Rocky Patel Decade (Toro)

This past weekend saw the opportunity arise to take a quick vacation to Florida to visit with my sister and her husband. Since money has been tight, we elected to drive and stay at her house which allowed the opportunity for some late nights that we probably would not have had had we stayed at a hotel for the simple fact of being able to put the kids to sleep and still hang out. In getting ready for the trip I couldn't decide which cigars to bring so I ended up carrying my entire humidor inventory for the trip. This turned out to be a wise decision as there really are some hidden treasures in my humidor.

The first evening saw a cool breeze brought on by passing storms that knocked the temperature down to the high 70's, a true treat for Orlando. Having just finished 10 hours straight in the car, I was looking forward to just relaxing and having a drink or two while catching up with my sister and her husband. I am not a big drinker and as I have stated in previous posts, I really enjoy Woodchuck and she was kind enough to stock up her fridge with a couple 6-packs.

The Rocky Patel Decade Toro was actually the second cigar of the evening, I started with a NUB Habano and after finishing that started the RP. This is the second RP Decade that I have smoked, the last one being in January, and I was excited to try it again. I only had 2 of these, and my brother in law who also smoked the NUB decided to join in on RP (truth be told, the second cigar was my idea but when I got the dirty look from my wife I blamed my brother in law for planting the idea in my head!) as my wife and sister put the kids to bed.

After cutting the tip, we slowly roasted the foot and got the cigar started. We both immediately commented on how different a taste the RP was in comparison to the NUB, and my brother in law immediately stated he liked the RP better.

The initial draw offers a very full smooth smoke with a well defined woodsy oak flavored draw that settles into a not quite sweet, but completely smooth velvety profile. The smoke was plentiful and throughout the entire cigar was velvety and almost thick syrupy texture. It was truly phenomenal, and I found myself puffing a little sooner than normal as I longed for the next draw.

The ladies soon rejoined us in the back yard, and the RP held up its end of the evening by providing a great companion to a great time spent catching up and visiting. I was actually sad when the RP finished itself as the evening wound down.

The final compliment to the RP came the following evening as we decided to enjoy cigars again and my sister requested the RP after having tried her husbands the previous evening. She was actually sad to know we didn't have any more left.

I always find it fascinating how a good cigar can make a good evening great, and in the case of the Rocky Patel Decade it certainly held up its end of the bargain by being a great smoke for a great time. Would I suggest you run out a buy a stick or two, Yes - on this one I would. I think it is a smoke that deserves an opportunity to impress you as it has impressed me.

While not as full flavored and strong as what I normally smoke, I can certainly see this cigar being great with a cup of coffee early in the morning, perhaps even at an early morning tee time golfing. It is a great cigar for someone not that experienced with cigars, and the neat thing is that it is not pretentious at all, it is what it is never trying to be something it isn't. It certainly has made a believer out of me, so much so that I look forward to 2 other Rocky Patel branded cigars I currently have in my humidor - a Rocky Patel Sun Grown Torpedo and a Rocky Patel 1990 Vintage Robusto.

Until we smoke again.