Wrapper: Connecticut Shade U.S.A.
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduran Jamastran Valley, Nicaraguan, Undisclosed (Insiders tell me it’s Bonneville Salt Flats)
Size: 7 x 48 Churchill
Strength: Medium
Price: $20.00

Photos courtesy of Rocky Patel:

BACKGROUND:
Regular production.
Released: November 2021
Get all the info you need from Rocky Patel.

The white label, with gold lettering, is a no go for my photographic skills. I can barely decipher what it says with my reading glasses. I have a friend that works at the Griffith Park Observatory and allowed me to use their 300mm telescope…It says: “Aged 10 Years.”

I checked the Patel website, and this is the only thing that uses the number 10:
“For over 10 years Rocky tried to find the perfect name and brand to go along with this amazing composition of Nicaragua’s finest, when it dawned on him that no design or label would ever truly showcase the complexities hidden within. True inspiration can only come from a place of artistic expression — that’s when Rocky had an epiphany: the White Label.”

Oh lawdy, lawdy…an epiphany. Rocky took 10 years to come up with that name? What a genius. But then he was an entertainment lawyer before he plundered the cigar market with his brand. Having hired several of those guys in my music days, I know exactly why it took 10 years…lizard brains.

I bet Rocky has another epiphany in 10 years and comes up with the next brilliant honorific: “Black Label.” The man is pure brain power.
My 5-year-old grandson could have taken only 1 year to come up with that name. (He is currently indentured as an intern at the Rosa Gonzalez-Gonzalez Factory in Haiti).

Here are my questions…Is all the tobacco in the cigar aged 10 years? Or just part of it? Was the cigar rolled and then aged 10 years? I dunno. Maybe Rocky ‘thinking’ about it for 10 years answers the question. There is no bragging on the Patel website about the tobacco having hibernated that long. I smell fish tacos.

I expect that my stick, which blazes “Aged 10 Years,” should be ready to smoke after 5 months of naked humi time…especially at this price point. If I’m not blown away within the first 7 minutes, I’m going Medieval on this stick.

A portent of things to come…the cigar was released 7 months ago, and I only found two written reviews…what does that tell you? Did I buy Robustos to review? No. I picked the ginormous Churchill.

SIZES AND PRICING:
Robusto 5 x 50 $19.00
Toro 6.5 x 52 $20.00
Churchill 7 x 48 $20.00
Sixty 6 x 60 $21.00

APPEARANCE:
The first thing I notice is a sharp crease running the entire length of the cigar. If only my slacks were ironed with that precision. There are a few veins and while the seams are visible, they are slammed shut. Not a heavy cigar. Maybe a little too light…we shall see how quickly it burns. Of all the niceties the stick may deliver, it is the triple cap that shines through the bramble…beautifully executed. I perform a bris and remove the footer ribbon.

SMELL THE GLOVE:
The wrapper has next to nothing in the arena of aromas. I attach a 1947 atomic fission nasal appendage to my Durante schnoz. Hints of peanut shells, white chocolate, butter, cream, floral, barnyard, and a touch of white pepper.

The cold draw presents flavors of creaminess, butter, cedar, white chocolate, almonds, and peanut shells. The draw is clean. My PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool sits in the corner and sulks.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Huge amounts of smoke fill the void of my chamber. And right away, I get a nice well-rounded taste of aged tobacco. Yes, I said aged.

Hovering in the incidental column are notes of creaminess, peanuts, vanilla taffy, almonds, cedar, buttery croissant, and a slice of white pepper.

OK. Fingers crossed that this cigar will now sing an aria from La bohème.
Strength is mild.

There is a tartness that is either lemon juice or grapefruit juice…too early to tell.

Not sure about the 10 years of aging…but the 5 months of humidor time is in play.

The cigar isn’t filled to capacity and only takes a couple minutes to burn ¾”.

The cigar is very pleasant. But there is no kick in the arse. No sign of anything approximating spice.

The cigar is festooned with the appropriate amount of complexity in this early point of the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. I wonder if Patel’s parents were big fans of the show.

Creaminess dominates my intake. Transitions, though, are not impressing. The finish is very lovely inciting constant forays with my palate.
The burn gets wonky. I shall not touch it up.

Lemon custard is the flavor I was looking for and found.

The complexity is only a dangling participle at the 2” burned point. And man, oh man…clearly, the cigar is underfilled as it only took 10 minutes to get here.

The cigar’s profile seems content to remain in repose and not take the chance that better cigars would. As I said, very pleasant, but not impressive.

The reviewer I trust merely doled out a 91 while singing its praises as one of Rocky’s best. If this cigar doesn’t find itself soon, I believe that rating is totally accurate.

Strength hits medium.

Personally, I prefer the Ecuadorian Connie to the U.S.A. Connie as a wrapper. The Ecuadorian has more character and flavor.

The wonky burn continues and confirms that the cigar should have been better packed.

One issue I do not care for is the subtlety of the flavor profile. It hangs in the background while expecting the overall flavor of well-aged tobacco should be speaking to the choir…But the aged tobacco is complacent to meander without impact.

I reviewed the Hangry blend by Luxury Cigar Club. Another $20 stick but chose to perform like a raging thunderstorm from the first puff. The White Label doesn’t have the right stuff. I did read in a review that the second half is the blast off point. I believe that is ridiculous for a $20 cigar. If the cigar did not possess aged tobacco, then I’d be telling you it might need a year of humidor time…instead of the nearly half a year I gave it.

Isabela Cigar specialty numbers all have extensive aging and after two weeks of humidor are ready to rock n roll.

This baby speaks to how Patel thinks a high premium should taste. The world always needs more entertainment lawyers.

I find myself at the halfway point after only 25 minutes. Now that’s bullshit. I know for a fact that if this cigar was properly packed with all that aged tobacco, it would be a much better cigar blend. A year from now, as this is a regular production cigar, you will see its availability still there, but the price tag will take a monumental dump.

I’d put this cigar in the category of a good, but uneventful, $10 Connie wrapped blend.

The first half was completely linear. The flavor profile never spread out. The blend has no adventure in its soul. It doesn’t grab me by the balls and squeeze. It is just a nice blend that you’ve smoked a million times before, but at a cheaper price.

The cigar is introverted with no personality. I see that 91-rating dancing behind my eye sockets. Still, I’m sure that Cigar Aficionado will give it a 95.

Strength is important to me. I find cigars, like this one, a total mystery. Are all of Patel’s people afraid to tell him the truth? This is an OK cigar. Not one that should have a huge billboard on Sunset Blvd.

It is painfully clear why this cigar is devoid of a parade of reviewers spewing their opinion. Just OK does not deserve all the hoopla and price tag Patel gave it.

I’m getting annoyed. I seek out some sort of sign that this cigar has a pedigree. I find nothing.
Strength still hovers at Medium Lite.

On one hand, I wish the cigar had more guts. On the other hand, I am glad the stick will only last an hour…maybe.

Incremental improvements are moving at a snail’s pace. Patel just doesn’t have a palate. I bet he only smokes his own cigars for photo ops.

Flavors: Buttery, creamy, lemony, and slightly nutty.
The wonky burn corrected itself. It’s something.

Spiciness shows up finally. Conjoined twins of white pepper and red pepper.
The stick, at long last, moves to a strength of solid medium.

A cigar like this takes all the joy out of reviewing.

Experts say never to consider the price tag when evaluating a blend. These guys are from the planet Anal Fissure.

The 7 x 48 Churchill finishes out at 50 minutes.

I can’t wait for Patel’s next epiphany.

You can purchase these cigars from Small Batch Cigar. Promo code: Katman gets you 10% off.

RATING: 83

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS