Rocky Patel Royale Toro

July 15th, 2021:  Quite pleasant: good aroma, long finish, but lacking in body and flavour.

Construction: Box pressed, Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper, Connecticut binder, Nicaraguan filler, 6.5 X 54, looks good, feels weighty

Draw: Perfect throughout, with good smoke production.

Burn: Even enough.

Flavour: Rich and smooth during the first half inch, but that soon died away to a less exciting flavour. Milk chocolatey, occasional hint of pepper from time to time. Final third nothing much but vegetal flavour lacking in complexity. 

Complexity: No complexity to speak of in the flavour. Aroma was quite rich and finish was tasty.

Body: Medium throughout

Strength: Medium throughout. Never oppressive.

Finish: Long finish, excellent, milk chocolatey after taste. 

Aroma: Rich and complex aroma.

Ash: A bit flaky, but held on for an inch or two.

Balance and Consistency: Lacking depth in flavour, especially in the final third. 

Time smoke: 90 minutes

Overall: Pleasant. But nothing outstanding. Only two weeks in the humidor before smoking. Let's see what the next one brings.

August 25th, 2021: Another mediocre performance. I think the cigar was too dry, despite being a month in the humidor. It must have been in a dry part. The wrapper cracked - a sure sign of being too dry and the head was rock hard, another sign of being too dry. 

Too dry

Everything about the cigar was medium at best - or mediocre. Flavour was lacking, but that could be due to dryness. Body too, was not satisfying; rather meagre. The first third was pleasant enough: cool, voluminous smoke output with a mild, dry, cocoa-like flavour with a tinge of pepper. But it was monodimensional. There was no complexity either in the flavour or the aroma. Nor was there any strength to speak of. The cigar lacked depth.  

Draw was perfect; very easy draw with volumes of smoke output. Burn was wavy, requiring several touch-ups throughout. 

Overall: 85 minutes. Pleasant, at best. Not satisfying. Let's see whether a few months with more humidity will bring some life out of, or put some into, the cigar.

December 4th, 2023: After more than two years, this cigar was quite pleasant: rich and smooth, with much more flavour than recorded previously. I need to visit this cigar again and see whether time has improved it. Quite satisyfing at aorund 90 minutes.