Rocky Patel Cigars, what are your thoughts?

[gui_tarzan]

I really enjoy the R4 which I understand is a mail-order-only cigar.

 

[jmorgan]

I would rather smoke a padron x000

I wont argue with this...

I absolutely love the paddy 2000 maduros...

Agree totally. You are standing in the humidor at the b&m looking over at the RP selections at their prices. Then you look over and see the Padron 2000 maduro.........then you pick up the Pardon and buy that instead

 

[ascrivner]

The 2011 Unica blew me away

 

[henjg124]

I wont spend my $$ on anything RP!!

 

[KcJason1]

Hahaha... Rocky Patel... Such a joke!

 

[KcJason1]

Double post

 

[Hoshneer]

The one thing I've learned is that a Padron Panetela is worth three times it's value and sometimes I will choose it over a super premium, even if cash is not a consideration.

 

[CaTeacher]

When I first started smoking cigars, he just had the 90, 92, Sungrown, and Edge (all blended by J. Fuego). I used to love them, but then Fuego left to do his own thing, and Rocky had a new blend every week. I didn't care for any of the new blends, and the old ones didn't do it for me anymore. I know my tastes changed, but I'm pretty sure the blends did, too. The last 3 I tried were Patel Bros., 1961, and Decade. The Decade was good (but not for the price) and the other 2 were pretty awful. I regard RPs like Gurhkas now - there might be a few good ones, but it's not worth sifting through 100+ blends to find them.

Well said. The 90 and 92 are the ones that first got me hooked on cigars, but the quality just isn't there anymore as many have said.

When I first started smoking I had a small repertoire of RP sticks that I smoked with regularity. As I smoked more I went to RP less and less, and now I can honestly say that I haven't smoked one in a few years.

One of the things about RP sticks is that the maker wants every stick to come out at a cost of roughly 50 cents. This is why many of the top rollers, including Don Pepin, have never worked with them as Pepin will want to spend 50 cents on a wrapper leaf before any other costs are factored in. If you read any cigar related publications I'm sure you'll see a plethora of RP ads in most every magazine, apparently they feel that it is better to drop money in advertising then in the product itself. Having said that, I understand some of his recent releases, including the Fifty have stepped up the game a bit and there are people out there who will swear by the Decade, Vintage, or Edge releases.

When it comes to a brand like RP I would recommend a smoking session with a RP followed by one of your favorite premium blends, like Viaje, Tatuaje, or Liga. Don't do anything else that will deflect your focus just relax and smoke the sticks, and take notes and actually dedicate your time to paying attention to the intricacies of each stick. When you're done, compare and decide for yourself if the RP was worth the money. Then, compare that price and your enjoyment of the RP with a stick in your go-to stash and decide for yourself about whether or not RP is for you.

A good idea especially for the newer guys. Don't turn your nose up at a cigar because others don't like something. Find out what you like and enjoy what you smoke.

Hahaha... Rocky Patel... Such a joke!

Thank you for your insight on this topic. Very helpful information.

 

[Blockhead4243]

So I've been smoking cigars for about a year now and I've never tried a single RP cigar.There has never really been anything that I've seen to get me all that interested in them. I've read reviews, seen them in tons of adds online, and fully stocked at my B&M's but they have never really jumped out at me as something I need to try. I hardly ever see anyone on forums talking about them and most of the reviews somewhat ho-hum. When I look around at B&M I usually find a lot more interesting cigars in that price range, so I end up gravitating away from RPs. So my question to you BOTL, are their any RP cigars out there that are a "must try" or are they just a good stick if you happen to have one lying around? Discuss...

I am close to the same way you are, I used to not really smoke them, and was more of a Fuente guy. But then one day i tried one of the Egde ones, with the footband only. It was a maduro wrapper, and a perfecto shape. It was AWFUL man, and from that day i vowed not to smoke another Rocky. But months later i was in a lounge and went into the humidor to buy a cigar, and the one that was staring me in the face was a Rocky Patel aged 5 years, about a ten dollar smoke. So i said what the heck and bought it, and i cant tell you how good this cigar was. This tan colored perfecto, RP aged 5 years was one of the best smokes ive had. I'm not much of a Connecticut fan but this was such a smooth smoke. It had nice light cherry notes mixed with cedar, and produced a plethera of smoke. But the story of Rocky continues...so sometime later i tried another one, with a glossy blue band and a secondary band the same way. Again it was such a good smoke, but this time the same cedar but along with that an amazingly smooth cocoa note. But the my love affair with Rocky continues, so one day i walked into the humidor and my good friend Paul showed me The Rocky Patel Freedom, which is obviously a red white and blue band. It started out spicy and i said Damn this is going to suck. But it developed into one of the best, and my favorite cigar of all time. So this is what im going to say, there are all kinds of tastes and pallets, but if your going to try a Rocky try the Freedom, its $9.99, and Well worth it. sorry for such a long post but i had to say something.

A BOTL brother, and cigar lover,
-Austin

 

[StogieNinja]

A good idea especially for the newer guys. Don't turn your nose up at a cigar because others don't like something. Find out what you like and enjoy what you smoke.

While I understand your point, and even agree to some extent... at the same time, why waste money on something a large number feels is a sub-par product? One of the whole reasons guys come to forums like this is to bounce ideas off of, and gain insight from, a community of more experienced cigar lovers. And if a lot of us think RP is a joke, that should probably tell a guy something.

Absolutely "smoke what you like, like what you smoke." And if you don't know, only way to find out is to try it, and truth be told there are a few decent RPs out there. The fifty, the edge sumatra, and a couple others are decent, but the problem is you have to wade through the junk to find them. But rather than telling new guys "try it and see", I'd much prefer to recommend they avoid Rocky all together, and introduce them to brands that across the board tend to have better product.

To the OP, there are some good Rocky sticks out there. Heck, there are some decent Gurkhas too. It But why waste time trying to find a needle in a haystack? I'd rather go to a place I know has lots of needles if I want a needle. IMO there aren't any "can't miss" RPs, but YMMV. You can try a bunch and see if you like any, but I'd personally recommend spending your time exploring other makers.

 

[CaTeacher]

A good idea especially for the newer guys. Don't turn your nose up at a cigar because others don't like something. Find out what you like and enjoy what you smoke.

While I understand your point, and even agree to some extent... at the same time, why waste money on something a large majority of the community feels is a sub-par product? One of the whole reasons guys come to forums like this is to bounce ideas off of, and gain insight from, a community of more experienced cigar lovers. And if the majority think RP is a joke, that should probably tell a guy something.

Absolutely "smoke what you like, like what you smoke." And if you don't know, only way to find out is to try it, and truth be told there are a few decent RPs out there. The fifty, the edge sumatra, and a couple others- that are decent, but the problem is you have to wade through the junk to find them. But rather than telling new guys "try it and see", I'd much prefer to recommend they avoid Rocky all together, and introduce them to brands that across the board tend to have better product.

To the OP, there are some good Rocky sticks out there. Heck, there are some decent Gurkhas too. It But why waste time trying to find a needle in a haystack? I'd rather go to a place I know has lots of needles if I want a needle. IMO there aren't any "can't miss" RPs, but YMMV. You can try a bunch and see if you like any, but I'd personally recommend spending your time exploring other makers.

Exactly what this thread is doing. People giving their insight on the RP cigars that they enjoy, so you don't have to try 100 sticks to see if you like something.

I just get tired of the (insert cigar manufacturer here) is a joke, because I smoke CC's, so I'm better than you attitude.


To the OP, maybe find someone that has some similar favorites as you do and also posted what RP cigars they enjoy and go from there.

 

[KcJason1]

I roll my eyes every time RP comes to town for a golf tournament or they do the RP cruise... Such a sell out!

 

[Chief StrongLeaf]

Any thoughts on the RP decade lancero?

 

[Splatt]

I bought a 5 pack of the sungrown last yearand the first one I smoked was great. I liked the taste and the construction, burn, and draw were perfect. The next 2 however had huge issues and the taste that I had enjoyed on the first was completely gone. Waited a few months and the 4th was back to being great again. Tried the 5th a few days later and it was a dud. 2 good in 5 just isn't worth my money to try again with how many other 5 packs I have purchased where 5 of 5 were awesome

 

[StogieNinja]

Exactly what this thread is doing. People giving their insight on the RP cigars that they enjoy, so you don't have to try 100 sticks to see if you like something.

I just get tired of the (insert cigar manufacturer here) is a joke, because I smoke CC's, so I'm better than you attitude.

Fair enough!

 

[slave2theaxe]

In all honesty, the Vintage 90 was probably my first "wow" cigar. I nubbed my first one and it remained one of my favorites for about a year. During that time I started trying a lot of different things and deciding what I liked and didn't like. A few years later, while not bad, it just doesn't do it for me anymore...whether that is due to my tastes changing or a decline in quality, I am not sure.

The Decade and The Edge were pretty decent...the 15th Anniversary I thought sucked...OWR kinda peaked my interest, but to this day I've never tried it.

While I probably wouldn't go buy a RP at a B&M, if I was gifted one, I would definitely smoke it and probably enjoy it (unless it was a 15th...that one was just bad...lol).

 

[maduro marauder]

I like the Vintage 90....but havent bought any since a box purchase about a year and a half ago and havent smoke on in about 4 months. That is the only RP I have tired and with all this talk I think it is time to re-visit.

Smoke what you like, but the best piece of advice I recieved by a fine BOTL was: dont chase LE's and if interested in a smoke try one before you dismiss it based on others opinions.

 

[ascrivner]

Unica 2011, Fifteenth, Decades, Edges, Nimish Thunder are all pretty darn good.

 

[CigarSaint]

Exactly what this thread is doing. People giving their insight on the RP cigars that they enjoy, so you don't have to try 100 sticks to see if you like something.

I just get tired of the (insert cigar manufacturer here) is a joke, because I smoke CC's, so I'm better than you attitude.

Fair enough!

Very good points. Last night a buddy of mine had me try out the Fifty and I must say it was a pretty good smoke. The price point is extremely to high. One of the main issues I have with RP's cigars is that they are priced to high. I enjoy the Decade as well.

 

[aroma]

I haven't tried many RPs, but I think of a well-rested RP Vintage 1990 as something like "comfort food" - smooth / sweet tobacco / light chocolate profile. I have a box that's a couple of years old now, and I smoke maybe 2 or 3 a year. Not the most exciting stick in the humidor, but always pleasant, and easily worth the price - if you keep a sharp eye out, you can find them under $4, and sometimes under $3.