Rocky Patel Connecticut Robusto - maybe the worst cigar I've ever smoked

[CSG123]

I got these recently from cigar.com. I'd read a lot about this brand and, as I prefer milder cigars, thought it would be something I'd like.

First thing I noticed was how spongy it seemed which meant to me it was probably too loosely rolled. When I cut off the end, it was confirmed. The draw was waaaaay too easy. No resistance whatsoever. Nonetheless, I toasted it and lit it up. So much air came through it was harsh and bitter tasting. I kept it up for a bit and it burned nicely and evenly, forming a decent ash. But an inch in, it was truly terrible. Because of the air, it was harsh and tasted of hay. Unfortunately, I bought an assorted bundle so there are 19 more of these things in my coolerdor. I like 70% so this was not dry and needing moisture, it was just horribly packed. I'll try another in a year and see if I feel the same but I won't trust this brand to try another in spite of the generally positive reviews they get. Burn me once and all that. Actually, if cigar.com will take them back, I'll return them. This was their Rocky Patel Connecticut Collection: http://www.cigar.com/cigars/viewCigar.asp?prod=SP-RPASST33

 

[irie]

Sorry to hear you disliked this cigar so much. It might be worth trying one of the other 19 you have at a lower rh like 62-65, you may be surprised by how much of a difference this can make for a cigar. If you are a RP/Connecticut fan you should give the 1999 vintage Connecticut a try, I was gifted one of these from a local shop to try a few years back and don't recall it being the worst cigar I ever smoked.

 

[CSG123]

I've been smoking cigars on and off for over 30 years. I've tried all sorts of humidity levels. 68-70 is what I prefer. The problem here is a poorly rolled cigar with not nearly enough leaf and way too easy a draw. Drying it out would be even worse! This was the first RP I ever tried but I will examine the others to see if they're equally poorly filled and spongy.

Edited to add - every single one of the RP cigars is spongy. In that same order, I received a 20 cigar sample of CAO and two 5-packs of 5 Vegas (Gold and Classic). All of those cigars feel correctly firm. All of the RP cigars do not.

 

[Craig Mac]

I used to smoke the hell out of these 7-8 years ago on the golf course and they were always solid. I smoked 2 of them some rounds and handed them out. Never had any issues with them and while a little boring like most Connecticut cigars were years ago, they did the job on the cheap.

Even a great cigar will suffer when poorly constructed, I'd give another one a go and if they all seem bad contact the vendor.

 

[CSG123]

Already left a message with cigar.com. If this had been the only one, I could forgive it. I'm assuming this sampler is seconds and that might explain things. They are all equally soft.

 

[daleo8803]

I'm not a big mild fan but I love the my father Connecticut.

 

[ZippoGeek]

It might be worth trying one of the other 19 you have at a lower rh like 62-65, you may be surprised by how much of a difference this can make for a cigar.

^^^ Wisdom! Although in my rather dismal experience with Rockys, those might be beyond help! (just sayin' brother... ) In fairness, I do like Rocky's Sun Grown Fuerte if I'm in a pinch...

 

[Cigary43]

Have had my fair share of these and came to the same conclusion as you did as it was like smoking a Paper Towel it was so soft. Rocky with his QC seems to be hit/miss since he's got about 1000 different brands...I still love the Edge Maduros...he seems to have perfected those ( dont wanna hear about the dyes and stuff...I don't experience that but then again I don't slobber all over them either ) but mild cigars just don't blow my dress up either.

 

[CSG123]

I talked to Andrew at cigar.com and they are sending a call tag for a return for a full refund of the 20. The cigars may suck but cigar.com's customer service is excellent.

 

[Yarddog]

I bought a bunch of these a while back, like a year...no problems at all...I'm not feeling the love to buy any more, but of all the Connecticut wrappers I've smoked, this was one of the best. I agree that you maybe just got a bad batch. Always the risk with buying samplers, seconds, etc...unfortunately, it seems like many makers these days are more concerned with getting a return on their investment rather than protecting the sanctity of the brand...

 

[Jabba20000]

I actually enjoy a lot of the RP blends. The decade is a nice stick although the cedar can be overwhelming and the Super Ligero has a nice malty flavor I enjoyed. However his Connecticut blends have always had a metallic and ammonia after taste that I can't get over.