Stogie Reviews: Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Toro (Maduro)
11 Sep 2006
On Friday we announced that in order to beef up our newly-created Stogie Reviews Archive, we would launch an entire week of reviews. So, without further ado, here is the first installment of our Stogie Guys Week in Review:
The Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Toro is a nice looking 6 inch by 52 ring gauge stogie with a gritty Costa Rican maduro wrapper. Indian Tabac is Rocky Patel’s company, so I had high expectations for this box-pressed stogie.
I chose to pair it with a white russian (the dude’s favorite cocktail). The coupling is somewhat of an aggressive choice with a dark maduro cigar, but it’s a pairing I have enjoyed in the past.
After lighting up this I cigar, I didn’t notice the super strong flavors (as advertised). And when the “super fuerte” flavor did kick in, it was more harsh than rich.
Instead, I found this cigar very earthy with nutty walnut tones that faded in and out. And I was disappointed by the very bitter notes this cigar had. Some sweet flavors would have balanced out the flavor more.
Fortunately, the cigar had a very easy draw, which was a good thing since the one previous time I tried this cigar it had an impossible plug that forced me to put it out halfway through – something I almost never do. Additionally, this cigar developed a nasty split in the wrapper along one of the edges of the box press, but thankfully that didn’t seem to effect the burn.
Overall, I expected better from the company that makes one of my favorite stogies, the Rocky Patel Sun Grown. This one looked and smelled good before I lit it (and provides good value at only about $2 apiece), but the bitter flavors prevented the cigar from living up to its potential.
I give the Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Toro only two and a 1/2 out of five stogies.
[Also, don’t forget to submit your entries for a chance to represent the Stogie Guys and score free tickets to Cigar Artisans 2006 in Tampa. To learn more about Cigar Artisans 2006, read our September 6 article.]
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Nice review, but they are much better if you give them a year of aging.
"Nice review, but they are much better if you give them a year of aging."
Thanks. This was in my humidor at least 3 months. If I try another one I'll give it even more time.
Stick to RP’s vintage lines!
i smoked a ITSF maduro corona just a few days ago. the anticipation was almost silly for me. i wanted to make sure i had a big enough meal so the "super fuerte" didn't bowl me over. like you initially stated, far from super strong. i thought it was a smooth easy drawing nice little smoke. it wasn't the flavours of Rocky's other lines like "Vintage 1990" or my beloved "sungrown" but not a bad ciggy, especially for the price. of course up here in the great white north, there are no cheap cigars!!!!!! happy smokin boys!!
The first time I tried this, I thought it was a bad cigar, however, I noticed what I did wrong the first time, I didn't give it enough time in the humi, I had it in the morning while my palate was still asleep, a maduro should be enjoyed in the evening after a hearty meal. i tried this a second time, giving it 2 months to rest in the humi, and I got a totally different smoke, the flavors dramatically smoothed out the harshness I experienced the first time around, it really was an enjoyable smoke, my only complaint is that the burn was quite uneven. I would definitely try these again, given they have enough time to rest.