Initial Thoughts:
The first time I had the Rocky Patel Special Edition, I was in Nashua, New Hampshire. You can find that review here. And while that cigar only earned a CigarScore 4, I have fond memories of the smoking experience. So today, we're going back in time and giving the Rocky Patel Special Edition a second chance.
The Rocky Patel Special Edition Robusto is a great-looking cigar. Starting with the fancy label, this cigar looks quite luxurious and like a truly “special edition” stick. The cigar itself has a slight box-press to it.
When I cut the cigar with my guillotine, the cigar felt a little spongy and I hoped we'd be able to avoid construction issues. On the cold draw, the resistance was about perfect and offered up hints of cedar.
After torching the foot, the aroma of the smoke was rich and sweet. The first few puffs of smoke were thick, rich, and almost syrupy. Also, there was some musty sweetness that added some odd depth to the experience.
CigarScore:
Brand: Rocky Patel
Line: Special Edition
Size: 5 1/2 x 50
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Price: $10.70
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 68 minutes
Through the first half of the Rocky Patel Special Edition Robusto, the flavors were really quite delicious. However, starting around the halfway point, perhaps closer to the start of the final third, the flavors declined.
Also, while the construction of the cigar was mostly good, the cigar did develop a burn issue that had to be fixed.
Final Thoughts
In the final third, the flavors of the Rocky Patel Special Edition Robusto became bitter and unpleasant.
While the smoke time was pretty good, at over an hour, and the first half of the cigar was fantastic, the second half really fell off and the cigar ended up being a mediocre experience. For these reasons, the Rocky Patel Special Edition Robusto earns a CigarScore 3.