Rocky Patel Royale Review

3/21/2014

Cigar: Rocky Patel Royale
Size: Robusto, 5.0”x52 (box-pressed)
MSRP: $8.95
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Origin: Nicaragua

Prelight: The construction looked pretty good; oily and dark, uniform with no soft spots. I clipped the tip with my Xikar guillotine and the cold-draw was pretty much all chocolate. I was excited for a creamy cocoa cigar. Draw was perfect.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...CB57E919D7.jpg

1/3: The chocolate was there, as well as some wood. There was an undertone which reminded me of a sweetened cereal. The smoke was pouring off of it, and the smoke was cool and smooth. Again, perfect draw. The burn line quickly became wavy. I refrained from a touch up so early, hoping it would correct itself. By the end of the first third, the cocoa faded and the wood flavor became dominant.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...726A15A204.jpg

2/3: The burn started to correct itself. A small crack did appear right under the second band (which, by the way are gorgeous). This is probably due to its youth. I got this cigar from my local B&M only a few weeks ago, so it was probably still closer to 70%rh than 65%rh. The extra moisture could have cracked the wrapper. Wood became the only flavor I got from the second third. Still perfect draw.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...B9C18A86D6.jpg

3/3: The burn remained good for a while. However it did tunnel a bit towards the nub. Still wood. Not much else. Except I did pick up a taste of what reminded me of a burnt match. A wee bit of sweetness reemerged as well. Burn time was a hair under an hour.

Overall: Good cigar. Not complex, but easy to smoke. I would smoke one of these again, but would probably like to see it rest for about a year to see if any subtle complexities emerge. If you like a woody, medium bodied stick, I recommend giving the RP Royale a shot.