Like any other cryptozoological cigar lover, the Cigar Sasquatch loves a pleasant surprise. But when it comes in the form of an incredible cigar, when I expected just an above-average smoke, well, then I get really excited.
We’ve talked about expectations before, and the dangers of having them unmet. But thankfully, sometimes the opposite is true. I once read that one of the greatest joys in life is doing a kindness in secret, and having it discovered by accident. A similar joy is when we experience some wonderful occurrence which was entirely unlooked for.
Now I don’t want to sell this up too much. I’ve smoked a lot of Rocky Patel cigars, and many of them are quite good. In fact, a lot of them are great, but with a product line a broad as that being produced by Rocky Patel, there’s bound to be some dissent among cigar lovers about what the best is.
Allow me to settle the debate.
I parked the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto (5½x50) in the Sasquatch-a-Dor 2 years ago, and figured I’d get around to it at some point when there wasn’t some other Rocky I was drooling over. I figured it would be another Rocky, solid and reliable, but with so many others to try, something that I would “get to when I got to.” Big mistake.
The blend features a mix of 5-year aged Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. So far, so good. But then it’s wrapped in an incredible 15-year aged Honduran broadleaf wrapper. You read that right, 15-year aged.
And let’s talk about that wrapper. At first glance you’d think it was a Colorado. It’s got a handsome reddish hue, and meaty look. But it’s technically a maduro, in fact a broadleaf varietal, which should mean a rich, round, subtly sweet but altogether smooth character. Which it has. But it’s also a Honduran-grown leaf, meaning it should show a roasted, oaky, robust depth. Which it does. Now age it from the time of the Clinton administration, and you know you’re in for a rare treat.
But the flavor and body of a cigar doesn’t just come from the wrapper. In this case, the Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers add a toasty, nutty almond flavor that balances the roundness of the broadleaf, and what you’re left with is a remarkably complex, smooth smoking, rich tasting, delightfully mellow cigar that begs to be smoked again and again and again.
The roll is firm and smooth, box-pressed, with light veining. The draw from a cap cut is lightly open, and produces a large volume of smoke with moderate strength. The burn wandered slightly, but self-corrected, producing a flaky white ash, and smoking to a cool 2-inch nub in just over an hour. I easily rate this cigar 9.4. I can’t wait to smoke the 6×60 in this blend, currently mellowing in the depths of the Sasquatch-a-Dor.
We all love a good surprise, and even more, we love when something we hope to be good turns out instead to be great. But if I had really done my homework, the greatness of this cigar shouldn’t have been a surprise at all. It’s right there in the blend.
Until next time, this is the Cigar Sasquatch saying, “Love what you smoke, and smoke what you love.”
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