Size: 52 X 165 (6.5")Shape: Toro
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador
Smoking time: 1 3/4 hour
Beverage: McAuslan St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Beverage: McAuslan St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Rocky Patel has a multitude of cigars on the market, each with a (presumably) unique blend and many coming in more than one size. While other enthusiasts in our local shop feel that Rocky Patel has cheapened his brand by releasing a number of mediocre smokes, one would be hard-pressed to consider the Decade as one of these sub-par cigars.
This particular cigar had been resting in my humidor for about six months, and it had a few splits in the wrapper from being moved around too much. However, the construction was otherwise good, with a fairly strong box press and a matte (but dark) wrapper. It is a dense cigar, with a heavy feel in the hand. The head clipped off easily with my Palio cutter, and the pre-light draw revealed some notes of wood and tobacco with a perfect and unhindered draw.
I lit the cigar using three wooden matches, but had some trouble establishing an even light, so I touched it up with a torch lighter just to make sure there were no burn issues down the road. The first few draws produced thick volumes of smoke, bringing well-balanced flavours of leather, chocolate, and coffee. The cedar notes remained in the background, particularly on the finish. As the first third progressed, the flavours took turns coming in and out of prominence, and I began to notice a hint of vanilla creep in to the background from time to time.
Throughout the cigar, the burn remained sharp and consistent, and the ash held tight while every puff yielded plenty of rich, flavourful smoke that never became bitter or harsh. However, the medium body and initial flavours remained fairly consistent for the remainder of this cigar; had there been more variability in the flavour and a little more strength, this would have ranked higher. But for the very good cigar that it is, I give it four Castros out of five.
This particular cigar had been resting in my humidor for about six months, and it had a few splits in the wrapper from being moved around too much. However, the construction was otherwise good, with a fairly strong box press and a matte (but dark) wrapper. It is a dense cigar, with a heavy feel in the hand. The head clipped off easily with my Palio cutter, and the pre-light draw revealed some notes of wood and tobacco with a perfect and unhindered draw.
I lit the cigar using three wooden matches, but had some trouble establishing an even light, so I touched it up with a torch lighter just to make sure there were no burn issues down the road. The first few draws produced thick volumes of smoke, bringing well-balanced flavours of leather, chocolate, and coffee. The cedar notes remained in the background, particularly on the finish. As the first third progressed, the flavours took turns coming in and out of prominence, and I began to notice a hint of vanilla creep in to the background from time to time.
Throughout the cigar, the burn remained sharp and consistent, and the ash held tight while every puff yielded plenty of rich, flavourful smoke that never became bitter or harsh. However, the medium body and initial flavours remained fairly consistent for the remainder of this cigar; had there been more variability in the flavour and a little more strength, this would have ranked higher. But for the very good cigar that it is, I give it four Castros out of five.
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