REview: Reo by Rocky Patel

[OHRD]

Size: Robutso, 5×52, Box-pressed

Wrapper: Sumatran seed grown in Costa Rica (Aged 5 years)

Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan mixed long-fillers

Strength: Medium-Full

Price: Box of 20, $49.99

Grade: 8.8

Coming from Rocky Patel and blended by EO Brands, the Reo was originally released in 2005. I purchased a 5-pack from Cigar Bid a year or so ago and I payed around $17; the boxes are currently on sale at Cigars International. Listed as a medium-full bodied smoke, the Robusto is shaped with a very nice box-press.

Appearance, 1.7:

I used a punch on this stick and the pre-light draw was perfect; the smell from foot to cap was consistently sweet with no variation in between. The box-press was very nice and the triple cap really set this off as a top quality cigar. The stick had a nice weight to it with only sleight veins. The dark, oily stick was complimented by a large, multi-colored band.

Burn, 1.9:

The quality and hold of the ash was nearly perfect. A slight gray with very few inconsistencies in color, the ash held well beyond the first 1/3. The draw from the pre-light matched perfectly during the burn; the draw was superb throughout the entire stick. There were no touch-ups, runs, or re-lights required and the burn was a perfect circle throughout. It lit very easily with a great cloud of smoke from the first puff.

Flavor, 2.6:

The largest deduction of points came in the flavor profile, though this doesn’t say much since very few points were deducted throughout the smoke. The first and last 1/3 carried similar profiles—sweet and a bit mild with a slight hint of peppermint. During the middle 1/3 the more mild sweetness passed and a slight harshness arrived, though very brief; The middle 1/3 showed why this is considered a medium-full smoke, though I’d classify this stick as simply medium. The middle section also brought a bit of pepper in the back of the throat. With the shift in flavor, this stick ranked high for me in complexity.

Overall, 2.6:

This stick ranked perfectly on my value rating; this is an excellent smoke, especially when you can get a box of 20 for under $50. I enjoyed this smoke immensely and would certainly recommend it as a box purchase; this stick has been in my humidor for close to a year and the flavor profiles improved from my earlier smoke a few months back. Final words, an excellent smoke!

(Total: 8.8)