Stogie Reviews: Rocky Patel Edge Toro Maduro

A few days ago, I received an email requesting a review of the generously-proportioned Battalion Maduro from Rocky’s Edge line of cigars. I never seem to have exactly what readers want in my stash, but I did find a handful of Toros and—with a promise to track down a few Battalions in the foreseeable future—embarked upon this review.

The Edge line was launched in 2004 to great fanfare. Aside from its reasonable price and creative marketing scheme (The slogan, even for Corojos: “Professional Smokers Only. Smoke While Sitting Down.”), I’d bet much of the success was due to Rocky’s decision to sell the blend naked. In 2006, though, he added thin bands across the bottom of each stick, perhaps a result of his claim that The Edge is “the most imitated” cigar on the market.

I found a lot of conflicting information about the blend’s makeup. What I do know, according to Rocky’s website, is the binder is Nicaraguan and the filler is “secret.” Rocky quips, “I guarantee you we have tobacco in that cigar from a special country that nobody [else] uses.” What nation could it be? Finland? Anyways, our friends at KOTF note that The Edge is produced in conjunction with the Plasencia family in Danli, Honduras.

At six inches in length with a ring gauge of 52, the Toro’s maduro wrapper is firm, oily, and dark with few veins and carefully applied seams. The cream-colored band across the tightly-wrapped foot is unique and attention-grabbing, almost drawing you in to the mouth-watering prelight notes of espresso.

The cigar is advertised as a full-bodied, make-you-weak-in-the-knees experience, and the first few inches certainly deliver. I found lots of peppercorn and what can be described as a bitter black coffee flavor. The thick smoke has lots of texture with a hearty, biting aftertaste.

The last four inches are very similar in taste, if not a bit more mellow. It took me an average of about 100 minutes each to smoke three Toros, and I found even burns, clear draws, and solid gray ashes across the board.

Whether or not this cigar lives up to its laughable warning—many reviews claim it doesn’t, but what cigar could?—is not all that important. The bottom line is it delivers tons of enjoyable, albeit predictable, flavor with good physical properties. Plus, the price is sub-$5 whether you buy by the bundle or by the rustic wooden cabinet of 100.

My advice? If you’re into powerful smokes, go ahead and pick up a stash of your own. Just remember to smoke them on a full stomach. I give the Rocky Patel Edge Toro Maduro four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys