Prelight

My Rocky Patel Cargo is nothing special to behold. The light brown wrapper is smooth with minimal veins and a solid feel. Upon inspection, there are no stretches or pulls; just uniform give all through. Overall, the cigar has a vintage old-school look to it.

The shaft smells of sweet hay, peanuts, earth, and caramelized sugar. Cold draw is all hay, cocoa, wood, leather, and an implicit kind of generic floral sweetness. The draw is quite tight; tighter than I would like but I am not drawing any conclusions just yet. Usually, I do my reviews in three parts (First Third, Mid Third, and Final Third). However, this is a budget cigar so we cannot expect much in the way of flavor transitions. This is why I will do this review in two parts.

First Half

My RP Cargo Toro opens with a somewhat snug draw and lots of smoke output. Dry cedar, chocolate, hay, and coffee are the first flavors that jump out. A few draws in, the smoke assumes a rich creamy texture that is very pleasant. There is a long, slightly sweet, earthy finish with a bit of white pepper on the retro. As the cigar progresses, the draw opens up and more flavors become apparent. I must say this cigar is more enjoyable than I imagined.

Dainty nuances of almonds (or is it peanut butter?), cedar, dry leather, and baking cinnamon spice linger on the palate. The cinnamon combines with cedar and a caramel like sweetness to create a unique exquisite flavor that I have never tasted before.

So far, the burn has been razor-sharp. The ash was a bit flaky but still held on for close to a third of the cigar. Strength is at a mild-medium and the body is medium at best.

Final Half

Past the half-way mark, flavors stay consistent. There is, however, a fleeting rich, creamy vanilla note attaching itself to the cedar. Nutty notes tantalize the front of the palate with sweet tobacco and mild leather at the back and through the long finish. Undertones of cinnamon fuse with black pepper on the Retrohale.

Surprisingly, the construction of this cigar gets better as it progresses. By now the draw is near perfect and so is the ash. Smoke output was never at fault. Strength is medium and so is the body. Towards the nub, all the sweetness and creaminess disappear. All that remains are natural tobacco notes coupled with coffee and mild cedar undertones. My Toro begins to get warmer. Also, with every draw, bits of short filler tobacco end up in my mouth which is irritating to say the least. It's time to call it a stogie.