Reviews by Brandon S

Everyone seemed to stand by waiting to see if the Vintage rating was a fluke or at best, a one-trick pony. Then came a few more fantastic editions to the Rocky Patel label including the Edge and the Sun-Grown by Rocky Patel…

So let’s get down to it. The Sun-Grown is the newest edition to Rocky Patel’s lineup and is produced with a beautiful and oily Ecuadorian Sun-Grown wrapper. In the past it has been my experience that most Sun-Grown wrappers tend to deliver an overpowering and spicy smoke. Not so with the Rocky Patel. The 5 years of aging these wrappers undergo really tones down the spice without sacrificing that rich buttery flavor that you expect from a quality Sun-Grown wrapper. Upon lighting up a Sun-Grown you will first be greeted with a mellow and woody flavor followed by just a hint of spice that develops on the back of your tongue. As the cigar continues to burn you will quickly notice a slow and even change happening as the Sun-Grown gains complexity and trades spice for an intensely rich yet smooth smoke that will keep you guessing as to what will come next. Since their release I have smoked roughly 75-100 of the Rocky Patel Sun-Growns each time putting the cigar down between the half-way and three-quarter mark where the cigar becomes so complex that it just boggles the mind.

Truly a cigar fit for the most discriminating of connoisseurs, the Rocky Patel Sun-Grown achieves a new level quality and consistency that previously could only be found in cigars costing upward of $8-$10 each.

As you can imagine there were quite a few cigars released at last year’s show however there was definitely one that stood out from the crowd and it continues to turn heads today. The Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon is a captivating cigar from the moment you light it up until the final draw which always seems to leave me with one thought, “Damn, I finished it already?!?” I couldn’t wait until these cigars hit our dock last year and as soon as they did I picked up two boxes. Since then my humidor has not seen a single day without at least one 1916.

As is typical with many cigars produced by Torano, the construction is impeccable without a soft spot to speak of. The cigar is firm and dense without being overfilled and yields a perfect draw every time. Upon lighting this cigar you are immediately greeted with an earthy burst of flavor quickly followed by a subtle but distinct cedary note which is attributable to the cedar sleeve that is applied to each cigar in an effort to enhance the aging process. The ash, light-gray in color, is solid with some light flaking which occurs throughout the duration of the burn. The flavor tends to remain consistent to the halfway point when a noticeable change in complexity kicks in taking the cigar to an entirely new level until that fateful moment when you decide to put it down.

The Bottom Line: The Torano 1916’s are proof that you really can get great quality and flavor without having to take out a second mortgage on your home. Good construction and a well-balanced blend of tobacco make the 1916 a solid choice for that perfect way to cap off every day.