Stogie Reviews: Rocky Patel Cuban Blend Robusto
27 May 2008
This cigar was part of a free nine-cigar sampler I got from Famous when I ordered a box of another cigar. It’s one of several that Rocky offers only through the Pennsylvania retailer, which promotes it as “almost like getting a fine Cuban cigar without the Cuban price.â€
To be honest, I’m no expert on Cuban cigars. But this five and 1/2 inch Robusto did remind me of a couple of Cubans I’ve smoked. Unfortunately, those were machine-rolled sticks I wouldn’t want to try again. I’d have to say the same for this 50 ring gauge cigar.
First, the positives: The draw is good, the cap well-applied, the burn straight, and the ash tight.
The negatives: A severe harshness led me to believe the Honduran ligero filler and the Corojo wrapper were too young. A bitter chemical/medicine taste in the last third was truly awful. The combination completely overwhelmed whatever flavors were present. Altogether, an unpleasant experience.
One interesting aspect I discovered thumbing through the Famous catalog fwas that a box of 20 sells for $87.99 while a five-pack is $16.50. That means you pay almost $22 less if you purchase four five-packs! Intrigued, I spot-checked the catalog and found similar deals on a number of other Famous exclusives, though I didn’t notice this with regular brands.
So, if you plan to order a box of any cigars from Famous, I’d highly advise double checking the five-pack prices first. (And, no, they don’t make up for it on shipping charges. Ground is based on whether the total is over or under $40, and air is one fee regardless.)
As for this cigar, I wouldn’t recommend it. Because of the construction quality, I upped my rating a little and give it one and 1/2 out of five stogies.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Is it just me, or is Rocky getting more "hit or miss" with each new blend these days? Has Pepin replaced him as the cigar industry's superstar?
George,
As you might recall, I had a similarly bad experience with a similar-looking RP offering, the "R4" robusto.
I think Rocky Patel is falling victim to his own success — getting cocky and releasing too many new blends without really trying them out. The flagship RP brands (the vintages, etc.) remain great, even world-class. But the off-label RPs tend to be extremely hit or miss. I was hoping Rocky would be too smart to fall into this trap. But I guess not.
I, for one, would be a happy man if cigar manufacturers put out fewer blends and instead focused on the quality of those blends. Quality trumps quantity every time. The big and small makers alike shouldn't forget that fact.
I noticed the same price difference when I ordered some Perdomo cigars from Famous. It really does pay to look carefully at the prices on-line retailers are charging.
Paging through a recent CI catalog, I also saw several instances of lower prices for multiple 5-packs than for a box. It's definitely a good idea to be diligent before ordering.
George Hi,
Would it be possible to get a follow up review of this the RP Cuban Blend after some aging? I personally really like the maduro version but am well aware of the fact that it should not be smoked unless left in the humidor for at least a couple of months.
Browsing the web, one could find several contradicting reviews on this cigar. Perhaps it is shipped a little too green…
Regarding the 5-packs vs. box: I've noticed this as well. Sometimes Famous has a free bonus shipped with the box (for example the 9 sampler you received this cigar in) that balances out the differences. And sometimes you pay for the box I guess :-).
Peter D. – That RP Cuban Blend was the only one I have and I'm not really inclined to buy more. You might want to consider submitting a guest review
So you only tried one, from a sampler pack of all places? I honestly feel this is a great cigar, especially when given ample resting time (nothing crazy, 1 month is adequate). Totally and completely disagree with this review.
Bill H. – As with Peter D., I'd urge you to submit a guest review. There's certainly nothing wrong with disagreeing with my review. With the responses this review drew, I'd say there's interest in this cigar.
I am going to go ahead and disagree as well. I just smoked one of these bad boys and loved the flavor. Lots of espresso, a creamy smoke, and some interesting citrusy notes in the middle. The finish washes out all of the draw pretty quickly, though. All in all, a decent cigar by RP.
I may be wrong but I figure the lower 5 pack price is adjusted lower to make it attractive enough price wise to get you to try the cigar before you buy the box. some bundle cigars are good enough to boxed but arent to keep the price point down.
Im on the first third of the RP cuban blend and It reminds me of the way my grandfathers cigars smelled and they were Muniemakers, Ill let the other 4 sit for a few months.