Rocky Patel Sun Grown Maduro Petit Belicoso

1. April 21st, 2021: The full name of this cigar is Rocky Patel Special Reserve Sun Grown Maduro Petit Belicoso. I had tried a few of the robusto size (5 x 50) most of which were quite rich and complex; so I was eager to try something a little larger. At 5 1/2 x 52, the Petit Belicoso is a little larger, but not significantly.

The cigar I tried today was straight out of the box on the day of arrival. It felt quite moist and a bit squishy, so I wasn't worried about it being too dry. The cigar started out with a blast of pepper, with long finish and the intense, rich aroma which I remember from the robusto. But after an inch, flavour and aroma dissipated, making occasional returns throughout, especially after the second half but nothing in the order of the first inch. It was quite a pleasant hour's smoke. But overall the cigar was a little disappointing having been so good at the outset. 

A close relative to this cigar would be the AJ Fernandez New World Navegante Robusto. Both are a box pressed,  5.5 inch, cigar. Flavour, strength, aroma, construction and burn of the AJ are quite similar to the RP Petit Belicoso. 

Construction: This is a 5.5 x 52 box pressed belicoso with Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. It is very light in the hand and not solidly packed, as the draw would indicate. Although larger than the robusto, it does not appear to be much larger, taking into account the tapered head.

At the light-up, this was a very tasty morsel with a brilliant aroma. Sadly, that didn't last.

Draw: A very easy draw with no resistance whatsoever, indicating a very loosely packed cigar. 

Burn: Almost perfect burn. No need for touch-up.

Flavour: At best, a deep, spicy, maduro flavour. At the other end of the spectrum, a medium bodied, pleasant earthy, flavour; but quite likely, suffering from under-packing (or not enough humidor time as evidenced by the fact that later in the year I had a couple of similarly lightweight cigars which performed brilliantly).

Body: Full body at the outset but waning to medium

Strength: A kick of strength at the outset but that diminished to a moderate strength, picking up from time to time throughout.

Finish: Impressive long finish upon lighting, but dissipating towards the middle, with the need for three or four good puffs to get a decent quota of flavour and body. Later samples did not dissipate, revealing the full potential of this blend.

Aroma: A very rich, earthy, barnyard dry aroma. One of my children said it smelled like dirt, the other, 'horseshit'. 'Earthy' and 'barnyard' would be good euphemisms.

During the first inch aroma was exquisite. It was rich and intense in a way that I can't describe. Dissipation of aroma was quite a disappointment. Later samples were consistently good.

Ash: The ash was light, as you'd expect, considering the modest packing of the cigar. But it clung well for as long as 25 minutes.

Consistency: The first sample was not consistent in anything except draw and burn which were consistently easy and straight. The cigar opened up with strength, complexity, flavour, body and finish, but these all faded away by the middle, returning from time to time, but never with the intensity of the outset. Later samples were consistently delicious to the nub. 

Time smoke: 68 minutes to the nub.

Overall: Disappointing only because it started out so good. However, I'm prepared to suspend judgement due to the fact that the box had just arrived. Some cigars are great out of the box. Others need time to revivify or mellow.

2. May 29th, 2021: I selected a cigar from the box that had a little weight and firmness. It was not bad; medium everything - flavour, body strength. Flavour was much more consistent than the previous cigar. Dry aroma was sweet and grassy. Aroma while smoking was good with occasional wafts of very good, rich and complex.

This cigar very much resembled the AJ Fernandez New World Naveganate robusto in several ways: earthy maduro flavour with a touch of pepper here and there, very easy draw with voluminous smoke output and very even burn. I would prefer the AJ version as it is a little wider ring gauge. But overall, quite satisfying. 75 minutes.

3. July 7th, 2021: Another dud. The cigar felt light in the hand and the box press was misshapen. Burn was even and draw was easy. Smoke production was fine. But flavour and body were lacking throughout. Smoke time was a mere 50 minutes, only two thirds of the previous sample. My guess is that this box was produced by a neophyte and quality control was lacking. The misshapen cigars should have been removed from the batch. Oh well! Verdict: not satisfying. 

4. September 30th, 2021: What a surprise. This little cigar was strong, rich and flavourful until about the second half, a vast improvement on the previous numbers which did not sustain the body and flavour. It was lightly packed and draw was without resistance, but there was so much punch in each draw and finish was so long that I merely sipped at it for the first third. The first inch lasted about half an hour. Aroma was deep and rich. The cigar was strong. I could feel my head swinging, but it seemed quite balanced, given the long finish, obviating the need to puff much.

The second half was a little less tasty. Flavour dwindled to a less complex blend and finish became dirty. But it was still as strong as the first half, resulting in a rather tipsy conclusion. The cigar lasted nearly 80 minutes. It required a single touch up. Verdict: very satisfying. If I could get a box of this quality I would be happy to buy one. As it is, there seems to be no consistency in the box. 

5. November 12th, 2021: Another delicious sample. The cigar felt light in the hand but it lasted more than 90 minutes, due, in part, to its very long, satisfying finish, which allowed for generous intervals between puffs. Flavour was a deep, rich, well-aged, dark roast maduro, with excellent complexity. Aroma was smooth and fragrant. But the winning quality was the lingering aftertaste which was rich and complex. Burn was perfect. Unlike the first cigar reviewed on this page, this cigar was consistently good to the nub. Strength was minimal and while at times perceptible, it did not cause discomfort.

This was the second success with this blend in a row, after a string of duds. Could this be due to ageing? The cigars have been sitting in one of my humidors for six months. I now regret disposing of half of the box to a friend. Never mind. I still have a handful left and, with luck, they will come back on the market some time soon.

Overall, this was a very satisfying little cigar which again proves the rule that size does not always correlate to smoking time. Looking forward to the next one.

Deep, rich, mature, maduro flavour with perfect burn and easy draw. Despite its modest size, the cigar lasted more than 90 minutes, thank, in part, to a rich and lasting aftertaste.

6. January 20th, 2022. This was a mediocre cigar. Flavour was a little thin. It was a pleasant puff, but the lingering aftertaste of the previous sample did not repeat itself here. There was no apparent strength. Body was medium, if that. I didn't time the cigar. At best, pleasant. At worst, considering the jackpots of the previous two from the box, disappointing.

7. May 30th, 2022: Also mediocre. It was lightly packed, which might explain its lack of flavour. Flavour came and went. When it was good, it was complex and rich. But inconsistency let the cigar down. Towards the final third flavour was thin, as with the previous cigar. Aroma was barely discernible. Compared to The Edge Maduro, it was much richer and more complex, but compared to the AJ Fernandez New World Navegante, which I smoked a few days prior, the cigar is less consistent. The AJ is much richer and consistently good. This cigar managed 80 minutes, which is very good for a robusto size. Pleasant, but not satisfying. 

At the half hour mark, the cigar was quite impressive: slow burning and quite tasty. But flavour soon dissipated to a less complex offering.