Tasting Notes
For my review, I decided to go with a Toro.
Truthfully, I can't tell you how many of these I have smoked over the years.
And the consistency has always been spot-on.
Prelight
My RP Sun Grown Toro presents with a
densely packed, dark brown, slightly oily, silky sheen. It's a little toothy.
Overall, the construction is rock solid with no soft spots and the perfect
level of give. Prelight notes are redolent of sweet earthy
notes, a bit of hay, and subtle peanut butter nuances. The cold draw is perfect introducing sweet
grassy notes (kinda like a barnyard in summer) and fleeting dashes of dried
prunes; or was it raisins?
First Half
Upon lighting, my palate is greeted with
delicious creamy mocha and roasted assorted nuts. All the while, oily peppery
notes dance at the back of my throat. There is an underlying smooth sweet tobacco
base with a little spicy heat. Retrohale is a bit of black pepper, infused
with deep earthy notes and an implicit ginger-ale disposition.
Right off the bat, the strength hovers
around the medium mark. The draw is incredible, as is the burn and smoke
output. Close to the half-way mark, the flavors
transition. Leather comes into the picture.
But it is not the new car kind of leather;
rather, the old beaten kind of aroma. The leather, fused with strong nutty
notes, come in on the finish. Roasted nuts morph into a smooth, decadent
dry wood essence while peppery notes inch towards the front of the palate. At this point, strength is as close to full
as ever. Smoke output is phenomenal, and the burn line is razor-sharp.
Final Half
Past the half-way mark, my palate is
accosted by semi-sweet roasted coffee backed by a pinch of baking spice.
Leather and evocative oak notes come in strong. Retrohale presents red pepper notes (maybe
paprika) and fleeting nutty nuances. The creamy chocolatey notes get thicker and
sweeter as I approach the nub. Smoke output is phenomenal, and the burn is
outstanding.
As I put my RP Sun Grown down, I delight in
the fact that it was yet another flawless smoking experience. Clean on the
palate and absolutely sapid.
Rocky Patel Sun Grown Maduro Review
The RP Sun Grown Maduro was the perfect
follow up to the original RP Sun Grown. It is defiantly full-bodied, and may just
knock you out. Cigar connoisseurs could not say enough about this hearty
concoction of flavor and complexity. Cigar Aficionado gave this bad boy a
coveted 95 Rating and the #2 slot in
the Top 25 Cigars of the Year 2016. In 2015, this RP SG Maduro got a 93
Rating from Cigar Snob and the #8 slot in their Top
25 Cigars of the Year. That same year it was #9 on
Cigar Dojo's Top 10 Cigars of the Year while Cigar Journal
gave it a 94 Rating.That is quite a rep.
There's always something about a
box-pressed Maduro, wouldn't you say? The RP Sun Grown Maduro carries Nicaraguan
fillers, a Nicaraguan Duel Binder from Esteli and a
flavorous USA Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. It is rolled at Patel's TaviCusa factory in
Nicaragua. The RP Sun Grown Maduro comes in five
sizes;
Robusto (5x50), Toro (6x52), Panatela (7.5x38), Petite Belicoso (5.5x52), and Gordo (6x60).
Tasting Notes
For this review, I went with the Toro. Toro
is a large Vitola. I figured I might as well go for a longer smoking
experience. Perhaps by the end of it all, I will agree with Cigar Aficionado's
95 Rating.
Prelight
My Maduro Toro presents with a toothy oily
sheen and that devilishly dark tan. From the wrapper, I get a whiff of dark
cocoa, good ol' barnyard, and a little savory spice. The construction, as expected, is densely
packed; no soft spots and perfect give. Even though the cigar is densely
bunched, the draw is impeccable. Shy notes of cocoa and a little spice was
all I got from the cold draw.
The first draw was like a sucker punch of
pepper to the back of my throat-though, not in a bad way. This baby packs a
punch; I can tell you that for sure. The strength started at a strong medium. Behind the pepper bomb are clean notes of
creamy chocolate and cedar with a long deliciously rich finish. Retrohale is a symphony of sweet caramel,
dashes of pepper, and a deep cider nuance.
Towards the middle, the flavors
transitioned. The creamy finish morphs into a briny beefy
overtone pitching camp at the back of the palate. Dark cocoa takes the place of the creamy
chocolate. But the finish remains long and piquant brimming with sweet and
spicy hot chocolate zing. The burn is excellently sharp, and smoke
output is phenomenal. By now, the strength is a brazen full with a full-body to
boot.
I am pretty sure I may not survive this
one. Do Not, I repeat, Do Not take on this smoke on an empty stomach. It will
smack the temples off your head.
Final Half
As I draw closer to the final half, subtle
creamy notes make their return. Sweet caramel and gentle cream take over the
front of the palate while deep earthy notes and roasted nuts hold down the
fort. My RP Sun Grown Toro is undeniably full of
spellbinding flavors. At this point, the strength is gobsmackingly archaic.
That notwithstanding, all the flavors
converge in a perfect balance of larger than life decadence. Down to the nub, the spice takes a back
seat as the creamy, chocolatey and nutty flavors comingle with hearty woody
nuances on a luxurious tobacco setting. The retro is all implicit sweetness and
spice with hot chocolate with a creamy finish.
My RP Sun Grown Maduro smoked for almost
two hours. Still, I was sad to put it down. Overall, the burn was outstanding, as was
the smoke output. This baby will definitely become a
permanent resident in my humidor.
Why is Rocky Patel Sun Grown the Best Sun Grown Cigar in
the Market?
Rocky Patel, as a brand, produces
outstanding cigars, and this is how the brand grew from nowhere to one of the
top premium brands. Aside from quality and flavour, Rocky Patel
cigars are always reasonably priced. The RP Sun Grown goes for between
$6 and $9 depending on the Vitola while the RP SG Maduro comes
in at between $8 to $11.
You can never go wrong with a Rocky Patel
Sun Grown cigar. Even after being on the market for years,
cigar aficionados still swear by this stogie. Its consistency and striking
construction are a testimony to Rocky Patel's unwavering commitment to quality.
Wrapping Up
A Rocky Patel smoking experience is unlike
any other. And with such an extensive portfolio you will be spoilt for choice.
Perhaps its time to get a bigger humidor.
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hear from you.
