Stogie Reviews: Rocky Patel ITC Robusto
19 Feb 2008
Perhaps the most striking aspect of this cigar is the prelight aroma. It is sweet, thick, and alluring. The first impression is of a cigar worthy of commemorating a tenth anniversary. However, as looks can be deceiving, so can olfaction.
This five inch by 50 ring gauge, double-banded cigar was released to celebrate Rocky Patel’s decade run with Indian Tabac, his first brand. I smoked quite a few Indian Tabacs in years past, and the ITC didn’t fit at all with what I remember of them. Not that that really matters. Purely on its own, I thought the ITC was just an average cigar.
The draw was too easy and, as you might expect from that, the ash was flaky.
The smoke was wonderfully thick. The burn was somewhat erratic but never required a touch-up.
Where it suffered most, though, was taste. Not bad, just not particularly interesting or memorable. A medium strength cigar, it had a white wood taste at times and a fairly flat tobacco taste at other times. About halfway, it got very dry and added harshness in the final third.
This stick was a gift, but I think I’ve seen them for around $6. I believe it is a Nicaraguan puro, but I couldn’t find any information about it on the Rocky Patel web pages and there doesn’t seem to be an Indian Tabac site.
I’ll give this stick three out of five stogies on the StogieGuys.com scale.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
photo credit: Stogie Guys
thanks – you've just described every rocky patel cigar I ever smoked . Why people find them interesting and full-bodied is totally beyond me .
Oh c'mon, Erik. You can't possibly think that his Vintage '90 and '92 lines aren't interesting or full of flavor.
I've never had this particular stick, but I'm guessing it's spot-on (as I've found Stogie Guys reviews to be). I think Rocky has a lot of wonderful cigars to offer, though.
Oh great, I have about five of these in a box that came with Rocky Patel Decade. I think I read another review that was very unimpressed with this cigar. Looks like I have more cigars to give my ex-husband. Heh.
Dissapointed with the review. I really enjoyed this smoke. The flavor was great, and the strength kinda snuck up on me after the 2/3. I couldn't disagree with you more on this. I thought it was a great smoke.
Scott
Lisa- I will take the smokes. Loved the ITC.
Recien lo acabo de probar, desgraciadamente muy seco, como si la caja donde se encontraba tuviera mucho tiempo con mi merchant. Aun asi, fue 1:30h de buena fumada, sin sabor agrio despus del 3er tercio, tal vez no lo que esperaba, pero si lo disfrute bastante, tal vez el haberlo fumado al lado de la alberca del hotel con mi familia disfrutando de un buen fin de semana en McAllen TX. pudieron ayudar. Anyway, that´s a good cigar!
Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I have had much better. It is still a good cigar, and I would definitely smoke it again. From where I stopped, the smoke experience lasted well over an hour. You will definitely get your enjoyment out of this cigar.
To see my full review with photographs, please visit:
http://www.crumbyreviews.com/?p=177
Oh well… tried one yesterday and thought it was a really good smoke. The pre-light aroma and taste are strikingly interesting and pleasant, the construction and draw were flawless and the flavor profile was very unique. Sweet and delicate in the first half, building up to a medium-bodied smoke after that. The ash held firm for more than two inches, not flaky at all. I'd give it at least 4 of 5 stars.
This is a great cigar (4 out of 5 easy). I think I will have to chalk this one up as a disagreement bases on personal preference. This is one of the best cigars that Rocky produces.