it selected the third comment, which is Craig Gilpin!  I might be able to save postage on this one as Craig in addition to having an excellent name, is local. Congrats Craig! Let’s plan to meet up! 

 

That’s all for today, we’re off to tour the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia today.  I’m going to resist the urge to smoke some Al Capone cigars (probably not hard).  Until the next time. 

 

CigarCraig

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by | January 8, 2023 · 10:05 am

Reinado Grand Apex, JTrain, Fosforo and Rocky Patel Cigars

First week of 2023 is in the books.  I managed to smoke a few new-to-me cigars this week!  First off was the Fosforo Toro, a 6″x 50 cigar with a Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Condego and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua.  This is a creation of Jeff Mouttet of Riverside Cigars, and is distributed by Pospiech Inc., Mike Szczepankiewicz’s distribution company.  Ironically, I also smoked a Guaimaro yesterday, also distributed by Pospiech.  This cigar, while it looks like it could come out of Nica Sueno (RoMaCraft), it’s actually made at Garmendia, the factory which makes West Tampa Cigar Co.’s cigars.  The cigar is tasty, some earthiness, some espresso and cocoa, very much up my alley.  Burn and draw were perfect, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Thanks to my Secret Santa, once again, for sharing this with me!

 

I may be going out of order, but I’m probably the only one bothered by that! I also smoked the Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary, which I picked up on a recent visit to Goose’s Montecristo Lounge.  I’m probably one of the few people who haven’t smoked a whole lot of RP Edge cigars, I’ve probably only smoked a couple, to be honest.  Not sure why, just is.  I felt like I wanted to give this anniversary cigar a try, and it’s a little pricier than the regular Edge line.  It’s advertised as having 10 year aged tobaccos, although exactly which tobaccos are aged isn’t clear.  The wrapper is an Ecuador Sumatra, with Nicaraguan and Honduran files and binder.  I’m used to Sumatra having a unique sweetness, and this one started out with a cloying pepper spice that I wasn’t ready for. it was tongue coating.  Eventually it smoothed out, and was a very nice smoke.  I’d smoke this again, and I suppose I should samply my way through the Edge line, I think there’s 23 different cigars in that line? 🙂

 

Almost a year ago I saw John Remer at the TPE and he gave me his JTrain cigar, made at La Zona by Protocol Cigars. It has the Protocol logo in the band at least.  John has a web show called Johnny Smokes Uncut, and a facebook group of the same name. I’m not sure what’s up with the “uncut” part of the name.  Obviously one can’t smoke a cigar uncut, I have to assume it refers to the videos being unedited. This Robusto is 5″ x 50 and has a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper,with  Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers.  There are several cigars from this factory which are among my favorites, the La Sirena, and most of the no longer produced Cornelius and Anthony line (Someone recently compared the C&A Meridian to the new Knuckle Sandwich, the y may be similar, but all of the C&A cigars had some Virginia tobacco in them that I don’t think is available to La Zona any more).  The JTrain cigar hit me with a really different flavor, it was almost acidic, with an odd spice. It must have turned out OK because I stopped taking notes, a sure sign I am enjoying a cigar.  I have an FTrain that John gave me at the PCA show on deck, anymore I am not satisfied by a robusto, I save them to fit certain times, and I have a crapload of robustos in my stock.  

 

Finally, I smoked a Reinado Grand Apex Gordo this week. This is a 6″ x 60 cigar that has a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers and is made at Aganorsa’s TABSA factory.  I’ve known Antonio Lam, the owner of Reinado Cigars, for a very long time.  When I met him he was making cigars with Yadi Gonzalez, maker of Flor de Gonzalez cigars.  We had some amusing times trying to record pieces at the IPCPR show a few years back. Antonio is a Jersey guy, and the Grand Apex has an altruistic side to it, as some proceeds go to Dementia Society of America.  Anyone who’s been reading here for any period of time will know that this cigar is my kind of cigar.  Maybe not so obvious is that many cigars that come out of Aganorsa aren’t particularly interesting to me.  I try, of course, but I haven’t found one that hits me just right. This one, however, does.  It’s got my espresso, along with some dark fruits, and I really dig it.  It’s definitely on my “buy” list, even in this size.  Great job Antonio and Aganorsa!  

 

That’s all for today. I was hoping to get to a shop today, but it looks like the grandkids are coming by, so that will have to wait, some things are more important!  Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | October 12, 2022 · 5:55 pm

News: The Return of Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve 

This is kinda interesting.  I remember the Olde World Reserve being pretty tasty, and I might have an old  lancero floating around somewhere. These are the ones that used to have a homogenized tobacco paper sleeve, right?  Phillips and King seems to be more prevalent on the west half of the country I think, maybe I’m wrong about that. I’ll have to ask my local store owners about that.  

 

Phillips & King now exclusively distributing the much-sought-after cigar in Corojo and Maduro. 

(October 2022) Phillips & King is giving a hero’s welcome to Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve. This highly  desired cigar is returning to the premium cigar category 10 years after its initial release, and is now being exclusively distributed by Phillips & King as of late September 2022. Known in the industry for  their exceptional product selection and service, Phillips & King is pleased to add this customer-favorite,  whose bold blend helped put Rocky Patel on the map when it was first launched. 

 

“Rocky Patel’s Olde World Reserve is an iconic cigar that every premium tobacconist should  have in stock,” says Jason Carignan, President of  Phillips & King. “And the royal treatment from  Phillips & King is ideal for its grand re-entry to the market. We are excited to partner with the great minds and industry veterans at Rocky Patel, and are even more excited to get these cigars into the hands of our retail customers. The smokes are beautifully nuanced, and truly incomparable. We see great success ahead for both of our brands.” 

 

One of Rocky Patel’s best-selling cigars to date, the Olde World Reserve offers a medium-to-full-bodied  profile, with Nicaraguan binders and fillers, and two wrappers that bring their distinct regional flavors to  the overall experience:

 

The Maduro. Richly dark in color, this cigar is hand-rolled at Rocky Patel’s TaviCusa Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and delivers flavors of volcanic earthiness, natural tobacco sweetness, and black pepper with a salted caramel finish. It is available in the following sizes: Robusto, Sixty, Toro.

The Corojo. Hand-rolled at the Paraiso Factory in Danli, Honduras, this smooth cigar offers notes of toasty wood and graham cracker complemented by the natural sweetness of the Corojo leaf. It is available in the following sizes: Robusto, Sixty, Toro.

 

With an extensive network of distribution and tax compliance capabilities, Phillips & King will be  shipping the Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve cigars to retailers in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands,  Guam, Puerto Rico, and globally to US military bases. For more information or to place an order to carry  Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve, please visit phillipsandking.com or call 800-532-4427. 

 

About Phillips & King 

Phillips & King, a subsidiary of Kretek International, Inc., is a leading distributor of specialty tobacco,  alternative smoking products, and accessories in the United States. Since 1906, the company has built a  strong reputation by focusing on independent and small chain convenience, tobacco, and liquor  retailers. Phillips & King offers an unparalleled catalog of products and ships to all 50 states, the US  Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and globally to US military bases, providing hassle-free tobacco tax  compliance, easy web-ordering and a team of knowledgeable customer service experts. For more  information, please visit phillipsandking.com.

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by | January 20, 2021 · 9:23 pm

Rocky Patel Dark Dominican Toro Cigar

Today I’m going to feature the Rocky Patel Dark Dominican Toro. Oddly, Rocky Patel cigars don’t regularly feature here, and I’m not sure why that is. There are several cigars in the portfolio that I enjoy, unfortunately, the ones I like tend to get discontinued. One that comes to mind was the oddly named Super Ligero. I really liked that one, apparently I was one of the few. A good friend and loyal reader, PJ, sent me a few of these cigars because he had a hunch that I’d enjoy them. PJ and I met up last year when I visited Miami, and we do have the same taste in cigars, although I believe his palate is more refined (which I’m sure he’d argue). I am not sure what the deal is with this cigar, is it so new that it’s not on the Rocky Patel website? Is it a catalog brand? I’m not sure. I scavenged some details from some retail sources: It has a Maduro Sumatra wrapper (perhaps grown in the DR), Costa Rican binder, and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers, and is made in General Cigar’s Dominican factory. An aside, in October, it will be ten years since I visited that factory! I have some cigars from that trip that I should get around to smoking! I can see why PJ was anxious for me to try this cigar! I was very happy to smoke this, as it fit my preferences perfectly. The Sumatra wrapper is sweet, and the maduro fermentation makes it even sweeter. Smoking this is like eating a piece of chocolate cake, it’s dense and rich, and delicious. Both samples I smoked burned perfectly. Thanks to PJ for this and the other great cigars! I appreciate it more than you know! 

 

That’s al for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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by | August 26, 2020 · 9:21 pm

Cigar Bundles of Miami Tampa Behike Maduro and Rocky Patel Edge Barrel Aged Cigars

It’s been a busy week so far, but that’s good. My cigar consumption is down by about 50% just because my afternoons are consumed by a job where they weren’t before! I’m not suffering any ill effects! I dug into another pack of cigars that CigarProp Kevin sent me, these were from Cigar Bundles of Miami, a retailer in, you guessed it, Miami. I’ll get to the others in the pack Sunday, but I started with the Tampa Blend Behike Maduro, a pigtailed 6″ x 56,  which actually measured slightly longer than 6″ by my ruler. I don’t complain when they measure longer. This was a really nice looking cigar, and, according to the website, they retail around $8. I have no idea what the blend is, but the cigar was flavorful, what I expect from a Maduro cigar, tasty cocoa and coffee flavors with some sweetness. If I had to guess, I’d venture to say that the wrapper was San Andrés, but that would just be a guess. It was solidly medium and burned very well, was nicely constructed, and burned a solid two hours. I’d probably allow this to dry a bit if I were to smoke this again, but it was certainly a nice cigar. I am looking forward to smoking the rest of the cigars in this sampler. 

 

I was going to smoke one of the other cigars in the sampler tonight, but one of my new coworkers threw me a curve ball. One of the guys who started the same day I did is a fellow cigar lover, and he said he smokes Diesels, so I gave him a Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask as it’s my favorite Diesel and he hadn’t heard of it. He didn’t understand that I give cigars and don’t expect reciprocity, and returned the gesture today with a Rocky Patel Edge Barrel Aged Toro, which is another one of his favorites. Of course, I appreciate the gesture, it’s always fun to trade cigars, and I hadn’t smoked this cigar, so I figured this would be tonight’s cigar. I can see this becoming a thing. I’m liking this new gig. This cigar might be a Cigars International Exclusive, as I know that this gentleman lives in the Lehigh Valley and frequents the downtown Bethlehem, PA store, and I don’t see it listed on the Rocky Patel website. The cigar was a 6″ x 52 toro, and has a Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. This was a good smoke, fairly heavy with a good load of spice. As I’ve mentioned many times before, nearly 30 years without a drink I have no frame of reference for any residual flavors that may be imparted by bourbon barrels, but the flavor of the cigar was good, rich, spicy and earthy. Again, it was on the stronger side and I liked it. Thanks to John for sharing this one with me, and I’m glad he enjoyed the Diesel! 

 

I’m patiently awaiting my Smoke Inn Battle of the Bands sampler(s), go check out the competition and buy a sampler or two from tour favorite cigar media contestant! There might be something special happening here surrounding this coming soon!  that’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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