Thunder by Nimish Robusto

I had Thunder sitting in my humidor for awhile. I smoked one of them, and let the other one age. I thought it time to write up the review.

This Robusto (with a very nice spiral pigtail at the top) has an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan and Honduran binders (yes, that is two binders), and Nicaraguan, Honduran and Costa Rican fillers.

Tight feel to it, and slightly oily.

This cigar started out with a blast of salt. It was very salty, but not to the level of being overpowering. That went down a little bit and hints of pepper, a little earthiness and nuttiness came through. During the second third the salt remained, but the the other flavored shifted to more of a coffee and leather mix (mainly coffee). The last third had the spice, nutty tones, and salt. The salt got less though, which let the nutty tones come out more. The aroma on this one was sweet and rich, which complemented the flavors.

This cigar was well made, only needed one correction. It produced a big smoke and the draw was not too bad (a little firm, but not much).

This Robusto (which is 4.5 x 54) will run around $7-$8 in Minnesota. All in all this was not a terrible smoke, but not great either. At the end when the salt went away some nice flavors came out, so that is redeeming. The price will not break your wallet, which is also a plus. This had decent construction as well which brings things up. The issue I see with this one is the one overpowering flavor, and the others in the background too much. This might be only for this vitola though. I would not say this was a bad smoke, it wasn't. This smoke is above average and I might give it another shot in another size. Unless I have a medium roast coffee, or a dark soda pop like Dr. Pepper, I would not pick this one up. You need something to accompany this cigar. Though, I think the blend has a lot of potential and I will possibly try it again in another size. With that, this cigar is on the boarder.

Final Grade: B-/C+

Drew Estate Java Maduro

This cigar is made by Rocky Patel and infused with flavor by Drew Estate (makers of ACID cigars). Typically I do not smoke flavored cigars. I have tried many, mainly for the purpose of rating them, but they are never a go-to cigar for me. This is the first flavored cigar I have rated on here.

This cigar is made with a Brazilian Maduro, and the filler and binder are from Nicaragua.

This box pressed cigar had a wrapper that felt like soft velvet. It didn't feel tight though in the wrap. Felt loose and spongey.

This cigar had a nice nutty flavor, which is perfect for the flavoring. The flavoring added chocolate and coffee. There is a hint of sweet vanilla as well. The aftertaste was similar to finishing a cup of coffee. A little roasted flavor with a hint of sweet from the chocolate and vanilla flavors. Towards the end though, it got a little bitter and tart. Sadly, the tobacco did not come out too much. You might get a moment of earthy flavor or a rich coffee/tobacco mix. For the most part, it seemed the only thing you could taste of the tobacco was the nuttiness. The rest was flavoring, which is disappointing because Rocky Patel has very good tobacco.

The burn and draw were very well done on this smoke. It was easy to smoke this one too fast. It was like having one of those latte type coffee drinks from a local coffee shop. Smoking too fast can change the flavor, and slowing down can fix it. Thankfully, it did not turn. Saved this one just in time.

I had the toro sized cigar, which ran around $12. That is not bad for a Rocky Patel, or an infused cigar as well (flavored usually costs more). So, the price brings the grade up on this one.

Final Grade: B-

Rocky Patel Decade

Now, what is known about this cigar is little, other than high ratings from many cigar sources. The binder and filler are even secret (according to the Rocky Patel website). The only thing known is that this cigar was made to celebrate ten years in the cigar business, and that the wrapper is Sumatra (Cigar Aficionado says Ecuador for the wrapper and Nicaragua for binder and filler, yet the Rockey Patel site says Sumatra).

The wrapper on this was very even, a little rough feeling, and tight. Very dark as well.

This cigar has a wonderful nutty flavor when lit. That flavor comes with a nice woody and earthy flavor. Together you get hints of rich coffee. The aftertaste leaves with that same nutty flavor. It stays with you a little while, but never gets bad. This cigar is strong, but it never got harsh.

The draw and burn were good. The draw seemed a little firm, but you always got a great smoke out of it. The burn was even all the way through.

This hour to hour and a half smoke costs about $18 (this is the double toro, or Emperor). That is a steep price, but the quality is amazing. Rocky Patel says on his site that this took ten years to make, and it shows. This is a cigar to have when celebrating something. This is one to remember.

Final Grade: A+

Rocky Patel Connecticut Vintage 1999

With a 7 year old Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and 5 year old filler (Dominican and Nicaraguan), I decided to try this particular Rocky Patel. Now, most of the time the reviews are wonderful for Rocky cigars, but this one get mixed ones.

The look and construction of this cigar was a good one. I wouldn't expect less from a Rocky.

The flavor was creamy with a nice sweet aftertaste. It was almost like butter at some points. Unlike other Rocky Patel cigars, you have to go slow. Others, no matter how you smoke it, it tastes good. This one has a turn if puffed fast. It can go sour. Staying at a steady pace you get a creamy flavor with a hint of butter, and a creamy aftertaste. There lacked a balance to this cigar though. Almost like you needed a little bitter flavor to even it out. The butter flavor was also overshadowed by the creamy flavor. Seemed to be one sided much of the time.

The draw was just fine. A little more firm than other Rocky Patel's. The burn was even as well.

The price of a Churchill size is $12.50, which is over the top for this one. But for a creamy cigar, there are better. Rocky seems good at darker wraps. Even with that said, this cigar is well constructed and well smoked for the most part. Disappointing for a Rocky Patel though. Mostly a one note act, and thus not worth the price.

Final Grade: C-

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990

Steve has been telling me to try this cigar, over and over again. Some of the people that come into Little Havana Tobacco live by these cigars. So, to silence the peer pressure, I tried it.

This smoke has a wrapper that is aged 12 years, a nice Honduran Maduro wrapper with fillers at least 5 years of age. According to the Rocky Patel website, the binder is Nicaraguan, with fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. With these stats, according to sources, I was unsure as to how this cigar would pan out, but needless to say, I was happy in the end.

I saw the box shaped cigar, with a very tight wrap, and saw that this had been put together very well. Tight wrap and a tight pack. This was very well put together. Everything was even and the quality of the cigar looked supreme.

I noticed a nice wood smell that reminded me of a fine cedar and a hint of oak. This gave a hint of coffee, or even espresso, to it.

When I lit this wonderful looking cigar, I got a wonderful taste. I was hit with the wood and coffee flavor on the first puff, with a nutty flavor added. Under this complex taste was a sweetness, which turns the coffee to more of an espresso. Between that is a slight earthy flavor. Some people say they taste this, I however barely noticed. On top of that, the aroma of this smoke added to the flavor by giving the same great taste to the nose.

No matter the draw, this cigar does its job. Not only do you get a great smoke and great flavor, but the burn stays constant. No matter how you smoke this this gem, it is wonderful.

All of that for a price of $12.50 plus tax makes this cigar fantastic.

I will give a grade deserving to the student that made it.

Final Grade: A+