How I Rated the Famous Private Selection Rocky Patel

Tonight, after dinner, I enjoyed the Famous 70th anniversary Private Selection Rocky Patel cigar. I am a big fan of Rocky Patel and frequently enjoy the Vintage 1992. I was excited to try this particular smoke because it is a new one to me. I went through the rating’s categories to give a final rating for this stick. Here is how I rated the cigar.

Before I lit the cigar I examined the look and feel of it. It was generally smooth with tiny veins from the wrapper. There was not any bumps or lumps, and did not have big chunk veins which most likely means it was rolled with a top quality leaf. The manufacturer probably took the time to remove the big veins from the leaf. The stick was kept in my humidor that had a humidity reading of 69% and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. The stick was spongy feeling and not at all hard.

After examining the cigar, I then cut and lit it. I used a guillotine cigar cutter to make a straight cut. It was very easy to cut. When I was lighting the stick, I used a butane torch lighter. I do admit that I coughed a few time while lighting it because the first few puffs were a bit strong. Most cigars seem strong at first when they are being lit. I did not assume the rest of the smoke would be as strong after it was initially lit.

I could tell the burn of the cigar was going to be good because it was easy to light. Indeed, I was right. The burn of this stick was very even and consistent. The draw was not tight at all. The ash stuck together which also backed up the evidence of a good burn.

The flavor of this cigar was strong. It was a stronger than what I usually smoke, but well nonetheless. The flavor of it lingered on the tip of my tongue and stayed on my lips. It was mildly spicy too. There were hints of leather and oak in the flavor. The aroma was pleasant and not overbearing. The character of the cigar changed as I smoked it. It was more robust in the beginning and became smoother later on. I also did not notice the taste of tar buildup as I got further down the stick.

I should also mention that I smoked this in the evening after I had eaten dinner. This could have affected how I rated the flavor and aroma of this one. I was drinking water and did not pair it with scotch, brandy, or wine. A lot of smokers pair their cigars with a good scotch.

I would give this cigar a final rating of 88 out of 100. It was an above average cigar that I thoroughly enjoyed.