Rocky Patel Sun Grown Robusto (5.5x50)

Let me go on record as saying "I love visiting my in Florida," and spending a few days with her and her husband.  We had planned a trip to Orlando to visit my sister and also to take the kids to Disney World.  We are very lucky that my Uncle retired from Disney and he is gracious enough to get us into the parks for free - a HUGE gift that saves us a ton of money.  Heck, adult admission to just 1 park is $95 per day, and add to that $35 for the park hopper option that allows you to go to multiple parks and you can see how the cost of a visit to Disney quickly gets away from you.  For us, we stay at my sisters and get in for free, so Disney is almost an affordable vacation.

Anyways, you're not here to hear about Disney World, you're here to talk cigars, and I have a great one for you today.  The Rocky Patel Sun Grown cigar is no stranger to my humidor, and instead of bringing a selection of cigars with me to Florida to smoke, I told my sister I wanted to visit the Corona Cigar Company to check out the VAST selection.  I'm not going to lie to you, I was overwhelmed with just how much selection there was.  I saw names I'd only read about including a huge selection of Davidoff cigars, but the determining factor for me in picking up some cigars happened to be that Nish Patel, Rocky Patel's brother was hosting an event the evening we visited the store, and anytime a buy 3 get 1 free promotion is in play, it makes sense to take advantage of it.  And the "free" cigar was nothing to sneeze at, you could choose from several decent Rocky Patel selections including the Sun Grown Robusto featured here.

I will be posting reviews on a couple of the other cigars I bought in forthcoming posts including the XEN by Nish Patel, but today I want to focus on the Sun Grown pictured above.  In my review of August 2, 2010 on this blog I wrote very lovingly of the Sun Grown Torpedo, and I encourage you to go back and read that review.  It has been quite a while since I have enjoyed a Sun Grown from Rocky Patel, and what better a day to cut the head off and enjoy than the 4th of July.

So, while the kids played, and the guests of my sister enjoyed multiple adult libations, I did exactly that, cut the head, roasted the foot and looked forward to what I knew was going to be a great smoke.  From the first draw on this stick to completion, I have to say this cigar was phenomenal - the best cigar I smoked on this vacation.

The first draw offers up a full smooth smoke, creamy with a slight hint of sweetness that fades as quick as it arrives.  There is a slight spice on the finish, but nothing overpowering.  However, let me be clear, this is a strong cigar, not for a novice.  I enjoyed this stick over the better part of an hour, and it kicked my butt for a few minutes forcing me to sit as my head caught up with itself.

The flavor is great in that it continues to add additional layers to the overall experience.  It doesn't change as the cigar progresses as much as it continues to add new dimensions to the existing flavor.  There are really well defined notes of chocolate and cherry and the spice on the finish is almost the equivalent of a dash of cayenne pepper added to a chocolate desert.  The logical side says it doesn't belong there but the taste buds run the campaign to get the pepper into the dish.  In the same way, this cigar is a complex set of flavor and nuances that in the normal sense would seem to contradictory but in reality serve to create a truly memorable smoking experience.

At one point early into the cigar my sister took a draw off of it and moved on with her hosting duties.  That is not how this cigar is meant to be enjoyed.  You need to be able to sit and really focus on the enjoyment this cigar offers.  I dare say it is one of the more complex cigars I have smoked, and it was great.

I stated a few paragraphs before that this cigar started to kick my butt.  I had been sipping on a beer, and when I started to feel a little light headed I went for a cold coke as the sugar and caffeine always do me right, and while coke is certainly not my drink of choice for enjoying a cigar with, I just didn't want to let this cigar go.  I literally smoked it down to the nub with it getting to hot to hold finally serving as the catalyst to extinguish it to smoking history.

Can a novice enjoy this cigar?  Yes, however plan for some time to really enjoy the experience and recovery.  I remember telling my sister I was buzzed - it certainly wasn't because of the beer, I barely drank 1/2 of that, no, the cigar was the reason for the buzz.

Want to know a secret?

I liked it, I liked it a lot!

How could I lose?  I was enjoying the 4th of July with not only my wife and kids, but my sister and her husband along with some of their friends.  And isn't that what makes cigars so great, the ability to connect with others and enjoy a good time together.  Needless to say we are already planning our next Florida vacation, in the meantime my sister and her husband who are really cigar novices texted some pictures the other day of some subsequent cigars they've enjoyed since our leaving to come home.  It's too bad we don't live closer to each other.

Until we smoke again...