Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Robusto

Many moons ago I tried out the Rocky Patel 15^th Anniversary Robusto. I enjoyed it enough that I figured it deserved another visitation. But first, the gritty details. The 15^th Anniversary features an Ecuadorian grown Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan (Jalapa) grown binder and a Nicaraguan filler. This cigar is made in Rocky’s boutique factory in Nicaragua. Rumor has it that one of the filler leaves is grown on a top secret farm in Nicaragua that only grows that particular tobacco. This cigar is box pressed (Hey, that’d be a great name for a blog!), thus it is square-ish as opposed to round.

The cigar itself was firm yet spongy, had a nice aroma, and the wrapper was dark brown, almost charcoal, with two simple silver bands. It was not terribly difficult to punch; in the past when I used other cutters, box pressed cigars always fell apart on me. The punch is now my go-to for everything but torpedoes. But I digress.

I lit up at about 5pm. I was immediately struck with a mouthful of flavors that made my mouth water. Definitely a smooth smoke, with an easy draw. I will mention here again that I like to drink water with my cigars, as I feel I can discern flavors better. As advice for all, don’t use spring water, it has a tendency to have its own flavor that masks what you’re smoking. At least that’s what happened to me. After the first few puffs, all I could taste was that crappy spring water from Starbucks. So I went without for the rest of the outing.

25 minutes in, I started noticing a soft leathery flavor, slightly spicy, maybe peppery. I taste peppery in almost everything it seems. I think I don’t know what I’m tasting really, except that it’s spicy and makes the roof of my mouth tingle a little. Maybe spicy is a better choice.

An hour in, and I’m really getting hit with the flavor bombs. Nutty flavors that leave my tongue feeling like I ate almonds. Slight cocoa undertones that turn mocha-coffee the closer the cherry gets to the ring and the smoke warms up.

The fire tried to die towards the 65-70 minute mark. I had to puff like crazy to keep it lit, and finally just used the lighter to keep it alive. It never did run, which is awesome. At the end the flavors were very nice, leathery, earthy, cocoa-y, smooth from start to finish… all in all a great smoke that I would obviously buy again and again.

So to review:
Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary
Size: Robusto
Cost: $10
Length of smoke: 90 minutes
Flavor: leathery, earthy, cocoa-y
TGT Rating: 8/10

Note: TGT ratings are completely subjective, as everybody has their own taste preferences. Smoke with caution, gusto, and an open mind.

Thayer and the Tobacco Factory; or, How To Smell Like Burnt Leaves in an Hour or Less.

Whoooo-buddy! Are you in for a treat today! This is a special posting of The Box Press. Last night, I went to the smoke shop. I had a golden ticket. I gave it to the man, and PRESTO! I was brought into the inner circle… Okay, not really. Last night I went to an Ashton tasting at the smoke shop. What is an Ashton tasting, you ask? Well I’ll tell you, and in as roundabout a way as I can.

Ashton is a cigar maker. They make cigars. They make damned fine cigars, in point of fact. A tasting is where you try out several cigars at once, and determine what you like and don’t like about them. Then, in this particular case, you get the option to buy a box for 20% off, plus $20 in store credit. Plus a free ashtray. All this for only $20! Tickets were limited, so I purchased mine about two weeks out. Olik was a giant girly-girl, so he didn’t go with, which was his loss.

So here’s how this worked: I walked in, said hi to Andy and the gang, and met the Ashton rep, whose name escapes me at the moment. He asked what type of cigars I wanted to smoke. The options were Mild to medium, medium, and full body. I recently reviewed an Ashton in the full body list, so not wanting to repeat myself I chose medium. In this grouping of three were the Ashton Aged Maduro, La Aroma De Cuba, and San Cristobal Seleccion Del Sol.

We were handed these cigars in a bag, and given an ashtray which we got to keep. We were instructed to light each one, and smoke them for about two to three minutes, then move on to the next. That way we get to compare the taste of each in short order. Between each cigar, we were provided water and almonds, presumably to cleanse the palette in preparation for the next flavor explosion.

As an aside, this is how the manufacturers decide how to add a cigar to their line-up. They create several blends, typically similar in flavor and filler, but with minor changes to add variety. Then they smoke these cigars all in short succession, typically twenty to thirty cigars. Then they narrow it down to maybe half, then half again, and continue until they find the blend that wins. Daunting to be sure!

I did not document smoke time, as I smoked three cigars at once, and didn’t fully finish any of the three. Also, I was told about the sizing: the first number is length, the second number is ring size. For example 5 x 60 would be a 5 inch cigar with a 60 ring size. Some manufacturers list this as 560. Same concept.

And now... ON TO THE REVIEWS! The following will be formatted as such: verbage from the Ashton pamphlet, followed by TGT: my limited opinion of each cigar. I say limited because I was a bit overwhelmed by the myriad of flavors bombarding my senses.

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Ashton Aged Maduro

“Subtly sweet and nutty with rich complex flavors and a touch of light pepper.”

(size)#10 – 5 x 50

Country: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: USA/Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

TGT: This was a pretty cigar, very dark and chocolatey in color. The ring was very plain, mainly black and white with gold accents. It was fairly spongy, but still quite firm. When I punched the head, the wrapper peeled back a little bit, which as I mentioned before bugs me. The flavor at first lighting did not knock my socks off. I initially thought this cigar should have been classified as towards the full body end of the spectrum. The ash at an inch was flaky, but held well. I definitely caught the peppery taste, but I didn’t ever notice the nutty or the sweet. The initial harshness eventually mellowed out, but it was still fairly dark. The cut end was not too acrid on the tongue. This was my least favorite of the three. TGT rating 5/10

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La Aroma De Cuba

“Earthy, spicy flavors complement a rich sweetness marked by chewy notes of nuts and chocolate.”

(size)Bellicoso – 5.5 X 52

Country: Nicaragua

Wrapper: USA/Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

TGT: The ring on this cigar is very pretty; colorful and ornate. It also had a red ribbon at the foot. This was a torpedo, so I had to guillotine it. This was very tightly packed and I had an extremely hard time lighting and drawing from it. Ten minutes in, I found out this is not normal, and it may be “plugged,” which I assume means wrapped stupid tight so you can’t smoke it. I was given a second one, and it was infinitely better. Rolled by hand means occasional inconsistency in the quality. Go figure. That’s why they make glass products with “imperfections” so you can feel you’ve got something hand crafted. But I digress. It was firm, but still spongy, more so than the previous. This cigar was very spicy and woody from the light. This was fairly consistent throughout the cigar. Again, I never noticed the sweetness or nuttiness. The draw in this was fantastic, and the ash was tight and well packed. I was disappointed with the wrapper, which began to come undone. It’s sad to me when that happens. All in all, this was pretty tasty, and came in second of the three. I would smoke this again if given to me. TGT rating 6/10

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San Cristobal Seleccion Del Sol

“Rich layers of bright earthy flavor segue nicely into a caramelized espresso-like finish.”

(size)Robusto – 5 X 52

Country: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Esteli Sungrown

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

TGT: The Del Sol is supposed to be similar to the San Cristobal I reviewed a few posts ago, only a lighter version. I’m treating this as a separate entity. The Del Sol is nice looking, a light brown wrapper with a similarly (identical) ornate band sporting gold and parrots. A second colorful band was at the foot. It was spongy and fresh, and punched well. Upon first lighting, I definitely tasted sweetness hidden under an earthy flavor. I initially described this as an interesting, almost dirt taste. It was very interesting and not at all unpleasant. Good draw, VERY smooth, from initial lighting to final puff. As mentioned before, I am still trying to develop my palette, but I could tell this cigar had a HUGE flavor profile that I was simply not able to discern. The Ashton rep said the first time he smoked the Del Sol he tasted pumpkin seeds. I didn’t taste that, but this was a fantastic smoke, and I found myself going back to this one more often than the others. I was sorely tempted to finish it, but time constraints prevented such. The Del Sol was definitely my favorite of the three, so much so that I bought one with my store credit, as well as its more robust cousin. I would obviously purchase this cigar again in a heartbeat. TGT rating 8/10

Note: TGT ratings are completely subjective, as everybody has their own taste preferences. Smoke with caution, gusto, and an open mind.

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero

Thursday, I walked in to the smoke shop and said, "Andy, I don't know what I want, but you know what I like." He gave me this: La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero. He said it was a tasty cigar on the medium to heavy side of the flavor spectrum, and I wouldn't be disappointed. Well, that was good enough for me, I grabbed it. Then I took it to the register and bought it. Then I smoked it and blogged about it. That's how this whole thing works. Where have you been?

Anyway, the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero has a Domenican filler and binder, with an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper, grown in (you guessed it) The Domenican Republic. The Double Ligero is about 6 1/2" long, but not very big around. The wrapper is a chocolate brown and a little shiny, due to the oils in the wrapper. It was firm, but spongy, and the wrapper was very supple, but absolutely beautiful.. I was a little miffed I couldn't use my punch, as it had a "pig tail." Who does this? Apparently a lot of manufacturers do, and I was unaware. Oh well, guillotine it is.

First lighting was rough, at least for me. Maybe I wasn't ready for it, but it was kinda harsh right off the bat. I coughed a bit, which I don't usually do. The harshness subsided after about 20 minutes though, and I was left with... I have no idea how to describe it. I guess leather is a taste, as it almost had a not of that in there. It was not nearly as spicy or peppery as previous cigars. The flavors were hard to pinpoint, and seemed almost one-note. Try as I might, I couldn't get any layers of flavor. Perhaps I was having an off day, as other sites I've looked at for this stick mentions multiple levels of tastes. The cut end was pretty acrid on my tongue, which is why I usually use the punch. That might have also distracted me from discerning the other flavor notes, but I kind of doubt that. Maybe an hour in, I detected a little bit of a pepper, but it went away almost immediately. Still, this was a very smooth smoke for a robust cigar.

The draw was easy, despite it being so well packed. The ash end stuck for over an inch before I was afraid I would get it all over my shirt. It burned evenly for the most part, I only had to even it up once in the first third, but it stayed the course after that.

All in all, the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero was a decent smoke, though not what I am personally looking for. To me, the flavor profile wasn't a profile at all, and was fairly unremarkable. I would smoke it again if gifted to me, but given my choice, I would not purchase it again.

So to review:
La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero
Size: ??
Cost: $10
Length of smoke: 110 minutes
Flavor: robust, single note, smooth but boring
TGT Rating: 6/10

Note: TGT ratings are completely subjective, as everybody has their own taste preferences. Smoke with caution, gusto, and an open mind.

Ashton San Cristobal

I enjoyed the Ashton San Cristobal. This cigar was about $12, not a big ring size, but was a "Monumento," which is apparently a churchill equivalent. The wrapper and filler, and I think everything else, is Nicaraguan, and is a boutique cigar handcrafted in Nicaragua by Jose “Pepin” Garcia. It was quite dark and robust. Smoke time was about 85 minutes, though to be fair I feel like I powered through this thing. The wrapper was a touch brittle at the punch, and I found that 2/3 of the way through the wrapper started to unravel. That was disappointing. The taste made up for it though.

At first lighting, I was immediately aware of a spicy, peppery tingling. I say peppery, as I can't really discern yet from any other tingly spices. The draw was relatively easy, though became less so as the tobacco became moist. The peppery flavor lasted throughout the entire smoking session, but after about about half an hour, I finally noticed what was supposed to be a major profile: chocolate. Yes indeed, there was a hint of cocoa in the draw. It didn't last very long, but it was there and noticeable. Once that left, I caught another major flavor: nuts. Ask not what nuts I tasted, as I couldn't tell you. Supposedly there are "hearty notes of earth, cedar and spices, accompanied by lighter notes of walnuts, espresso, black cherries and dark chocolate," but again my pallette is not refined enough to discern all of that yet.

Anyway, this was a good smoke, and I would recommend it to others looking to expand into the robust categories. I won't say it's necessarily for the novice smoker, but it's not a bad introduction to darker cigars. I would get it again, but look for a fresher stick next time.

So to review:
Ashton San Cristobal
Size: Monumento
Cost: $12
Length of smoke: 85 minutes
Flavor: robust, slightly chocolaty and nutty, full of peppery goodness
TGT Rating: 7/10

Note: TGT ratings are completely subjective, as everybody has their own taste preferences. Smoke with caution, gusto, and an open mind.

Olivia Serie V, as smoked by Olik Neves

Everyone on the webz, and loyal followers of the Box Press, I introduce to you Olik Neves, guest blogger and fellow cigar smoker.

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I’ve been staying with the mild to medium cigars so far on my excursion through the humidor. This is my first write-up for any cigar, but I’ve smoked several good ones so far (including the previously besmirched Butera Royal Vintage which was quite smooth, creamy and very tasty). At the smoke shop, I asked for a mild cigar and it was suggested that I try the Oliva Serie V. I chose the Churchill size as always.

My first impression was that it leaned more to the medium side of the robust scale. The initial flavor was very spicy with a definite peppery flavor. About 20 minutes into the cigar it started to mellow a bit, the spiciness became subdued and the pepper all but disappeared.

At 30 minutes in the Oliva took on a definite flavor that reminded me of pretzels. The cigar took another 30 minutes or so before the ‘pretzel’ flavor began to fade and since it was getting down to the last couple inches, I stopped smoking at that point. The Serie V was very enjoyable, burning quite even from start to finish.

Review:

Oliva Serie V

Size: Churchill

Cost: $9.50

Length of smoke: about 90 minutes

Flavor: Spicy, peppery, pretzely (?!)

Olik Scale of enjoyability: 8/10

Butera Royal Vintage

The Butera Royal Vintage is a Dominican made cigar, has a Dominican binder and filler, and a Connecticut Shade wrapper. Internet searches say this stick has a mix of six different tobaccos, but I didn't find the mix. The wrapper is light tan, and was supple to the touch, not brittle at all. The version I smoked was a Capo Grande. It was long and thin, not typically my favorite sizing for a cigar. Price on this stick was just under $10. Olik found it to be one of his favorites, so I had to try it out.

On first lighting, I thought I was breathing through a straw. I literally received no flavor for the first 20 minutes of this cigar. I was a touch disappointed at this, but remembered that I just moved from a robust cigar to a mild. After the initial 20 minutes, it started to have a bit of a spicy flavor, but almost imperceptibly so. It was definitely a smooth, light smoke.

I didn't really get into the full flavor of this cigar until close to the end of it. I had literally been smoking on this for an hour before I felt like I was getting the promised flavors. It was smooth, woody, a little spicy, but I never noticed the creamy "buttery" flavor I was promised. I tried really hard to taste it, and thought for a second I did, but it was probably just peer pressure.

This thing burned like a champ. At no time did it run. I did, towards the end, even up the cherry, though I really wouldn't have needed to; I'm OCD like that, I guess. It was a well packed, and had a decent draw without being too easy. (I have moved to using a punch instead of my usual V-cutter. It offers me the protection from getting tobacco in my mouth, but seems to give me a better draw on the cigar. Plus, the punch is built into my lighter. How cool is that?!) At no time did I have to re-light, which is a pleasure.

My total smoke time for the Butera was almost 1.5 hours, considering of course I was there with two other people and jabbering about work and life. (But hey, that's half the fun, right?) Overall, this was a decent cigar, and a good choice for the beginning smoker, but I would probably not smoke this particular model again. It simply did not offer me the flavor profile I was looking for.

So to review:
Butera Royal Vintage
Size: Capo Grande
Cost: $10
Length of smoke: 90 minutes
Flavor: extremely light, imperceptibly spicy, supposedly creamy
TGT Rating: 6/10
Note: TGT ratings are completely subjective, as everybody has their own taste preferences. Smoke with caution, gusto, and an open mind.

Camacho Triple Maduro

I have been trying to venture outside of my comfort zone a little with the whole “trying new cigars” thing. It is with this in mind that I tried the Camacho Triple Maduro. When I mentioned to the guys at the smoke shop that I was looking to broaden my horizons and try something with more body, they mentioned this cigar to me, but warned me that I should eat beforehand, and that it will more than likely make me feel dizzy. One of the guys said he smoked it and couldn’t walk straight for a few minutes. I thusly avoided it for two weeks until I proclaimed, “Damn the man!”

At this point, I would like to mention that it actually has been two weeks since I smoked this cigar, and am thus relying on my admittedly feeble memory. So bear with me.

This was a good smoke. The price point is a touch higher than most, running about $15. Well worth the money though. When I opened the plastic, I smelled it, which I am wont to do, as I have seen people in the movies do this and assumed they know what the hell they’re doing. The wrapper is pungent and dark, but not unpleasantly skunky. I will say now that I have been forgetting to document ring size, so I shall endeavor to do so henceforth. The wrapper was not brittle, like some of the cigars I have had in the past, but I don’t know if that has to do with age or quality or both. I’m not fond of getting a lot of tobacco leaf in my mouth, and brittle wrappers bother me.

Initial lighting and pull on the Triple Maduro was not very tasty. I won’t go so far as to say it was harsh or nasty or anything, but I was regretting it taste-wise at the beginning. Five minutes in and I changed my mind. The flavors mellowed out and became actually quite pleasant. It was spicy, and left the roof of my mouth a little tingly, which was really nice. I smoke with a bottle of water next to me, as I have found “swishing” the water around after a drag lets me taste the tobacco flavors more.

Remember the warnings listed above? I was scared of this cigar before I smoked it. I mean hands shaking WTF am I doing scared. Admittedly, this was the “darkest” cigar I’ve had to date, but it didn’t knock me on my ass like they said. It burned well, only running towards the middle-to-end of the burn, and lasted about 50 minutes. Again, apologies for not gathering ring size info, as that would affect smoke time.

So to review:
Camacho Triple Maduro
Ring Size: unknown
Cost: $15
Length of smoke: 50-60 minutes
Flavor: dark, smooth, spicy
TGT Rating: 8/10

Welcome to The Box Press!

Hello webbernet! I am The Great Thaytan, and among many other things I am an amateur cigar smoker. I have recently undertaken a mission to smoke a new cigar once a week and jot down my personal findings about said stogie. Keep in mind i did say AMATEUR. I have next to no clue what I am doing here, but as in any undertaking worth its salt I am dedicated to the process of learning!

I remember my first cigar, such as it was. I was a senior in high school. Like many days prior, I would get to school early to hang out with my friends. Invariably, one of us would say, "hey, you really wanna be here?" To which the rest of us would reply, "Hell no!" Or something similar. On this particular slack-filled day in history, we decided to trek an hour or so down the road to the beach. Oh, Gulf of Mexico, how I miss your murky waters and stench of dead sea life.

Anyway, one of my buddies, Jerry, usually stopped and purchased (gasp) Swisher Sweets. Yes, Swisher Sweets, which are to cigars what Olive Garden is to the Italian consulate. Nevertheless, being seventeen and highly suggestible, I partook. I was told never to inhale, which I promptly did, causing me to nearly eject a lung and parts of breakfast. But I persevered, and got through it. From then on I was hooked, but not in the nicotine-is-my-heroin way.

Years later, I was hanging out with another friend, Juan. Juan worked in a liquor store that had a walk-in humidor. Humidors always fascinated me. I really enjoy walking in, being hit by the slightly warm, moist air, the scent of tobacco and ozone heavy in the air... it just feels right. My roommate says I might have a touch of sinesthesis. He may be right. Anyway, Juan introduced me to my first REAL cigar: the Macanudo Portofino. For those unfamiliar, this is sold in a white tin with a screw-on lid. To me, it was like going from Taco Bell to Outback Steak house; they're both cigars, but one is DAMNED well better, and you didn't have to be an aficionado to know the difference. I savored it like it was the last one on earth... light, smooth, relatively inexpensive, and much tastier than Swisher could ever have fathomed. It changed my cigar life permanently.

Yes, I know, many people out there see the Macanudo Portofino as a lower end cigar. I was a kid making 6 bucks an hour, don't judge. For me it was a revelation, and though I don't smoke them anymore, it will always hold a place in my heart as my first.

So, on to today, cosmically speaking. Recently, some work buddies and I have been frequenting a local cigar store chain, heretofore known as the smoke shop. One of said buddies and I have endeavored to smoke a new cigar every Friday, and eventually work our way through the entire walk-in humidor. In an effort to aid my addled memory, I am jotting notes about each one and taking a picture of the band. It was brought to my attention that others may or may not be interested in this venture. Who am I to judge the taste of someone else?

So here it is, The Box Press. I will not be visiting the smoke shop today, but I will begin my chronicling soon enough. I hope to update on Saturdays while the freshly smoked cigar is still in memory. I have a few already in the bag, and I'll shoot those out when I can, but expect regular updates.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

Thaytan