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Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Decade Toro
By Eric | May 5, 2008 |
Note from Cigar Jack: Eric Moore is another addition to the reviewers on the site. Please give him a warm welcome!
Brand: Rocky Patel
Line: Decade
Vitola: Toro 6 1/2 x 52
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Flavor: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $10 Single
Commemorating Rocky Patel’s ten years of premium cigars is the Decade. Boasted as the best of Patel blends to date, this attractive line is made in Danlí Honduras at the El Paraiso factory. The Decade is donned with a yellow dual band making it quite clear you’re about to smoke a cigar ten years in the making. You can hear Rocky himself on this blend here.
Construction: The Decade is lightly box pressed with a dark, oily, chocolate colored Ecuadorian wrapper. A close inspection revealed few small veins and a solid cap. There was a slight give as I gently squeezed the length of the cigar without any soft spots, however the foot appeared to have a few stems. Also discovered was a stem beneath the wrapper just below the head. A rich aroma was observed from the wrapper and foot. Draw throughout was excellent, with just a touch of firmness.
Burn: Wavy burn line after lighting and ashing, but always corrected itself. No touch up was necessary for the entire duration of this cigar. Ash was light gray in color and somewhat flaky, holding for nearly an inch and a half before falling. My previous experiences with other Decades sizes had a much lighter color and held more firmly. For those sensitive to cigar odor I found the Decade’s aroma to be quite pleasant.
Flavor: In my experience with the Decade series I found it to be medium bodied with a short, dry finish. Starting off slightly stronger towards the beginning it quickly leveled becoming just slightly milder and remained cool for the duration of my smoke. Flavors are reminiscent of the Vintage series; Rocky Patel fans can always detect this common flavor. I found it to be a smooth, rich tobacco taste with some creaminess. No pronounced flavors were observed.
Verdict: A must for any fans of Rocky Patel’s previous blends. I have and will continue to recommend this cigar. If the price point isn’t a deal breaker I would urge you to give them a try. I’ve been fortunate enough to find them from time to time at my local B&M and will continue to purchase when in stock. As they appear to be not available through online retailers, it might be your only chance to give these Decades a try if you spot them.
The Decade has previously received an impressive 95 rating in the Torpedo by Cigar Insider and received CigarMonkey.com’s Golden Monkey award.
Popularity: 24% [?]
Tags: Cigar Reviews, Honduras, Rocky Patel Cigars, Video
Topics: Cigar Reviews | 15 Comments »
15 Responses to “Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Decade Toro”
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May 5th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Eric nice review and welcome to Cigar Jack. I’ve been a long time Rocky Patel fanboi but a lot of his latest creations just haven’t done it for me including the Decade.
Looks like I may have to give the Decade another shot based on your review. Maybe I missed something.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I had one that was really good, and then one turn bitter on my about halfway through. I’ll have to give this one another try.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Eric,
Nice review. How does the Decade compare to the Olde World Reserve? The latter is my favorite of the Patel line to date, but I haven’t tried the Decade yet.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Glad to see it’s not just me. The last few RPs I’ve had didn’t really do anything for me. That’s why I haven’t tried this one. I guess I need to track one down. Every nice review Eric.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Thanks for the comments guys. I enjoyed doing the review and look forward to doing more. I have a few left if you have trouble finding any. ;)
Alex:
I’ll have to locate an OWR as its been a while since I’ve had one. You’ve got me wanting to try it again after hearing that you consider it to be your favorite.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I love the plumes of smoke you get from smoking this cigar. It has great flavor but I also noticed a slight bitter after taste.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Great review. I was just chilling at a B&M when the owner handed one for me to smoke. I wasn’t too excited, as I’m not too much of a RP fan. But this was just delicious.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:26 am
i love this cigar this is in my list of top favorates i allways have to have at least 8 or more in my humidor i love these great smokes…heres my others…..ashton vsg…ashton…esg…cornado by laflor…cabiguan…cabiguan guapo…cabiguan guapo maduro…ashton maduro…cao italia…cao brazilia…cao america…cao mx2….don pepin garcia blue label…don pepin series jj…don pepin cuban classic…el centurion…el rey del mundo salado cabinet…bolivar cofradia oscuro…fonseca cubano limitado…fuente opusx…fuente anejo…fuente shory story…fuente untold story maduro…fuente between the lines…gurkha 1887 black…gurkha shaggy…gurkha master select…gurkha black dragon…gurkha titan…gran habano habano…gran habano 3 siglos…illusione 888…illusion c/g4…illusione mk…litto gomez diez…litto gomez diez small batch #2…la flor dominicana double ligro…la gloria cubana serie r maduro…la gloria cubana serie r…la gloria cubana…la gloria cubana maduro…auroa 1495 blend…oliva special s…oliva serie v…padilla miami…padilla 1932…padilla habano…padron 1926 80th anniversary maduro…padron 1926 40th anniversary maduro…padron 1926 maduro #2 and #9…padron 1964 maduro exclusivo and imperial…padron 1964 exclusivo and imperial…padron 6000 maduro…rocky patel decade…rocky patel vintage 1999…rocky patel vintage 1990…master blend by oliva…sosa wavell…tatuaje miami…tatuaje cojonu 2003…tatuaje reserva sw…tatuaje black…tatuaje havana…tatuaje east…tatuaje west…la requiza…perdomo lot 23…perdomo lot 23 maduro
December 1st, 2008 at 3:12 pm
In the torpedo these are great smokes. Certainly worth trying.
December 28th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I was never a Rocky Patel fan, so, when a customer came to my store and asked for this cigars with a very uncommon animosity, I was a little shock… so I decided to call Rocky Patel and get a box for the store. They where on Backorder… (I mean the torpedos and that was on about October or september 2008) I got what they had at that time… the Robustos. Not my favorite size but still I got them…. When I smoked that Cigar I could understand the guy. We have been carrying the Decade since that time. I can not tell you how many cigars we have sold either online or locally at my store, but quite few. All I can tell you is that the best Feedback ever on a cigar, I can assure you is Rocky Patel Decade (anyone)… So, I sure will recommend this cigars to everybody, even when is full body cigar, its so well balanced that almost everybody can smoked…. Take a look at my store. and if you could also give me a feedback I will appreciated….
December 30th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Miguel,
I’d like to check out your site. What is the link?
March 30th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Well, I am enjoying a Decade Toro right now, and I too have to say that you gave a very accurate review. a friend gave this to me about 10 months ago, and I finally have a beautiful and sunny CA day to enjoy it. This cigar is currently paired with a strong latte and I am loving it. It is a rich, creamy smoke with a nice spice through the nose. Like a fresh horseradish, the burn is there, and then quickly gone…leaving me wanting more. Appearance, construction, and draw are impeccable, and the burn is perfect. My palate is not nearly as talented as many others, but I taste a nice tobacco flavor with other subtle flavors.
I would like to congrtulate Mr. Patel on an excellent product that I will recommend to all.
April 8th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
This cigar did absolutely nothing for me. Very bland. The first half was just a bunch of bad blandness. The second half was then just a bunch of bad blandess. The finish tasted like old wet leaves that had fallen off the tree two years ago. Seriously, stay away from this smoke. I’ve smoked many sticks and have a decent ability to distinguish good flavor. Waaaay overpriced for such a crappy smoke. CA rates RP’s stuff high b/c he pays for advertising in their magazine. I would rate this at a 75 considering the high price tag. You can do much better than Rocky Patel, trust me. He is only a middle man. He doesn’t blend anything. He’s a face for a line of cigars blended by someone else…
April 13th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Hi Jason, Its been a long time since you ask for my website link…. I just read it today, sorry for the delay. Anyway, this is my page: http://www.Cuencacigars.com. Check on us to see how much fun we have while enjoying a great cigar. Best Regards….
June 10th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Dan you sound angry,perhaps you should kick back with a rocky patel sungrown and relax