My Weekend Cigar: Rocky Patel Decade Short Robusto (Special Edition)

On Friday night, September 12, Famous Smoke hosted a Rocky Patel cigar dinner at Silver Creek C.C. here in the Lehigh Valley. Rocky Patel and Nimesh Desai of Rocky Patel Cigars were both in attendance, as well as about 65 other cigar enthusiasts, some of whom came from as far as Chicago. It was a classy affair that featured great food and Rocky Patel cigars, one of which was a special, limited edition "Short Robusto" made exclusively for the event.

Prior to the dinner I enjoyed one of my all-time favorites, a Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Churchill. After dinner, Port was served and I decided to give the Decade Short Robusto a try. I have to admit it was the right choice; the cigar not only paired perfectly with the Port, but despite its 4" x 54 dimensions, it burned perfectly for about an hour and I wound up finishing it with a cup of coffee which, was also a nice match.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Rocky Patel Decade selection, this box-pressed blend features a silky, dark Sumatra wrapper, but the filler and binder remain a secret, so I can't shed much more light on the guts of these cigars. (According to information cards that Rocky handed out, the wrapper on the Short Robusto was also a "secret.") However, I can say that the cigar lived up to its advertising, as well its 91-95 range Cigar Aficionado scores.

The smoke was full-bodied, and loaded with dark, earthy complex flavors, yet was in no way overpowering. Each puff was smooth, creamy, well-balanced, and finished with a note of sweetness on the palate, making it a very enjoyable after dinner treat. I smoked it down to about 3/4 of an inch, and it never turned sour either.

Due to the limited edition of the Rocky Patel Decade selection, they are only sold in retail stores. Moreover, the Decade Short Robusto is only available in the Famous Smoke Shop Retail Store. I'm also told that there are less than 20 boxes left, and when they're sold out, they may be gone for good. I know I'd sure like to get my fingers around another one.

If you've smoked any of the Rocky Patel Decade cigars, I'd like to read your comments, too.

~ Gary Korb

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