A pre-light sniff of the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary reveals hints of cedar and cocoa. A cold draw results in stronger cedar and cocoa flavors, as well as a pleasing undertone of sweet tobacco.

First Third

The Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary delivers a premium smoking experience from the first draw. It immediately delivers a large body made up of flavorful smoke. The first few draws on the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary are filled with a powerful black pepper taste with just the slightest hints of earthy sweetness in the undertones.

As you get to roughly the midway point of the first third, the flavor bouquet starts to become much sweeter. Flavors of coffee, nutmeg, and cocoa gradually take over from black pepper as the dominant flavors. There is a constant taste of sweet tobacco that keeps the flavor profile balanced. As you move from the first third of the cigar to the mid-third, the sweetness begins to develop an appealing spicy edge.

Mid-Third

The black pepper that dominated the first few draws of the cigar fades into the background as the cigar burns through the first third and into its mid-third portion. The sweet flavors of tobacco, coffee, cocoa, and nutmeg become stronger and richer but are never overpowering. The hint of spiciness that appeared at the end of the cigar's first third becomes stronger, but this spicy edge only serves to enhance the sweet bouquet rather than overwhelm it. The sweet flavors become richer and more complex as the mid-third burns down and the stick transitions into the final third.

Final Third

The sweet flavors of coffee, nutmeg, tobacco, and cocoa continue to become bolder and richer as the cigar starts to approach the nub. A hint of molasses even creeps in as the cigar smokes down. Hints of black pepper also reappear but blend well with the sweet and spicy overtones. 

The retrohales from the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary's final third are still impressively smooth, and they deliver an appealing note of cocoa. The flavor profile becomes spicier and takes on earthy undertones once the cigar burns down to a nub. The flavors, however, stay well-balanced and the cigar's flavor profile is still on the sweet side. As you would expect from a premium cigar of this quality, there is no discernable harshness or heat in the final third, not even when the cigar has been smoked down to a nub. The total smoking time of this cigar is just over 90 minutes.

The Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Lives Up to the Hype

In conclusion, the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary certainly lives up to the hype. The extraordinary level of critical acclaim it has achieved seems hard to live up to, but the 15th Anniversary offers a dynamic, yet balanced smoking experience that can only be equaled by the finest cigars in the world. 

The cigar's balanced flavor profile means that it can pair up very well with a variety of different beverages. If you are enjoying a 15th Anniversary cigar during the day, you may want to pair it with a strong cup of black coffee. At night, it pairs well with either a port or a glass of single-malt scotch.