Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 robusto

[Don Fernando]

Some time ago I got myself a Rocky Patel vintage 1990 robusto, a 140mm long ring 50 cigar made with a 12 year old Honduran broadleaf wrapper and a 7 year old filler and binder. This particular cigar received a ‘best of the best’ at the 2004 Robb report and a 92 score at Cigar Aficionado so my expectations were high.

It is a beautiful cigar, pretty wrapper, nice stylish band, a real looker and it also feels good. The predraw was light and easy and lighting this cigar was a piece of cake. An easy draw but no flavor. It took a few puffs to finally get a flavor and it was very light leather which grows stronger when I reach the 1/3rd point where a hint of cacao and a light fresh sour flavor also enter my palate. Somewhere around the half of the cigar the cacao grows a bit stronger but it’s still to light for my taste.

The ash is beautiful, white & gray and firm of construction. Just before I reach the half of the cigar the burn starts to get crooked so I have to correct. My correction was just a short success because the burn keeps on getting crooked and I keep on correcting. It is hard to keep this cigar burning correctly

This cigar is mild bodied, way too mild for me. Maybe I should try the 1992 vintage, that cigar is medium to full bodied according to the Rocky Patel website.

Would I buy this cigar again? No.