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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: 8% [?]
Tags: Cigar Reviews, Honduras, Rocky Patel Cigars, Video
Topics: Cigar Reviews |
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.