Initial Thoughts
I’m going way back by smoking this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992! This was one of the cigars that got me hooked on cigar smoking. I went to an event about 7 years ago where Rocky Patel actually showed up. I ended up buying an entire box of mix and match RP sticks. At least 1/4 of them were the Vintage 92. Needless to say, but me and this cigar have some history together.
I was walking through the shop the other day and passed by these cigars and realized that I had not reviewed them yet. Nor had I smoked them in forever and a day. So I picked up a couple. One for this review, and one for a pairing that will come later. I was pretty pumped when I got home and put them in my humidor. I remember that I really enjoyed this cigar back in the day. I’m hoping that I’m not too jaded with all these new fancy pants blends and I can still enjoy this down to earth cigar that helped me fall in love with stogies way back when. Enough nostalgia, let’s hop into it!
So why is this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 labeled ‘vintage’? Well that’s pretty easy to answer. The filler tobaccos are 8 year aged Dominican & Nicaraguan. On top of that it has a 10 year aged Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. So yeah, I think you can call these vintage and not feel bad about it. That’s all the backstory that I think we need. I’m ready to get into the review if you are?
Looks
At first look, you probably think that the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 is a bit boring. Honestly, I’d agree with you. The bands have a simple, shiny black gloss to them, and a gold accent around the edges. There is a simple RP logo in the middle of the top band. Also, there is a secondary band that simply states “Vintage 1992.” This is identical to the RP Vintage 90 except that cigar’s band color is maroon. Simple, yet effective. Something has to be said for simplicity though, so I’m not going to hate on it too much here.
The actual cigar looks great. It has a deep chocolate brown color to it. It also has a nice velvety look to it. Not a velvety feel, just a look. I know, it’s confusing.
The seams are very visible on this cigar. You can see them throughout the entire barrel. There is one blemish towards to head of the of the cigar that I tried to capture with my camera. It’s almost like a dark square on the wrapper. I’m not sure if there was a hole that was patched or just an age spot on the wrapper. It’s so close to the head that I doubt I’ll make it that far to let it affect the flavor on this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992. Everything looks good, so now it’s time to run it through the ringer!
Function
As per usual I made sure to run these guys through the pinch test at the shop. I want to know that I’m getting the best sticks that I can. These passed with flying colors. The filler bounce back was great, perfectly filled with tobacco. The foot of the cigar looks great. Looks like a perfect roll of the filler leaves. So no concern there. The head looks great, has one large seam. So I’m gonna say it’s just a single cap. Which is no problem by me.
Time to nip the cap and see what’s under the hood. I’m all ready, I whip out my double bladed guillotine and take a cut. Then the head of this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 basically crumbles… Not good news. I removed the cap from the cutter and then I go to work like a surgeon putting the wrapper back together. The easiest thing to do is lick your finger and apply a small amount of saliva on the wrapper and try to get it to lay down where it once was. Then I applied a little more and it finally stayed in place so I could light the cigar. After this initial fiasco it was fine the rest of the smoke. Just not the way I want to start off a cigar that I have such fond memories of.
Smoking
Once I got through the major pre light crisis I was off and running with this cigar. It lit right up and began puffing smoke. The draw was perfect and incredibly easy. Not too loose, but easy which is always a big plus. The initial ash held on for over an inch. The burn line was a little wavy but not enough to try and correct it. So I just let it be.
The second third of this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 picked up some steam and began burning really straight and the smoke output almost doubled. It was like the cigar hit its stride or something. The ash again held for over an inch. It was a nice tight ash and didn’t flake out but came loose from the barrel with just a simple tap.
This cigar finished up perfectly with a nice draw all the way down the barrel. Never had an issue, didn’t have to do a re-light. It was pretty great smoking experience.
Flavor
So what sort of flavors can you expect from a cigar that has ‘aged’ tobacco in it? I’m hoping I don’t get a musty flavor from it. For some reason that just doesn’t seem too appealing to me.
The first thing that I noticed during pre light is a nice sweet chocolate note on the wrapper. There is a bit of earthiness as well, but the dominant note is sweet and most closely resembles chocolate to me.
Once I light it up that sweetness goes away and I’m hit with earthy, woody, and nutty notes. A great combination to say the least. One of the first things I notice about this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 is the balance and richness of the flavors. They aren’t in your face with intensity. They are subtle and compliment each other well.
The second third is more of the same. The earthy note is still the dominant, but the nutty notes pick up quite a bit on the back end and there is just a hint of spice that appears from time to time. That’s probably the Nicaraguan leaf peeking its head out.
The final third didn’t change much from the first two. The flavors are very consistent throughout this entire cigar which is fine by me. The spice did pick up a touch at the end, but that may have been because it was burning hot.
What I love is the mellowness of this cigar. I forgot about some of the flavors because it had been so long since I smoked it. But it’s a great entry level into cigars. It’s so smooth and mild that nearly every level of smoker could enjoy this stick.
Would I Buy It Again?
Absolutely, and I’m glad I revisited this stick.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
It could be if you find a deal on a box.
Would I Buy a Box?
Potentially, if I could find a nice deal then it’s definitely a box worthy cigar anytime you want a nice mild-medium full flavored cigar.
Conclusion
I’m glad I revisited this Rocky Patel Vintage 1992. It had been way too long since I had smoked it. The flavors were great, subtle yet flavorful. I really enjoyed this cigar. The only negative thing I can say about it was the cap had issues when I removed it. Other than that a truly great smoking experience. If you haven’t had one of these yet, do yourself a favor and pick one up or a 5 pack. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
