Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Toro - A Good Cigar, But Not My Favorite.
Written: Jun 16 '07 (Updated Jun 18 '07)
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Pros: Well balanced, smooth, nice taste, easy draw.
Cons: Muted maduro flavors, slightly uneven burn, pricey
The Bottom Line: Although I was disappointed by the lack of Maduro flavor, overall this is a very decent cigar that is smooth, well balanced, and well made.
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| mongkut's Full Review: Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Toro |
After trying and falling in love with the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990s I decided to give some of the other RP sticks a try. I’m a bit of a sucker for cigar ads, which is odd because I generally loathe the manipulative nature of the advertising business. But staring at a two page glossy ad displaying a cedar box full of luxurious looking Olde World Reserve cigars surrounded by black and white images of the tobacco fields and factory makes me react like Pavlov’s dog to a bell. Instantly I know I must try this cigar. Often the reality of what I end up smoking is a huge disappointment from the image I allow the advertiser to conjure in my mind, which is one of the reasons I loathe advertising. Yet there I am at the tobacconist searching for the cigar that looked oh so good in the glossy ad.
The Cigar
The Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Toro is a 6.5 x 52 toro with a Costa Rican Maduro wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of filler from Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras. I’ve read that there is also some Indian tobacco in the blend which would make sense due to Rocky’s background but I haven’t been able to confirm this. The OWRs are box pressed and presented with an embossed band and sleeves at the foot. The OWRs come in quite large boxes of 50 cigars. Like the 1990s and 1992s, the OWRs are hand rolled in Danli Honduras. Cigar Aficionado has rated the toro an 85 which seems a little low. Recently they rated the torpedo an 88 which seems more reasonable. Average burn time should be 60+ minutes.
There is quite a bit of speculation that the OWRs are Rocky Patel’s attempt to match the esteemed Padron Anniversary 1964s. I’m not sure if this is true, but the flavor profiles are fairly similar.
The Brand
Rocky Patel was an attorney when he decided to get into the cigar business with his first brand Indian Tabac back in the mid-90s. The brand did so well that he eventually decided to develop other lines under the Rocky Patel brand. The Rocky Patel cigars are manufactured in Nestor Plasencia’s Danli Honduras factory. In fact Rocky Patel and Plasencia have a very close relationship including first choice of any of the Plasencia family’s massive tobacco production. Patel considers himself to be a perfectionist and judging by the fantastic cigars his company produces I’d have to agree. (reprinted from my Edge Maduro review.)
My Experience
When I contemplated the Olde World Reserve maduro toro in my hand I was looking forward to a smoke I hoped would exceed my wonderful experience with the 1990s. Certainly from a looks standpoint this is one sexy cigar. The medium dark wrapper that looks like a milk chocolate truffle, the cream colored band with embossed gold lettering, and the classy tan sleeve this cigar makes a statement even before flame touches foot.
The wrapper has a very mottled coloration with several oily spot here and there. The overall construction isn’t as perfect as the 1990s, but it is still quite good with only a few visible imperfections. The aroma unlit is more cedar than the espresso or leather I normally expect from a maduro wrapper. I use a double guillotine cutter to snip the cap and after toasting the foot take my first few draws. The cigar draws quite easily for a box pressed stick and far more easily than the 1990. The flavor is more in your face than the 1990 and this is definitely a medium to full bodied smoke. The predominant flavor is wood and spice, almost like a Corojo. The is a very subtle background note of espresso but aside from that I’m not getting much of the maduro characteristic from this cigar. Overall I would say that it is very well balanced but I would prefer a little more maduro flavor.
As I smoked the cigar down to the end it tended to burn unevenly, but was easy to adjust. At the end I also had trouble keeping it lit. The flavor profile stayed pretty much the same with maybe a slight increase in spiciness at the very end.
My final opinion is that this is a very good cigar, but I’m still slightly disappointed that it has far less of the maduro flavor qualities than the 1990.
Price
The two OWRs I’ve smoked ran me about $12/ea and boxes from the factory come in quantities of 50 cigars putting their price up in the mid-$500 range. Several retailers offer 5 or 10 cigar packs for around $70 and $130 respectively. It pays to shop around.
Pairings
The Olde World Reserve Maduro is a potent cigar, although not to compare with the powerful Edge series. I would still recommend an equally powerful beverage such as a single malt scotch, good bourbon, or aged rum.
Recommended:
Yes
Cigar Name: Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Toro
Cigar Rating: Better than most
Price per cigar ($US): 12.00
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mongkut
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Member: Rob
Location: Tampa by way of Boston
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