Rocky Patel

White Label

Middle of the road of the 3 I've had so far.

Tightly wound great ash....

Disclosures up front: I prefer a Toro or Corona size cigar. This was a 7x50 Churchill that I bought in a 5 pack from Cigars International after it received a high rating in Cigar Aficiandos annual ratings. It sat for a year in my 100 cigar humidor, which I keep at 69 via Boveda packs. The sit let it become a really great morning smoke, pissed at myself for not letting more of the fiver sit before smoking. Smoke volume much improved over the course of a year, currently a high volume light grey plume. Flavor went from offensive astrigent to mild vegetal. That is a plus for me. If I'm smoking a Churchill, that is a 1 hour sit. I don't want to get my butt kicked by nicotine inside of 10 minutes. A cigar should mellow, the flavors should become more nuanced over time. That happened here, and I consider that a sign of a good cigar. As released, this is not a high quality cigar. If you have the patience and humidifier, after 10-12 months this becomes the cigar your smoke with the Sunday papers.

Cereal and creamy notes out of the gate with spice but not terrible. I think this stick is on the wet side so it’s requiring a lot of care keeping the smoke going. The burn got a little better but still a disappointing stick. Got a couple other RP sticks to try hopefully they are better

Revisiting after three and a half months in the humidor. First third benefitted from the rest, astringency reduced to vegetal, draw remains extremely constricted in the middle third. Final third mellowed out as well, the trade for such a tightly packed stick with bad draw is the finish isn't hot.

For the birds way below average and I smoked two different vitolas.

Not really my cup of tea, prefer a medium-full blend. Astringent taste at beginning of the final third, like smoking asparagus. Burn deteriorated half way through and never sorted itself out. Draw was excellent, as was the Connecticut Shade wrapper. Hay, cedar, woods dominate first and final thirds, flavor lacks focus in the middle. Until you hit the asparagus. It does have a nice mellow finish.