Stogie Reviews: Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Toro

4 Sep 2007

A three-day weekend calls for a special cigar. So last night I decided to wind down Labor Day with Rocky’s Vintage 1990 Toro.

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Toro Regular StogieGuys.com readers may recall my deep affinity for the Vintage ’92 line. I happen to count the Torpedo among my all-time favorite smokes, and have even said its full-bodied flavors “hands-down outmatch the Vintage 1990 line.”

That claim was based on my countless experiences with various vitolas of the two blends. It may not have been a fair statement at the time because, until now, I had never given a ’90 the attention required of a full review.

To start things off, it’s worth noting the main difference between the two highly successful blends is that the ’92 line has an Ecuador Sumatra maduro wrapper and the ’90 line has a Honduran Broadleaf maduro wrapper. I can’t tell the two blends apart on sight alone without looking at the bottom half of their double maroon and gold bands.

The Toro is a six and ½ inch by 52 ring gauge beauty that retails for $6.50 to $8 apiece. I rather like its slender and sleek box-pressed look. With Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, Rocky advertises the ’90 blend as a good “balance of flavor, complexity, and richness” with “notes of cedar and espresso.” The line was dubbed the Best of the Best in the 2004 Robb Report.

From the get-go it’s easy to see why, as delicious notes of cocoa and spicy wood dominate. After two inches, the flavor isn’t terribly different from the ’92 Toro – an attribute that’s a-ok with me.

At the midway point, the spice seems to slowly fade as floral tastes come and go. This is really where the flavors of the two blends diverge. What the ’92 line has in chocolate and almond the ’90 line has in cocoa beans and jasmine.

The final third of this medium-bodied smoke is really outstanding, as the many flavors seem to come into their own. Very balanced on the palate and certainly not harsh.

The one complaint I have concerns construction. Each time I have a ’90 Toro I find a number of touch-ups necessary to keep an even burn. This stogie was no exception but, to its credit, it did have a clear draw and a dense ash that held firm for up to two inches.

On the whole I’m impressed with Rocky’s Vintage 1990 Toro, but don’t think it quite lives up to the standard set by the ’92 blend. Still, this is a terrific stick that’s well worth the price and worthy of a four and ½ out of five stogies rating.