Stogie Reviews: Fire by Indian Tabac Double Corona Corojo
9 Aug 2007
Blended by none other than Rocky Patel and manufactured in Nestor Plasencia’s Honduran factory, Fire by Indian Tabac has gained a reputation for packing a lot of flavor into an inexpensive stick. For only $2 to $3 – and sometimes even less – the line is lauded for its powerful, “Cuban-esque†flavor. Rocky himself even says Fire is one of his favorites “after a great, huge steak.â€
But are these accolades too good to be true? I sat down with a seven inch by 49 ring gauge Double Corona Corojo to find out.
The wrapper, a dry, triple fermented capa corojo leaf, is relatively smooth with some small, noticeable wrinkles between each vein. I find the band to be unique and attractive, but am curious as to why “Rocky Patel†isn’t featured. The name, after all, carries a lot of weight in the cigar industry. My hypothesis is Rocky doesn’t want cigar enthusiasts to confuse Fire with his other lines.
Right off the bat, the foot yields a rich and tasty flavor that’s anything but overwhelming. I found the first couple inches to be the most enjoyable, with notes as varied as toast, black pepper, and sweet molasses – very complex for the price range.
I wanted to delve deeper into the many tastes and found that, when smoked through the nose, the flavor is very well-balanced on the palate. The powerful, bitter tastes are canceled out by sweetness; the dry, salty notes are countered by acidity.
Unfortunately, these sensations don’t last for the entire two hour smoke. At the midway point the spice really kicks up and the flavor leans towards harshness, even though I made sure to take my time.
Despite a tight packing of the Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos (also triple fermented), the draw is excellent and each puff produced plenty of smoke. The foot requires several touch-ups to stay lit and maintain and even burn, and the ash is not terribly sturdy.
Even so, I came away from this smoking experience feeling pretty good about the purchase. After all, for hardly any money, I enjoyed a flavor profile many $6 or $7 cigars would be proud of. I’m recommending you try at least one Fire by Indian Tabac Double Corona Corojo, and giving it three out of five stogies.
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Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
A two hour smoke, eh? That's almost too much tobacco for me.
The flavors do sound enticing, though…
M & N-
I Agree. 2 hours is just too long for a cigar… I never have that kind of time. I wish I did, but I don't.
I believe Indian Tabac is some of his older lines prior to releasing cigars under his own name. I think the Indian Tabac cigars fall more into the Value range while the Rocky Patel lines are his Premium lines.
I picked up this gem from the fine folks at Famous-Smoke.Com. I won an auction and got this neat little stick for $1.25. It is a quick little smoke with great taste and a full bodied, spicy flavor. It is handmade with 4 year-aged, triple-fermented, Cuban seed Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. It measures 4.75 x 52 and has a maduro wrapper. It has a great taste, draw, awesome appearance and good construction. It is a fabulous smoke for the price. The retail value is $53 a box of 20. A Great deal!
I liked this cigar as well, I had a tight draw on the first couple but humi time really help in that area.