Jan 30, 2010 Aged, Cigar
Tonight’s review is the first in our new section “AGED” Reviews.
Our first “AGED” Review will be the Camacho Liberty 2003.
On a trip to CigarInn on the Upper East Side of New York City, I happened to be digging through the piles and piles of boxes that Gus and his brothers have in their walk-in humidor. The space is small and jam-packed with cigars, so many times, you have to dig around to find certain things.
It was on just one of those rummaging sessions in early 2009 that I discovered a treasure. Sitting under stacks of boxes, I discovered a 3/4 full box of 2003 Camacho Liberty. I immediately grabbed 5 of them and brought them over to Gus to pay. He was astonished that he even had any left.
The 2003 Camacho Liberty is an enormous perfecto shaped cigar. It measures 8″ by 50 x 52 x 38. It has light brown wrapper and comes wrapped in tissue paper and rests in it’s custom cedar coffin. A sticker on the outside of the coffin says “Liberty 2003″ and “9,022/20000″ which indicates there were 20,000 of these cigars made. Having almost 7 years of age on it, I am very excited to dive into the 2003 Liberty.
The wrapper is a light brown and has a mild aroma of cedar (certainly from the cedar coffin) and some barnyard. Despite being almost 7 years old, the cigar is in perfect condition, I’m sure in part due to the tissue and coffin.
I cut the head with my Palio cutter and lit the perfecto foot with no problem. Both cold and hot draw were a little tight but nothing too bad. Initial flavors were of mushroom and a toasty quality. There was definitely an earthy funkiness to this cigar. The entire first half of the cigar had intermingling flavors of toast, earth and a very light spice.
Second half of the smoke turned a little woody and introduced a creaminess to the smoke that made it feel even milder than it originally was.
A huge tunnel developed at around the halfway point. It lasted for a while, but considering the sheer size of this smoke, it didn’t ruin the overall experience.
I would say the 2003 Liberty is a nice smoke, but not nearly as interesting or complex as the more recent versions of this line. I’ve smoked at least one cigar from each year the Liberty has been released and I can honestly say that the blends have gotten better over the years with 2005 and 2007 being my favorites.
The 7 years of age that this cigar has on it has certainly had an impact on the strength. The first time I smoked this cigar, I remember more of a distinct spice and a heavy dose of leather. There was almost no leather and just a remnant of that spice left. It has definitely turned into more of a toasty, creamy and smooth smoke that has a mild-medium bodied profile. Simple, but enjoyable.
Jan 18, 2010 Cigar
Tonight’s review is the Alec Bradley Family Blend Robusto.
From their website, Alec Bradley Family Blend cigars were created expressly for the fathers of the company’s three principal executives, Alan Rubin (President), Ralph Montero (Vice President), and George Sosa (National Sales Director).
Available in only one size, the cigars are rolled into a 50 x 5 ½ Robusto shape capped with a classic Cuban pigtail at the head. The cigars are presented in handsome chests of 50 cigars bearing the signatures of David Rubin, Miguel Montero and Reinaldo Sosa, respectively.
The smoke is medium-bodied, creamy-smooth, and full-flavored with a marvelous aroma.
Alec Bradley Family Blend named #16 on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of the Year: 2009 List.
Now, on to the review.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 5.5×50 (Robusto)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
APPEARANCE and CONSTRUCTION – (17 of 20 pts.)
The wrapper is a medium brown color with no noticeable veins or blemishes. There is what appears to be a small glue mark towards the middle of the stick. I can only assume its wrapper glue as I didn’t notice this on any of the other samples I had. Feels firm all the way across the length of the cigar. The head is nicely applied with a small pigtail. Not sure why, but I love the addition of pigtails to cigars. It gives me a sense of the roller and even though it sounds silly, it makes me think of the rolling process and the skilled hands that created this cigar.
SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS – (21 of 25 pts.)
The foot and wrapper both have a mild aroma of fresh cut wood and some earthy sweetness. None of the aromas on the wrapper and foot are very strong however. Cut with my Palio cutter and lit with my Blazer torch. Cigar burned evenly until the final third where it got a bit out of control. each of the three samples I tried of this stick all had some sort of burn issue towards the end of the smoke. Not sure the reasoning there, but it was consistent. Draw was very good and smoke was light and airy.
FLAVOR – (25 of 30 pts.)
The initial flavors were a basic light wood, light leather and dry nuttiness. Flavors were good, but not overwhelming. Second third, each of the flavors intensified and the smoke became more enjoyable. There was also a slight saltiness I noted in the second third. The combination of wood, leather and nuts remained into the final third of the cigar.
OVERALL IMPRESSION – (20 of 25 pts.)
Considering how much I enjoyed the SCR blend by Alec Bradley, I was somewhat disappointed in this stick. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t have anything that would compel me to pick one up again. It was a little too basic for me and didn’t have that “wow” factor that would separate it from any other cigar in its category. Flavors were good, not great. Build was good, not great. Impression was good, not great.
TOTAL SCORE – 83
Jan 9, 2010 Cigar, Quick Puff
Tonight’s “Quick Puff” review is the new Liga Privada T52 by Drew Estates.
Drew Estate created the Liga Privada T52 Toro “stalk cut habano” for Steve Saka’s personal enjoyment and this cigar was released in 2009 at the New Orleans IPCPR show. A departure from the flavored cigars and budget sticks Drew Estate is known for, the Liga Privada T52 is quite complex. A multi-country blend of tobaccos the core of this cigar is the Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan filler. The Brazilian Mata Fina binder is grown by Jose Fuego. The wrapper is a new wrapper never before used called the “stalk cut habano”.
The T52 has the same beautiful construction you find in the Liga Privada No.9. The wrapper is a flawless, smooth, oily beauty. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Aromas off the wrapper are of coffee bean and sweet tobacco. The T52 had a flavor profile very similar to the Liga Privada No.9 but with more intensity. There were some of the familiar dark chocolate, espresso and burnt sugar flavors. The difference is the power. The T52 has a more intensity with each of those flavors along with a black pepper and slight spice that I never found in the Liga No.9. It lit, and burned absolutely perfectly. For my palate, I prefer the No.9 over the T52 simply due to the medium body in the No.9. For those of you who enjoyed the No.9 but wanted little more “kick”, this might be just the cigar for you.
Dec 28, 2009 Interviews
As our final interview for 2009, we are pleased to present our 10 Questions interview with Rocky Patel.
Rocky is one of the hardest working people in the cigar industry and his hard work has proven to be fruitful as his Rocky Patel brand has grown by leaps and bounds over recent years.
The popularity of his cigars has grown significantly and his smokes have received numerous high scores in Cigar Aficionado and other publications.
Rocky has established himself as a major player in the business and his brand is flourishing.
And now, 10 Questions with Rocky Patel…
SmokeScore: Rocky, can you tell our readers a little bit about how you went from Lawyer to Cigar Manufacturer? It’s quite an interesting story and a testament to following one’s dreams.
Rocky Patel: It’s my pleasure. Well, I was working as an entertainment attorney in LA and while working on the set one day some one offered me a cigar. I was leery but since it was a major celebrity I decided “What the Heck!” BTW, I had never smoked anything in my life! I immediately fell in love! So the short version: I left my practice, went to Honduras and learned everything I possibly could about cigars. From the farming, curing, fermentation and finally the manufacturing and quality control of the cigar making process. Many people remember the Indian Tabac Cigar Company, which was my first baby. Well, we had a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. To tell you the truth, sometimes I look back @ all of the traveling and just say, “WOW! I can’t believe we are we are.“ So we keep pushing harder and harder. I truly believe that NO ONE works harder to make a better quality cigar than we do. So we will continue to do whatever it takes, continue to bring what we consider to be, the best cigar in the world, to the end consumer! On a personal note, we love what we do and thank you for making our dreams a reality.
SmokeScore: I’ve tried all of your seasonal blends and enjoyed them all. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea and what future plans you have for the seasonal releases?
Rocky Patel: Sure… I’m a big fan of wine and Dan Cohn from B.R. Cohn winery is a great friend of mine. So I tasted some of his special selection quite some time ago and thought to myself, “Hey We Can Do This”. So a few years ago we branded the Rocky Patel Seasonal Collections. Once a quarter, we do a limited short run on a specific season: Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn. The theory behind the release is simple: use the best tobacco’s available that reference the freshness and quality of that particular season. You really have to have the feeling of a season. So when we make a seasonal blend, we work exceedingly hard to depict what it feels like to smoke that particular brand during that particular season. The end consumer should take a puff of the Autumn Collection and say to themselves, “WOW that makes sense it tastes just like Autumn!!” On another note, the Cigars have to be perfect; we will not rush the tobacco under any circumstances. In conjunction with that statement, we had a lot of blends using specific tobaccos for winter but we just couldn’t hit the nail on the head, so there will be no Winter Collection for 2009. I just wasn’t happy with the outcome. It has to be perfect for us to release a Seasonal into the market place.
SmokeScore: You must have been elated with the recent 95 point score the Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo received. Does receiving a score like that validate all the hard work you put into your products?
Rocky Patel: Absolutely! Believe me ratings don’t mean everything. However, it’s nice to receive the gratification for all of our hardwork, time and effort.
SmokeScore: At a recent event in New York I had a conversation with you about the Rocky Patel Edge Sumatra and how much I loved that cigar. You were explaining the differences and similarities between that and the Rocky Patel Renaissance. Can you elaborate on how the two lines compare?
Rocky Patel: It’s the same cigar! Unfortunately the cost of Sumatra wrapper has increased dramatically over the last two years. I did not want to raise the cost of the entire Edge series so I decided to rebrand the cigar and call it Renaissance.
SmokeScore: How different is it for you to now be making cigars in your own manufacturing facility? What are the advantages?
Rocky Patel: Believe it or not, there is not much of a difference. We control 95% of the entire production in our Honduran Factory. So essentially, we have carried over everything that make our cigars great! The quality and consistency standards remain the same: from the seedling in the ground, to the time you put a cigar in the box. BTW, we have a new Rocky Patel DVD being released, the second week in December: “Against All Odds”, which thoroughly depicts why we make some of the best cigars in the world! It also shows the quality control standards that we have set and why you could eat off of the floor in all of our factories.
SmokeScore: What are your thoughts on the possibility that we’ll soon see an end to the Cuban Embargo?
Rocky Patel: I think it’s going to be analogically compared to myths of the past. Once she “Cuba” finally opens up, there is going to be even more controversy over where the best cigars are made. The products that are coming out of Nicaragua and Honduras are very good and will be tough to beat. As a matter of fact, many people feel that they are just as good, if not better, than the “hype of a Cuban cigar;” if you can get one that’s not bitter, turns sour half way through or that you can draw on that is. In retrospect I, think its going to be HUGE for all manufacturers when she opens up, based on the fact that elements of Cuban tobacco will be added to many blends and new creations.
SmokeScore: To what do you attribute the explosive growth of your company in the recent years?
Rocky Patel: Hard Work! Simply Stated. Great blends with complexity, quality and consistency. When you smoke a Rocky Patel cigar you can be certain that it will draw perfectly, burn well and deliver great flavor. We thrive to work harder everyday. We’re on the road or in the factory in some capacity everyday! Weather it’s myself, my brother Nish, my cousin Nimish or the rest of the Rocky Patel sales force. We do this because we love to meet and educate the end consumer as to what Rocky Patel Premium Cigars is doing in the market place, to make a great quality cigar. We thrive on outworking our competition, to deliver a superior product for you!
SmokeScore: Can you let us in on any new products in the pipeline?
Rocky Patel: In every respect! I promise you no one works harder to bring you a great quality cigar than we do. We learn everyday to assure that tradition is redefined. We are pushing all boundaries to discover new tobaccos, better fermentation and great flavor, while guaranteeing the consistency and quality.
SmokeScore: Have you recently smoked any cigars other than your own that made you say, “Damn, I wish we had made that?”
Rocky Patel: Today premium cigars are better than ever. There are some great all around brands that I enjoy smoking: Padron, Litto etc.
SmokeScore: We end all of our interviews with a look into the future. Where do you see Rocky Patel cigars in 5 years?
Rocky Patel: I promise you no one works harder to bring you a great quality cigar than we do. We learn everyday to assure that tradition is redefined. We are pushing all boundaries to discover new tobaccos, better fermentation and great flavor, while guaranteeing the consistency and quality. So in 5 years we’ll be working just as hard as we did 10 years ago: to push the threshold!
Thank you to Rocky Patel and to Sam Phillips for their generosity with their time.
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