The Rocky Patel Number 6 is a highly acclaimed Honduran cigar from the El Paraiso vitola. El Paraiso is known for being one of the leading vitolas in Central America, so it's hardly a surprise that such an acclaimed cigar was made there. The Rocky Patel Number 6 is made out of premium quality tobacco, including a corojo wrapper. It’s no surprise that this high-end hand- made cigar comes from the Rocky Patel brand, as they are known for being one of the best boutique cigar makers in the market. We gave the Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro a smoke, and it offered a complex and delicious experience. Read on to learn more about this unmissable cigar.

The Rocky Patel Brand

Rocky Patel was working as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles when he discovered his love of cigars. He was one of the original members of a cigar club in the city known as the Grand Havana Club. Rocky Patel Cigars was born when a businessman offered Rocky the chance to invest in a cigar manufacturer. The brand was created in 1995. It has been going strong ever since, outlasting many competing American boutique cigar brands. Rocky Patel offers some of the finest hand-made cigars of any boutique brand.

Where & How the Rocky Patel Number 6 Cigars Are Made

Rocky Patel Number 6 cigars are made in the El Paraiso factory in Honduras. As previously mentioned, the wrapper is a Honduran corojo. The binder is also Honduran, while the filler is a blend of Honduran Jamastran and Nicaragua jalapa. The name of the cigar comes from the factory designation for the blend. Rocky Patel intended to name the cigar “Legacy,” but this name was already taken. The exact details of the blend are not made public, which is standard practice for premium cigars.

A Critically Acclaimed Blend

The Rocky Patel Number 6 was introduced in 2019, and quickly began receiving critical acclaim. It was ranked as the #9 best cigar of 2020 by Cigar Aficionado magazine. The Rocky Patel Number 6 was also named as the Best Cigar Honduras 2020 by Cigar Journal. With a pedigree like that, we just couldn’t resist giving the cigar a try ourselves. We’re suckers for critically acclaimed cigars from small American manufacturers. See below for our tasting notes.

Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro Tasting Notes

We decided to go with the toro vitola of the Rocky Patel Number 6. The Number 6 is available in five vitolas, including Corona, Robusto, Toro, Sixty, and Churchill Shaggy Foot. Upon first glance, this is a great-looking cigar. The cigar is a dark tan with an oily sheen. It has two black, gold and white bands, with the large primary band covering nearly a third of the cigar. It is firm to the touch and well-capped.

Pre-Light

When we were finished admiring the cigar, we gave it a good sniff. The Rocky Patel Number 6 has a pleasant aroma with hints of fruit and buttermilk coming through a nice pungency. We cut the cigar at the shoulder before sampling its flavor. A few dry puffs produced flavors of salt, pepper, nut, and a bit of earthiness. After taking in the cigar’s aroma and sampling its flavors, we lit and began the first third.

First Third

The Rocky Patel Number 6 has a pleasant white pepper flavor upon the first few draws. The white peppers fade away as cedar flavors come through. Sweet, grassy notes slowly start to join the primary cedar flavor at this point. From here, creamy flavors begin to come on. These creamy flavors eventually resolve into a delicious caramel sweetness at the end of the first third. This creamy sweetness continues as the first third burns down and transitions to the mid-third.

Mid-Third

The mid-third is perhaps the best part of the Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro. The creamy sweetness that began near the end of the first third continues throughout the mid-third. Notes of coffee and citrus join the primary cream flavor to create a unique and delicious selection of flavors. A hint of a nutty aroma comes from the foot of the cigar near the the end of the mid-third. The creamy notes start to fade as the mid-third of the cigar ends and the last third begins.

Last Third

A light creamy flavor continues into the last third of the cigar. Hints of salt and butter slowly take over the flavor profile. A hint of bitterness comes in at the nub. This may be the Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro’s only major flaw. The last third is still quite enjoyable overall.

The Rocky Patel Number 6 is a Cigar That You Don’t Want to Miss

The Rocky Patel Number 6 is an excellent cigar that lives up to the hype generated by the rave reviews it has received from Cigar Journal and Cigar Aficionado. It takes the smoker on a dynamic journey through earthy and sweet notes, though the slight bitterness at the end is a bit unfortunate. All things considered, though, the Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro is certainly worth a smoke. Fans of Honduran cigars are likely to be especially interested in this hand-rolled stogie. The Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro is available in a five pack at an affordable price, so it won’t break the bank.