The Rocky Patel Gold Label is the latest from Rocky Patel. For some on social media the name is very polarizing. For whatever the reason, social media, which I consider the loud minority love to bash Rocky. Rocky Patel is probably in the top 5 cigar manufacturers in terms of sales and if he isn’t he’s very close to the threshold.
Personally, I think the extreme dislike for the brand or even the individual is incredibly short sighted. There is no harder working manufacturer in the cigar industry than Rocky Patel when it comes to fighting for our rights. Any chance he gets he’s walking the floors with lawmakers fighting for the rights of cigar smokers.
Whenever I see a new Rocky cigar I’ll smoke it as a thank you for all he has done. According to Nish Patel, VP and younger brother to Rocky Patel, “Rocky had Rocky Patel Gold Label blend for a long time. He wanted something with a lot of rich flavor—I think Gold Label has that. It’s a very smooth, medium-bodied cigar.”
The question is though, if he had is a long time why did he wait so long to go to market with it…
Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Gold Label
Size: 6.5 x 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Dual (Connecticut Shade & Connecticut Broadleaf)
Fillers: Nicaragua
Factory: Tavicusa
Release Date: July 2024
Box Count: 20
The Look: The current pricing model used by the cigar industry is high and often the cigars do not have the appearance warranting the price. The Rocky Patel Gold Label would warrant the price with its gorgeous presentation, yet the cigar is moderately priced. Featuring a brown, gold and white band the cigar has a brown and white footband. The real eye catcher is the gold foil covering the bottom half of the cigar that is embossed with an intricate design. The oily Habano wrapper is milk chocolate in color with some thin veins. The cigar is box pressed to perfection with no voids of tobacco and a nice weight. However just before I was ready to cut the final cigar for our review I couldn’t help by notice a large patch job just below the band which is horrible quality control.
The Notes: The cold draw reminds me of a cigar factory with notes of cedar and raw tobacco, there is a bit of Sumatra like sourness that makes me wonder if any is used in the filler. The foot of the cigar is warm and invitng with a subtle pepper and chocolate covered raisin sweetness.
After we toast and light the cigar it starts off bitter further making me wonder if there is Sumatra somewhere in the filler. Around the point of the picture, the bitter begins to disappear and the cigar develops a floral component along with some tea and pistachios. The retrohale is incredibly smooth with some cocoa and more floral components.
The second third sees the floral notes remain along with some cashews, earth and chocolate. The earth lingers on the slightly dry finish. The retrohale is still incredibly smooth with only the slight amount of pepper and some subtle lemon rind.
Moving into the final third the floral notes remain consents as the cigar begins to bring on notes of espresso, vanilla and chocolate with a long nutty and leathery finish. The retrohale remains incredibly smooth with a subtle hint of pepper which lingers after the smoked is pushed through the nasal passages. The final third is by far the most enjoyable and I find myself not wanting to put it down.
Conclusion: I am not sold on what the company is advertising as the blend. There is at times an abundance of Sumatra like qualities to the cigar and virtually no Broadleaf qualities that is supposedly part of the binder. Despite this, it’s not a bad cigar but it does taste like Sumatra. The patch job mentioned in the beginning to the review didn’t affect the cigar in one bit outside the visual appearance.
In short, the Rocky Patel Gold Label is a very good cigar with a price point that is friendly to the consumer.
Score: 89
Price: $12.00 (Before any local or state taxes).
Available at site sponsor Small Batch Cigars.
