Stogie Reviews: Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Robusto Natural
13 Dec 2010
Rocky Patel brings new meaning to the word “prolific.†The cigar superstar, almost always on the road, is known far and wide for his ever-expanding portfolio of cigars. Newly added lines include the 1961, Patel Bros., and 15th Anniversary.
Long before his Decade, Edge, Old World Reserve, Vintage blends, and many others, there was Indian Tabac—Rocky’s original brand made in DanlÃ, Honduras by Nestor Plasencia. “This cigar line was created in the 1990s with the true cigar aficionado in mind,†according to Rocky’s website.
The Super Fuerte is a box-pressed line made with Honduran corojo-seed wrappers, Nicaraguan binders, and filler tobaccos from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Each vitola is priced to move. The Robusto (5 x 50), for instance, can easily be found for less than $3 per stick.
It looks more expensive than it costs. With a clean wrapper and a neat cap, this cigar—based on first impressions alone—could command a price twice its retail value. Subtle pre-light notes of coffee and syrup don’t hurt, either.
Still, I have to admit I had low expectations before I examined the two Robustos I smoked for this review. I’ve had subpar experiences with Indian Tabac in the past, and my colleague, George E, recently wrote that this cigar was “hot, dry, and harsh with a taste reminiscent of stale cigarettes.†That description doesn’t sound too appetizing.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, I can mostly confirm my colleague’s assessment. While the Super Fuerte brings intermittent flashes of cream and cashew, the base flavor is of salty spice and paper—a combination that’s simultaneously harsh and bland. There’s little transition from light to nub.
This profile makes the cigar’s excellent construction moot. After all, it’s hard to appreciate an even burn, a well-built ash, and a clear draw when the flavor doesn’t deliver.
No, the Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Natural isn’t much to write home about. But it isn’t quite a dog rocket either. I’m sure there are plenty of cigar enthusiasts out there who enjoy these as affordable everyday smokes. To them I say, “Smoke ’em if you got ’em.†For me, though, the Robusto is only worthy of two stogies out of five.
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photo credit: Stogie Guys
I’m a big fan of Rocky but I have to agree with your review. I’ve never had a good Indian Tabac. If he is looking for a place to trim back his far flung empire this is where I wood start the pruning process.
I saw this review earlier today and it reminded me that I had several of these in a maduro that I had never tried. After smoking half of one I can only describe it as,
"Damnit, my hot dog fell off the stick and into the campfire. It's okay, I was able to dig it out of the ashes and clean it off. [takes a bite] Yuck, I guess I didn't clean it off well enough, I just bit into a honkin' chunk of charcoal. I know what will get that taste out of my mouth; this lord-knows-how-old stale cigarette I found under the car seat this morning should do the trick…"
It was kinda like that. Okay, it was a LOT like that.
Has Patel given up on Super Fuerte natural robustos?