Rodrigo cigars is probably a brand you haven’t heard too much about but it is a brand that has been making some appearances over the last year or so. George Rodriguez started his venture into the cigar world very recently in 2010. The story on the Rodrigo Cigars website is actually a pretty interesting one, take a read through it here.

At the moment, Rodrigo cigars has 3 different blends in it’s inventory. The Habano Classico, the Boutique Blend and today’s featured cigar, the La Fortaleza. All of the blends have filler from the Dominican Republic, where George first began his cigar making adventure, and each blend comes with a different wrapper.

The La Fortaleza line is claimed to be the full bodied and full flavored. It comes in 4 different vitolas and all have interesting names such as the Absoluto, Forte, Elegante and the Cinco 5. All of the cigars are also made at the Tabacalera Ventura factory down in Dominican Republic. 3 of the vitolas come in boxes of 24 but the Cinco 5 comes in an odd numbered box containing 55 sticks. There is an obvious link to the name here

Let’s dive in to the Rodrigo La Fortaleza Cinco 5 and see how it turns out!

Cigar: Rodrigo La Fortaleza Cinco 5
Drink: Pocas Special Reserve Tawny Porto
Vitola: Cinco 5 (6 x 56)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: About $6.75
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A very nice, velvety smooth wrapper surrounds this cigar
• It does have a very appealing reddish-brown wrapper on it
• The squeeze shows an even firmness from cap to foot with just a bit of springiness
• There are only very small veins to be seen on this wrapper, they don’t look to have any potential problems with the veins
• The cap is cleanly finished and looks to blend into the rest of the wrapper nicely
• The foot looks nicely and cleanly packed with lots of filler leaves and all are a nice consistent color

Burn:
• Toasting was nice and easy and even, had a nice amber foot with very little effort
• Shortly after, the La Fortaleza started canoeing on me thanks for a giant tunnel/gap in the filler
• I touched it up but it started to happen again right after, hoping with one more touch up and we’ll be at the end of the tunnel
• Weird burn continues with more touch ups and canoeing
• This cigar needed touch-up after touch up to keep it burning properly
• Finally in the last bit, I got some decent burn without touch ups but it was a constant battle throughout the whole cigar

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke is medium in body, not quite full and billowing
• It’s also taking me a couple draws to get a decent amount of smoke out
• The ash is coming along as very light grey, almost white
• Problem is the ash isn’t lasting very long with the tunneling and touch ups
• I keep tapping the ash off just short of an inch, it looks pretty weak and flaky, especially with all the touch ups
• Smoke continues to be pretty light throughout the cigar, would have been nicer to have a little more density to it

Tasting Notes:
• The notes on the wrapper seem to be mostly of mild cedar, not much else here
• I still get the mild cedar on the foot but now I’m picking up some tiny hints of spices, more baking spices rather than pepper
• The pre-light draw was very woodsy with just a touch of mild spices
• Initial few draws are telling a similar story of woodsy flavors backed by some cinnamon and also some leathery notes in there
• The cedar flavors are really shining through with a nice medium body to back it all up, also picking up some light coffee flavors
• The retrohale has a tiny little bite and is full of flavorful spices with a nice woodsy finish
• The body has been pretty mild, almost medium so far
• The constant touch ups from burn issues are continually making the flavors charred and harsh, it’s hiding the potential of the cigar
• I’m still picking up hints of good flavors such as coffee and cedar, maybe even some nuts or almonds but the charred flavors introduced from constant touch ups is ruining this cigar
• Throughout the whole cigar, the body never really passed medium making for a good early day smoke
• The last inch or so probably had the most flavors since I didn’t need any touch ups so the potential of this cigar really showed, no harshness here either
• I have to note that even though the cigar claimed to be really full bodied, I barely felt much past medium so I was pretty surprised.

Final Thoughts:
This is a tough one to judge and I have to say I will need a few more to make up my mind. The burn really ruined the experience since the constant touch ups negatively affected the flavors I was getting. I got very nice hints of flavorful cedar, coffee, cinnamon and almonds but they were always being overpowered by the charred notes. The Rodrigo La Fortaleza Cinco 5 is something that will leave me wondering “what could have been?”. I really wanted to like this cigar and I’m definitely going to seek out a few more, perhaps a different vitola and for sure a different box to see if the burn issues are persistent or if I just had a bad batch. Has anyone else had similar issues? I’d love to get some feedback on that!

*Sorry no ash pic here, the wind actually kept blowing the ash out of my ashtray so there was nothing left to take a picture of. The wind stole my band too… Some dog is probably chewing on it right now…

Pairings:
I had just a little bit of this port left so I decided to pair with it one more time, it’s gone now so you won’t see it again! lol. The Pocas Special Reserve Tawny Porto pours very very light and has some very fruity notes on your nose. The flavors follow those same lines with a very light flavor, fairly fruity, lots of oak flavors and not bold at all. It did offer a bit of saving grace to the charred flavors of the cigar today. The sweetness really helped to cleanse my palate after those touch ups. It would have been an excellent pairing without that set back though so I’d definitely pair this cigar with port the next time I decide to light one up.

The post Rodrigo Cigars La Fortaleza Cinco 5 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Rocky Patel The Edge Habano is also unique in a new way. It is the first cigar in this lineup to be a Nicaraguan Puro and is even produced in a different factory than the rest of the Edge blends. I’ve had some mixed opinions on most of Rocky Patel’s cigars, some I’ve loved and some not so much. But The Edge lineup has been one of the blends that has been consistently good for me so far.

When Rocky unveiled these at IPCPR earlier last year, he also gave some details that I found interesting. First was the price which you can find below, but he also mentioned they would be sold in boxes of 100 which is pretty interesting and does make for a pretty nice show piece. Lucky enough for us who have no room for 100 cigars of a single type, they are also being sold in boxes of 20, a little more digestible for sure.

So let’s go ahead and dive right in to see if the newest edition to the Edge lineup can hold it’s own. I reviewed The Edge Corojo not too long ago so those notes are still fresh in my mind to compare with.

Cigar: Rocky Patel The Edge Habano
Drink: Pocas Special Reserve Tawny Porto
Vitola: Toro (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan(Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa)
Price: $6.15 MSRP
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• The Rocky Patel The Edge Habano has a pretty bumpy yet oily wrapper on it
• The color of the wrapper is a deep brown with what looks to be some slightly golden accents
• Near the foot, this cigar was definitely a bit squishy but the rest of the cigar had a slightly firm and springy feel
• No major veins to be worried about here, looks like a well chosen leaf to me
• The Triple cap was fairly clean but there was a piece that wasn’t quite stuck on very well

Burn:
• The toasting took a bit long here, seems the edges lit up easy and fast but the core of the cigar took a bit of time to catch on
• Through the first bit, it seems to be burning really fast, a lot of wrapper disappearing on each draw
• The burn line has started out pretty nicely, keeping it fairly even with just a bit of a wave
• Can’t complain here, the burnline wasn’t perfectly straight but it stayed nice and even throughout the whole cigar and I didn’t need to touch it up at all

Smoke & Ash:
• Each draw is pumping out a decent amount of smoke here, not really requiring me to go back for seconds
• The ash is coming out with a nice light and dark grey alternating pattern
• We’ve got some clean and strong ash here, doesn’t look like it will fall off very easily
• Lasting past an inch before I tap it off so it doesn’t land on my laptop
• Next few ashes stayed strong and clean as I tapped them off around the 1 inch mark
• The draw did open up a bit in the last half giving me a nice full pull of smoke on each draw

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper had an aroma of cedar and a touch of spice on the nose
• From the foot, the aromas I grabbed were more spice and a touch of nuts or almond
• Pre-light draw gave me a nice creamy cedar sort of flavor
• From the first few draws, you can easily pick out the creaminess from the Habano wrapper and a nice amount of cedar
• There is definitely not as much spice here as on the original The Edge but there’s still a bit just to keep it interesting
• Picking up a soft coffee note as I burn through this first third adding a nice layer here
• The retrohale actually has a nice kick to it considering I’m not getting too much spice, but it has a nice smooth and creamy finish to it
• The spice definitely started to pick up after the halfway mark, more signature Edge flavors now
• The creamy and coffee notes continue to stick around with some cedar to back it all up
• The Edge Habano entered the last third with more creamy, coffee and cedar notes, maybe a touch of roasted almonds here too
• As I approach the nub, the flavors sort of all melted together and turned a bit bland, even a touch harsh so I put it down

Final Thoughts:
I had some pretty high expectations going into this cigar simply because the past few I’ve smoked from Rocky Patel’s The Edge line have all been good. So would this new Habano edition stand up? Seems like it did a pretty darn good job. Minus the last bit when it got a bit harsh, the rest of the cigar was spot on with some smooth flavors and a great burn. That harshness might have just been from the cold weather or the fact that these were pretty young sticks but I definitely would have a few more even with that caveat at the end.

Pairings:
So the pairing I chose today was actually the same bottle of Port I used to pair with my review of The Edge Corojo not too long ago. I won’t re-invent the wheel here, the port is about the same. The Pocas Special Reserve Tawny Porto pours very very light and has some very fruity notes on your nose. The flavors follow those same lines with a very light flavor, fairly fruity, lots of oak flavors and not bold at all. Definitely an easy drinking port that’s not overly bold. It paired quite nicely with the softer creamy notes on The Edge Habano and countered the spicier parts nicely as well.

The post Rocky Patel The Edge Habano appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

But I’m always up to try some new cigars so here we go digging into some information behind The Edge. It’s been a really since I had one of Rocky’s The Edge cigars and I used to actually really enjoy the original blend of the Sumatra wrapper. The new blend isn’t the same and although it wasn’t bad, I haven’t really stocked up on them. But today’s review isn’t on the Sumatra wrapper, we’re focusing on the Corojo for now.

As with the whole Edge lineup, the long fillers used to stuff this cigar are aged for a full five years before they get to the rolling tables. Something else interesting about this line is that the filler on their website simply says that it is “Secret”. There are some speculations around the actual makeup of the filler but I’m not one to speculate, so we’ll just leave it at that.

As with many of Rocky’s cigars, he has teamed up with the tobacco growing powerhouse that is Nestor Plasencia. Aside from the Corojo, you can also find the limited runs of Sumatra wrappers as well as a Maduro wrapped blend. There’s also a similar line called the “Edge Lite” that comes with a connecticut wrapper and even a limited run Candela that Tony reviewed here. So let’s dive on in and see how the Corojo wrapped Edge by Rocky Patel stands up.

Cigar: Rocky Patel The Edge
Drink: Pocas Special Reserve Tawny Porto
Vitola: Torpedo (6 x 52)
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Secret?
Price: $6.00
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• This Rocky Patel has a seriously deep dark brown and oily wrapper
• There are very few veins on this wrapper and whatever I do see is very small
• The cap is finished very cleanly with the single lead blending seamlessly into the rest of the wrapper
• The foot is super packed from what I can see, lots of filler inside this cigar
• There is a bit of a soft spring near the foot when squeezed but the top of the cigar near the cap is very firm
• The cap took a little effort to clip, probably due to the huge amount of filler inside it
• Draw is just about perfect, it has just enough resistance
• Noticed a few wrapper cracks as I burned through the cigar but none caused any major issues to be worried about

Burn:
• Toasting was very easy and The Edge had a glowing foot with very little effort
• We’re off to a good start with a nice clean burn line in the first bit here, let’s hope that continues
• Saw one little peninsula forming but The Edge made a come back and corrected itself without my help
• A couple more small peninsulas as we roll along here but they keep correcting themselves which is a welcome treat
• One of the peninsulas finally needed my help to correct in the last half but nothing major
• Smooth sailing to the end with a good burn pace and no more issues to correct

Smoke & Ash:
• Right from the start, there is a ton of smoke coming off this Rocky Patel cigar with only a small draw required to get it
• The ash is coming along with a very light grey, almost white color to it and some darker black accents here and there
• Super strong and clean ash here, no flaking at all
• Tapped off the first ash at about 1 inch just to prevent it from falling on my laptop, but it probably could have gone longer
• There is a fair bit of resting smoke off this cigar as well and I have to say, it smells a little like roasted marshmallows which is awesome
• All the ashes kept nice and clean and easily made the 1 inch mark before ending up in the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the Rocky Patel The Edge has a sweet sort of candy/ cocoa aroma, reminds me of what Smarties smell like
• The foot brings more of that sweet cocoa aroma and adds to it a bit of baking spices like cloves and nutmeg
• The pre-light draw brought a little bit of the sweet cocoa but now it’s more wood and spices
• From the initial draws, The Edge was giving me lots of woodsy notes with some back splashes of cloves and nutmeg and maybe a bit of a leathery flavor
• The body starts off right around the low end of medium, a nice comfortable strength for now
• As for the retrohale, The Edge does have a bit of bite to it along with a smooth cedar finish
• The wood and spice notes are still holding strong, but I’m getting a bit of a black licorice taste in here now which is making it interesting
• A little ramp up in the body around the halfway mark as the licorice really starts to be prominent along with the spices making for a very interesting and balanced profile
• The coffee and spice took the main stage for the last half with some licorice peeking in once in awhile
• There was no harshness towards the end and The Edge finished smooth and with a bit of strength

Final Thoughts:
So Lou seems to be becoming the Rocky Patel advocate for me and I have to say he’s doing a pretty good job of turning me on to some of their better sticks. This is another Rocky Patel I can add to my list as one that I really enjoyed. It had lots of good flavors, some interesting change ups, and solid construction from start to finish. It seems that if you can find the sticks in the Rocky inventory that appeal to your taste profile, there are definitely quite a few that are worth trying. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of these in the future and if you aren’t a huge Rocky fan, this may be a good one for you to try. Can’t complain about the price either, right in the sweet spot of most people.

Pairings:
I think it’s been awhile since I actually paired with a port, not sure why but here’s a new one for you. Today’s choice is a new one for me too from Pocas which is a family owned winery from Portugal. This particular blend is called the Special Reserve Tawny Porto. It pours very very light and has some very fruity notes on your nose. The flavors follow those same lines with a very light flavor, fairly fruity, lots of oak flavors and not bold at all. This would make an excellent into to Port if you haven’t dabbled in it before. It paired nicely with the Rocky Patel The Edge but I wouldn’t choose it for something super strong as the light flavors would get overwhelmed.

The post Rocky Patel The Edge (Corojo) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.