Rocky Patel Decade 10th Anniversary

This was actually a blind taste test, organized over at Something Awful. I recieved a bandless cigar in the mail, along with an envelope containing the band. The idea was to try the cigar without knowing what it was, then check the band at the end and see how your taste notes paired up with what people generally say about that stick.

Away we go!

I paired my cigar from forum user Restnesizzle with a delicious glass of Balvenie Doublewood 12yr single-malt. A delicious scotch.

The cigar was box-pressed and had a great feel, with a pre-light smell of cocoa and leather. The pre-light draw was great, but I have learned that doesn't always mean a good draw.

Luckily, this one had a great draw. Lots of smoke, easy pull, fantastic burn. At the beginning, it started off with some nice spice, and a little hay or grass flavor that reminded me of a Patel Edge. It was nice and smooth, and pretty strong.

It started to change about a third of the way in, and moved into an earthier flavor with less spice.



Near the halfway mark it started having a distinct cocoa taste, with more earth as it went. For the last third, it became a slightly harsher taste, with the main notes being a spicy sweetness over an earthy base.

Overall, a very enjoyable cigar. Checking the band....It was a Rocky Patel Decade 10th Anniversary! I have never had one of these, and I really enjoyed it. A nice Halloween cigar, full of SPOOKY SURPRISES! Well, it was tasty. Maybe not spooky.

Anyhow, for the nice flavors and changing tastes, along with a great construction, I give it a Hogg. Them Dukes, them Dukes!

Rocky Patel Decade 10th Anniversary
Size: Toro (6.5" x 52 ring)
Taste: Medium
Draw: Great
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Spice, hay, earth, and a little cocoa.
Overall Rating:
Rosco Patel, you're in trouble now!

Fuente Hemingway Best Seller

I have heard a lot of good things about the Hemingway line, but I have never tried one. Until now! Well, until a few days ago.

I actually picked this little guy up in Arizona, where their tobacco taxes are apparently much cheaper. I got a collection of nice sticks there for a much lower price than I could find here in the east.

Anyhow, the Best Seller is a slightly larger version of the popular Short Story, which I had not had before either (I also bought one of those, but I found it very similar to this cigar, so I won't review that separately).

It has a nice perfecto shape which I find creates an even burn, but some people have trouble with it. It is deceptive in its size, since it burns as long as a much bigger cigar. I enjoyed a nice long book-reading evening on the porch with this little guy.

I paired it with a nice Eagle Rare SB bourbon that had a nice bite to it, and they went together pretty well. The cigar tended towards a nice clean tobacco flavor, with some nuts and cedar. It kinda tasted the way a humidor smells. And since I like that smell, it was all good with me.

I didn't notice any distinct taste changes, and the flavor was a bit low-key for me. But it was definitely a solid cigar. So for having a decent flavor, good burn and nice construction, I give it points. The slightly too-high price, the one-note flavor profile, and slightly bland taste knock it down a couple pegs.

In general, I give it a Belvedere.

Fuente Hemingway Best Seller
Size: Perfecto (5" x 55 ring)
Taste: Medium-Mild
Draw: Good
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Cedar and nut, tasty tobacco flavor
Overall Rating:
Fat in the middle like Mr. Belvedere.

Nub 460 Habano

(Editor's Note: "The Nub" was also Lawson's previous girlfriend's nickname for him.)

I picked up this little thing on a whim - the other Nick had been talking about some recent cigarbid wins, and I was tempted to give it another go (had some bad experiences several years back) - but also having a business trip coming up, the last thing I wanted was for an order of cigars to be left out baking in a box on my back porch for 4 or 5 days...

So I swung by the local shop and picked a couple up, one of which was the Nub 460 Habano. If you've read the hype sheet for these, you'll know:

Rather than wait for a cigar to develop and evolve, which typically occurs an inch to two inches in, the idea behind Nub was to specifically blend it to hit its sweet spot right off the bat and remain at its peak right through to the end.

See what I did there? I assumed you were familiar with the hype, and then included it anyway. (Editor: Just like when that glorious day comes when I can finally fire you. You'll know it's coming, but I'll still tell you in person.)

So... does it live up? Sorta. Maybe. I guess it depends how your read into it.

Let's start with construction, it's a beautiful little cigar - small but with a good heft. The draw was consistent, and it built up a solid bit of almost-white ash as I smoked.

Anyway, out of the gate, the cigar had some nutty, almost almond overtones that stuck with it throughout, but it started with a bit of heat that mellowed out quickly - if that "heat" was the cigar "developing and evolving" - they might have missed their mark with their stated goal... but that said, I don't really care. (Editor: Congratulations! Neither do I!)

It was a charming little cigar, packing enough punch to leave me quite lightheaded by the finish, and I'm eager to try some of the other styles in this line. At approximately $4.50 for the tiny stick, don't be fooled, it's a solid hour-long smoke, and a powerhouse at that - I wish it was a bit cheaper, to make a good "weekday" stick, but it was still enjoyable. (Editor: Hey, speaking of enjoyable - remember that time when you wrote a review that I loved? Haha just kidding.)

Short, stocky and lovable, this one gets a Hogg.

Nub 460 Habano
Size: 4" x 60 ring
Taste: Medium-Wild
Draw: Good
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Almonds and Tobacco.
Overall Rating:

Hoyo De Monterrey (Honduran) Dark Sumatra Espresso

Well, it's only been a few months, better do a cigar review!

Our editor had an unfortunate incident with a bamboo skewer and a wild ptarmigan, so we have been out of business for a while. But we are back and better than ever! Actually, the same.

I recently bought a 4-pack of these Hoyos from JR Cigar, as I wanted something to fill out my order after I bought a sweet leather cigar case for taking smokes to the bar. I hadn't heard much about them, but the super-dark wrapper caught my interest and they were very reasonably priced. (4 cigars for $14, or $3.50 each)

Well I've been on a business trip in Illinois, and then had to work the weekend to finish up the stuff I was doing on the trip. So a cigar and bourbon on the porch was in order. For the bourbon, I went for a new one, Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel. For the cigar, I chose this little Hoyo.

It was a short guy, but lasted over an hour. The draw was great, the burn was fine, with just one touchup needed. The flavors were very enjoyable, strong without being harsh. Definite spice, mellowing into some coffee and a leathery taste, and under it all a smooth tobacco flavor.

The bourbon was pretty good, but didn't knock my socks off. I still prefer Woodford Reserve as the mid-price champ. But the smoke was a definite pleasant surprise.

I really enjoyed the smoke, especially for the price. I will be getting more of these in the future. The nice and interesting flavors, the good construction, and the good price make this a solid Hoff.

Hoyo De Monterrey (Honduran) Dark Sumatra
Size: Espresso (4.5" x 50 ring)
Taste: Medium-Wild
Draw: Great
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Spicy pepper, leather, coffee
Overall Rating:
Michael Knight in shining armor

Camacho Triple Maduro

It was a warm Miami evening. Dinner had been an excellent Beef Bourguignon (the italics make it more french!) and I was now sitting in a poolside gazebo with a strong coffee, and an equally strong cigar.

First off, the Camacho Triple Maduro is a damned sexy cigar - from the dark maduro wrapper to a pretty impressive silver foil label. That comes at a price, though, at around 10-12 dollars apiece, this will never be an everyday cigar for me... though, admittedly, I don't think I'd want it to be.

Powerful. Crazy, crazy, strong and powerful is all that I can say about this cigar. I'd just finished dinner and it still hit me like a ton of bricks how strong this thing was, and on an empty stomach, it might have done me in.

Dont' get me wrong, it was great - it's on a short list of some of the strongest cigars I've ever encountered, and at the right time and place, it's a wonder. Assuming you have the palette for it (which is to say you have a thing for strong cigars in the first place) I definitely recommend picking one of these up for a try.

Take your time though - plan on at least 90 minutes - any faster and you're asking for trouble, as it will easily overpower you.

The draw was excellent, the ash held it's own, and... did I mention it was a powerful cigar?

The only thing holding back this cigar was that it was a little one sided - it as a heavy woodsy taste throughout, with notes of pepper getting more and more prominent as it went, but it was still pretty one sided - that's the only fault I can give.

This handsome, heavy-handed hunk of hurt hurtles home, HOFF in hand.


Camacho Triple Maduro
Size: Torpedo (6" x 54 ring)
Taste: Wild, Batshit Wild.
Draw: Great
Burn: Mostly Even
Flavors: Woody with peppery notes.
Overall Rating: