Rocky Patel Ocean Club Review (Saturday Morning Smoke)

Wrapper: Cuban-Seed Nicaraguan

Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Price: $7.00 - $8.00

This year on Fathers Day, my father and I went over to Center City Philly for a few hours. While we were over there we stopped in a cigar shop to see what they had. When I walked over to the Rocky Patel section, I saw this one standing out. The reason it stood out to me was the band. Usually when I see Rocky Patel sticks they have earthy colors, this was unique with its various shades of teal.

When I got up early Saturday morning, this cigar looked like the perfect morning stick. The medium brown, oily wrapper had no thick veins, no soft spots and was a perfect box press. The stick itself smelled earthy and sweet. I knew I picked the right cigar for the early morning.

Once it lit the stick around 7:00 am, the flavors were good. It started off very earthy with just a mild spice to it. Once the burn cooled down, there was a strong oak flavor that came through. The subtle spices became more distinguished around the one inch mark, and I could tell there was a combination of pepper and cinnamon.

Around the second third, the spice diminished quite a bit and sweetness took over. Once the pepper diluted down to a hint, I could finally pin point the sweetness. There was a definite coffee and chocolate flavor in the mix. When these kicked up, the spicy sweet flavor was perfect with the cup of coffee I had.

Down around the last few inches, the spiciness came back full force. Clearly this third was the best, most flavorful, section of this cigar. The last third had a perfect balance of flavor.

Now for a Rocky Patel, I was a little disappointed. The ash was weak. Usually they hold on for a few inches, this one I was lucky to get an inch. The color was also an ugly combination of black, brown, and gray. The aroma wasn’t too bad, a little spicy, but not overpowering. The smoke was great though. It was a light gray and very creamy. There was also a great amount produced. The burn was perfectly even all the way through and the draw was effortless the whole time.

I think this cigar gets deserves a 7 out of 10. And I would recommend this to new smokers. On a scale from mild to full, this cigar would sit on the teetering line between mild and medium.

Enjoy your smoke,

Zack the Stogie Man