Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 Robusto

GC — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:57:00 GMT

Background:

The latest in Rocky's Seasonal selections is the Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 (also known as the Winter Blend). This year's cigar sports a dark Ecuadorian Habano Wrapper with a dual binder from Costa Rica and Mexico, and fillers from both Panama and Nicaragua. An interesting blend with tobaccos from more than 4 countries. Let's see how it stacks up to the successful 2009 Rocky Winter Blend, and if it feels like a Winter cigar..

Construction / Prelight:

This 5 1/2 " box-pressed Robusto is a very attractive smoke. The aroma that comes off the cigar when you take it out of the cellophane is mouth watering! The dark reddish brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is smooth and oily. The construction is great, the cigar is well packed, with no soft spots to speak of. The pre-light draw gives a sweet spice mixed with tobacco profile. Can't wait to fire this one up.

First Third:

Right off the bat, Rocky's New Winter Collection gives a great blast of flavor and a TON of smoke. The cigar starts off with a leathery sweetness with some peppery spice and a nice clean finish. Although well packed the draw is a tad on the loose side, making an average puff fill the air with clouds of aromatic smoke. I've had to touch up the cigar a bit with my lighter to keep it on the straight, I'm attributing the wavering burn to the looser draw. The cigar has a dark chocolate, espresso sweetness reminiscent of the Casa Magna Domus Magnus and a slight cedar or oak profile. These flavors continue on throughout the first third with excellent balance.

Second Third:

Onto the second third, the leather and earthy flavors are in the forefront, mixing well with the rich sweetness of the blend. The body is medium at this point, possibly a little stronger, but nothing too wild yet. The 2012 Winter Blend has a ton of character, a very enjoyable combination of flavors that are bold and mix well. I think the cigar does a good job of being a "winter" batch. Its richness and bold flavor, combined with a long finish gives the Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 a true winter feel. I could definitely see myself lighting one of these up after a heavy holiday feast, a perfect topper to a belly warming meal.

Final Third:

All the draw and burn issues I was having at the start of the smoke have worked themselves out. The cigar basically just corrected itself and started to burn near perfectly. The body and spice have picked up in the final third, I'd say the body has easily reached medium - full. The sweetness that was initially in the forefront of the profile has dropped off into the distance. The earthy core of the cigar continued to play out until I nubbed it.

Overall:

I was a big fan of the 2009 Rocky Patel Winter Blend, another bold blend with a PA Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. I think Rocky has succeeded in creating a similar bold and flavorful (heavy) Winter Blend, but with it's own character. What this blend lacks in complexity and elegance it makes up for with a boldness of flavor. A great medium to full cigar loaded with a unique flavor that while not varied, is balanced and very tasty. As all seasonal blends, the Winter Collection is limited, so grab yours while you can! Only 2000 boxes of each size were made this year.

Check out Our Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 brand page to see availability or call us 1 (800) 887-7877 to order.

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Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 Robusto