I was the recipient of a pair of these smokes at a launch party a couple of months ago. This cigar had much fanfare around it, I am assuming that is because the Decade was such a smashing success. To say that I am skeptical about this smoke would be an understatement, recent Rocky Patel fare has been substandard to say the least. I have found this turn of events to be disappointing, as I used to enjoy many of Rocky's offerings, but in recent years have departed as other makers continue to do new and better things. In my mind inconsistency has killed this particular front mark for me, I have just smoked too many bad Rocky's in recent years.
This particular smoke presents well, but has some prominent veining and a toothy feel to it. The construction appears to be solid and I can not detect any areas of concern. The pre light aroma has some barnyard essence to it, and some hints of earth and rich tobacco. The pre light draw is a bit thin, but shows some strange flavors of loamy earth and odd spice.
This cigar opens with a profile that is far too bitter and is similar to crushed aspirin, it is difficult to discern any other flavors in the opening moments. At the back of the palate there are some dry and harsh notes of wood, but again it is difficult to spot much else here. The lack of anything enjoyable here is very disturbing to me. The draw is a little thin for me, but it is not causing any issues aside from being the delivery mechanism of foul tasting smoke. The burn is sharp at this point and a solid ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar shows some blessed development. The profile is still not anything to write home about, but the bitterness has gone away. There are some notes of coffee here and some light tastes of tobacco and earth, but there is little depth or complexity to any of these presentations. At the back of the palate there are some odd floral touches here, but overall some of the bitterness still persists. The draw remains thin to this point, but is still not causing any issues. The burn continues to be strong at this point.
The final half of the cigar strengthens in terms of performance, but it is still too little too late. The profile has improved and shows some nice flavors of coffee, earth and cocoa. At the back of the palate a crisp note of wood is present, but it is hinging on being a bit too dry for me. Dry smoke is the kiss of death in any cigar I smoke, as I will not tolerate a sore throat after something I am trying to enjoy. The draw opens up in the final third, but it opens too quickly and some heat causes issues late in the experience. The burn stays solid throughout.
The finish was short and had some bitter qualities that lingered. I was again disappointed by a Rocky offering. What has happened to these blends?
Appearance- 88 a fine looking cigar
Taste- 82 a sub par effort, and the parts that were acceptable were not complex
Construction- 85 very average, below average draw with above average burn
Strength- 85 a very middling medium
Overall- 84.5 another poor effort
No comments:
Post a Comment