Rocky Patel Old World Reserve Corojo Toro Review

Details:
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Size: 6.5 X 52
Cost: $3.50 (Sampler of 10 Rockys for $35 off CI)

Prelight:(10) After removing the plastic sleeve the first thing I did was take a whiff and I was not expecting what I received. Not only had I never smelled a cigar that had this aroma on the wrapper, I kind of wanted to put salt on it and eat it. Now I often use the term nutty when describing a characteristic in a cigars flavor profile but never have I meant that it smells or tastes like fresh roasted peanuts. Usually the tobacco flavor takes on some nutty nuances but this cigar certainly takes the cake. The wrapper is smooth but has the appearance of being a little wrinkly but it is well rolled. It does sport a pretty sloppy cap but otherwise no imperfections other than a small nick which was more of an indent from mishandling somewhere during this cigars journey. The stick had a nice uniform firmness but didn’t have that tight feeling which brought out a sigh of relief. Not that I was really expecting any draw or construction issues anyways as Rocky’s have traditionally been very good to me in the construction department. The prelight draw was fantastically open and had the taste of slightly sweet roasted peanuts. This cigar tastes damn edible so far…..and the aroma is very appetizing. 9/10

Flavor & Aroma:
(20) 1st 3rd: The first few puffs are a pleasant mild/medium in body smooth smoke. The taste is a semi-creamy nutty core with some leather influences. It doesn’t taste like roast peanuts at the core but I get hints of it from time to time and there are definitive traces of it in the aroma. The smoke remains ultra smooth and very aromatic. The finish is pretty clean at about 1/2 way through the 1st 3rd. I started to get some sweetness as I neared the end of the 1st 3rd and even a little butterscotch in the aroma. I am really enjoying the complexities of this interesting cigar. 18/20
(20) 2nd 3rd: As I move into the 2nd 3rd the body remains mild/medium and the core flavors remain the same although the roasted peanut is mostly gone other than a little bit in the aroma. The core is a little more leathery now and is well balanced with the just plain nutty tobacco flavors. The finish remains pretty clean with only a little pepper and the taste of roasted peanuts occasionally. It is much more prevalent after refreshing the pallet with water. I am getting a little more body up front now and along with that a little more pepper which mixes well with the leathery nutty semi-creamy core. My lips are feeling a little salty as well now as I move past the 1/2. There is definitely a sweet sort of freshness to the aroma as I retrohale which is a nice compliment to the underlying flavors. 18/20
(20) Final 3rd: No real increase in body but my lips were starting to fell like they were shriveling. This is one salty smoke on the lips. The core is still very smooth and the finish has amped up a bit with pepper intensity but is no where near offensive. I am getting a nice nic zing now as I close in on the band region. By the time I hit the band I was pretty much done with this stick. My lips were getting a little stingy and I felt like I needed a dose of chapstick to rehydrate them even though my kips aren’t actually chapped. 17/20

Construction & Burn:
(10) 1st 3rd: Lit perfectly and took exactly 3 puffs to get going. From that point on a single puff was all that was ever needed to get an excellent sample of smoke. The burn remains is a little hilly and the ash is dropping every inch or so but there are no other issues. The ash is mostly a darker grey and black color. 9/10

(10) 2nd 3rd: experienced a tunnel as I moved into the 2nd 3rd. This was causing me to double puff to get the coal burning before taking a good draw. This, as always, annoys me. Fortunately, the tunnel didn’t persist for long and I burned through it pretty quickly. It was completely gone by the time I hit the 1/2 point and then shortly after I hit another shallow tunnel. Although not severe it was certainly enough to be an annoyance and should not be a feature of this high end cigar which goes for upwards of $9 at the B&M. 8/10

(10) Final 3rd: The burn line is pretty much straightened out at this point and the draw has improved now that I have hopefully burned past most of the tunnels. The draw remains a little airy though and a couple of puffs are necessary to get a solid cloud. Not because of a tight draw but more because of a slightly airy draw due to a slightly loose roll. I suspect more tunnels as I progress further. By the time I hit the band I was pretty done anyway. 8/10

Final: 87

Thoughts: Funny how some reviews can be so different. I read some prior to smoking this that said the ash was all brown and this left a metallic tin can taste in their mouth. I didn’t experience any of that and found this stick to be a refreshing break from the norm with an interesting and savory flavor profile. There was plenty of complexities present and overall I had a much better experience than I did with the OWR Maduro I smoked earlier in the month and disliked greatly. If the exact same blend is used in both, with the only difference being the wrapper, then just the wrapper makes a whole world of difference. The two are so dissimilar that they shouldn’t even be sold under the same label. I was actually hesitant to try this based on my dislike for the Maduro OWR but was sure glad I did. This was a good Christmas Eve Smoke.