Rocky Patel Fusion

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Size: 5.75×56, Salomon

Wrapper: Two wrappers, Habano (outside) and Ecuadorian Connecticut (inside, binder)

Filler: Mix of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Cameroon

Strength: Medium-Full

Price: $7.25, single; $119, box

Grade: 8.8

I would put Rocky Patel’s Vintage line up against just about any line of cigars out there. The 1990, 1992, and 1999 Connecticut are three of my favorite smokes. So, when Rocky released the Fusion, a mixture of the fillers used to comprise the ’90 and the ’92, I was excited to fire one up. On a spending freeze with a new baby, it took me a bit longer than I expected to grab one but Jed was nice enough to slide one my way.

The uniqueness of this stick lies in its use of a double wrapper; combining a Habano exterior with an Ecuadorian Connecticut interior wrapper, used as the binder, promises to create some unique and powerful flavors. The filler mix has also received nice praise.

Appearance, 1.9:
The Salomon is a very unique roll; it has a Torpedo head with a funneled or tailed foot. This is a fun roll that also creates a unique ash and a bit of conversation. The Habano wrapper is very clean and smooth with minimal veins. As with most Rocky Patel’s, the Fusion is elegantly double banded. The stick has a great weight to it as well, with the 56 ring gauge. The only exterior defect is a slight wrapper gap toward the foot, where it appears the roll fell short.

The aroma on this stick is very nice and unique; it is quite sweet but also has a peppery scent that burns the nose. The mixture of sweetness and pepper is most closely described as roasted peppers or salsa. The pre-light draw is excellent and the cut is very clean.

Burn, 1.8:
The pre-light draw was excellent and the smoke certainly reflects this with billows of thick smoke. The ash created by the uniquely shaped Salomon foot created a very clean and arrowed ash. The ash stacked well, except for a slight flaking in the first inch, and was a very clean whitish grey. The transition from the tailed foot into the body of the smoke was smooth, which I was a little worried about before lighting. The smoke was very thick and burned very cool throughout. The only issue I had with the burn was after the first ash, in which the cigar’s draw tightened and eventually went out. It re-lit with no issues however and burned very well throughout, with no harshness in the re-light.

Flavor/taste, 2.7:
There is a very strong pepper in the first 5 puffs or so, announcing well the medium-full body, which eventually fades into a very mellow, hay-like flavor. This continues throughout the first third of the smoke, with minimal flavor profiles. In the second third of the smoke, the pepper forcefully returns and is nicely complemented by a creaminess; these two flavors alongside each other resembles the roasted pepper detected in the pre-light draw and aroma. The final third maintains solid body and remains creamy and the pepper is replaced by the return of barnyard flavors. Overall, this was a stick with several transitions, each of which interested my palate.

Overall, 2.4:
I struggled a bit with this cigar because I love the flavor profiles and complexity found in Rocky’s cigars but I also prefer a Medium bodied smoke and the Fusion, along with the large Salomon size, was a bit much for my strength preference; I actually began to sweat a bit during this one! There was a deduction based on the value of this smoke and the overall enjoyment and desire to buy again. I would definitely purchase another Fusion, in a smaller size, but I would not consider a box purchase, even if it dropped to around $80-90.

(Total: 8.8)

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Conuco

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Size: Robusto,  5 x 50

Wrapper: Honduran Habano

Filler: Honduran and Costa Rican Ligero, Nicaraguan Viso, and Panamanian Seco longfiller tobaccos

Binder: Nicaraguan Seco leaf

Strength: Full

Price: Box of 20, $79.99

Grade: 8.6

As a big fan of boutique cigars, I must admit I was excited to get my hands on this Conuco Robusto. An exclusive smoke from Famous Cigar Shop, the stick is produced in partnership with Rocky Patel and, at four bucks a stick, it is half the price of a standard boutique smoke. Needless to say I was interested to see what this was all about.

Appearance, 1.6:

The cigar appears to be well constructed with no soft spots or visible spotting on the wrapper. The texture is smooth with some veins and tooth. The cap looked nice, but at the foot of the smoke the filler was hanging out of the wrapper a noticeable amount which did affect the toasting of the cigar. The label on this smoke is very subdued, though it fits the idea of the cigar nicely. The pre-light aroma and draw were filled with notes of sweet tobacco and some chocolate.

Burn, 1.7:

The draw on this smoke was very good all the way through. The dark grey ash held up to 1.5 inches before I lost my nerve and knocked it off. The cigar produced a mouthful of flavorful smoke with not a lot of heat at all. The smoke did require a touch up around the beginning of the 2/3 but by the 3/3 it was perfect.

Flavor, 2.6:

The first puff on this smoke produced a flavor of barnyard and sweet citrus. It was a very mellow flavor with no spice, which I was expecting. As the cigar burned into the 1/3, I picked up a dark wood flavor, which reminded me of the smell of my two acoustic guitars. They are made of mahogany and rosewood, two types of wood that have a more rich, spicy, and heavy aroma than say hickory or cedar. Attached to this flavor was a hint of sweetness.  The finish on this smoke was not long at all and this trend continued throughout the smoke. As the smoke progressed into the 2/3, it did not become more complex but the notes of dark wood, chocolate, and lingering sweetness continued. The 3/3 brought a definite coffee flavor to the party which paired nicely with the chocolate notes still hanging around. Though the smoke was not as complex as I anticipated for a full body smoke, it was very consistent.

Overall, 2.7:

The value of this smoke is great; it is a good, solid smoke for the money no doubt.  I would recommend this to any smoker who likes a full bodied smoke with a hint of sweetness.  Rocky consistently puts out a great smoke and this partnership with Famous is a winner.

(Total: 8.6)

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Reo

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Size: Robutso, 5×52, Box-pressed

Wrapper: Sumatran seed grown in Costa Rica (Aged 5 years)

Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan mixed long-fillers

Strength: Medium-Full

Price: Box of 20, $49.99

Grade: 8.8

Coming from Rocky Patel and blended by EO Brands, the Reo was originally released in 2005. I purchased a 5-pack from Cigar Bid a year or so ago and I payed around $17; the boxes are currently on sale at Cigars International. Listed as a medium-full bodied smoke, the Robusto is shaped with a very nice box-press.

Appearance, 1.7:

I used a punch on this stick and the pre-light draw was perfect; the smell from foot to cap was consistently sweet with no variation in between. The box-press was very nice and the triple cap really set this off as a top quality cigar. The stick had a nice weight to it with only sleight veins. The dark, oily stick was complimented by a large, multi-colored band.

Burn, 1.9:

The quality and hold of the ash was nearly perfect. A slight gray with very few inconsistencies in color, the ash held well beyond the first 1/3. The draw from the pre-light matched perfectly during the burn; the draw was superb throughout the entire stick. There were no touch-ups, runs, or re-lights required and the burn was a perfect circle throughout. It lit very easily with a great cloud of smoke from the first puff.

Flavor, 2.6:

The largest deduction of points came in the flavor profile, though this doesn’t say much since very few points were deducted throughout the smoke. The first and last 1/3 carried similar profiles—sweet and a bit mild with a slight hint of peppermint. During the middle 1/3 the more mild sweetness passed and a slight harshness arrived, though very brief; The middle 1/3 showed why this is considered a medium-full smoke, though I’d classify this stick as simply medium. The middle section also brought a bit of pepper in the back of the throat. With the shift in flavor, this stick ranked high for me in complexity.

Overall, 2.6:

This stick ranked perfectly on my value rating; this is an excellent smoke, especially when you can get a box of 20 for under $50. I enjoyed this smoke immensely and would certainly recommend it as a box purchase; this stick has been in my humidor for close to a year and the flavor profiles improved from my earlier smoke a few months back. Final words, an excellent smoke!

(Total: 8.8)

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