The Good Stuff: Rocky Patel’s burn was originally only available if you visited Rocky’s own cigar lounge in Naples, Florida. This blend has since, been released into the wild for everyone to enjoy. There is a catch though. The original Burn carried a dark Sumatran wrapper which has since been swapped out for a Honduran leaf resulting and in Honduran – Puro cigar. Burn – Naples comes in 3 sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), and Torpedo (6.5 x 52). They are packaged in 20 count boxes and will run between $7.75 and $8.60 a stick. These samples were sent to me by our friends over at Rocky Patel.

Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Secret, and Scarce blend of Honduran tobacco
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $7.75
Pairing: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (American IPA 6% ABV)

Prelight: The wrapper on the Burn is a beautiful one, sporting an extremely consistent, milky brown character. The wrapper is slightly toothy with a trace amount of oil and only a few larger veins running the length of the body. The Burn is then finished off with a perfect, round, triple cap. The cigar is polished off with a orange, white, and gold band that simple says “BURN” on the front and carries a small Rocky Patel crest in the back. On the foot of the cigar there is a similar band stating the word “NAPLES, FL”. The cigar is very, very firm to the touch. It’s so firm that I actually fear the cigar may be jam packed and too tight to draw from.

The wrapper on Rocky Patel’s Burn smells like straight up cedar while the foot of the cigar gives off a very oaty, grainy aroma. The cap cut like butter using my double bladed Palio cutter. (Terrible rhyme). The cold draw produced a slightly sweet, cedar filled flavor profile.

First Smoke: The Burn starts off with a nice splash of black pepper which quickly faded into a very, very sweet tobacco and cedar profile with some vanilla and musk underneath. The draw is slightly tight, but not even close to bothersome. After a puff or two I can get the desired amount of smoke in my mouth. The smoke seems very thin, and dissipates very quickly. There isn’t even much stationary smoke coming from the cigar as it sits in my ashtray. The burnline is a bit wavy leaving behind a very flaky, bright white ash. The ash held on for a little under an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The pepper is completely gone as I reach the second third of Rocky Patel’s Burn. The sweetness in this cigar is pretty intense, and not something Rocky has been known for. Boy do I wish I he was cause it really ads another layer to the blend. The cedar is still there, just not as strong while the vanilla and musk remain in the profile. The draw is still a bit tight, but nothing too bad, while the burnline has completely corrected itself and is now burning razor sharp and dead even. The retrohale is really smooth, as it coats my nasal passage with some really strong cedar and sweetness. I am feeling no nicotine at all at this point.

Finish: Rocky Patel’s Burn finished exactly as the first, and the second third. Sweet, sweet tobacco, cedar, vanilla, and musk. This is a great mixup, but I really with that it would have had a bit more dimension and changed up a bit more than it did. I am happy to report there was no real harshness until the final inch. Outside of that, the cigar finished nice and smooth with no nicotine kick, no touch-ups, and no relights.

Overview: This was one of the better blends I have had from Rocky Patel. The Burn carries some great flavors with an overall enjoyable sweet experience. My main gripes had to be the lack of change ups, and the tight draw. It was manageable, but on both samples I received I had to give a few extra puffs to really get it going. Would I buy it again? More than likely. Would I buy a box? This wasn’t really my cup of tea so I’d have to decline on that one. I do, however, think this is a perfect cigar for those of you who really like to kick back, and enjoy some great, consistent flavors in your smoke. The Burn really showcases how balanced an experience can be.

Pairing: With summer just around the corner, expect a lot more IPA’s sneaking their way into our reviews. I have never been one for IPA’s but I have discovered over the last year that it’s only the really piney, young tasting ones that get me. Ever since I discovered Imperial and Double IPA’s which tend to lack these flavors I have been addicted to them. One of the breweries that is known for its IPAs is Dogfish Head and their 60 Minute IPA can be found in just about any grocery, convenience, or beer store here in El Paso, Texas. The 60 Minute IPA is an American style IPA coming in at a modest 6% ABV which is brewed at the infamous Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware. This beer starts off very, very crisp with some great citrus and finishing with just a light pine and bitterness to it. One note is that the 60 minute IPA is named after the brewing process in which the brew is soft-boiled for 60 minutes as 60 hop additions incur. IPA’s are really tough to find the right pairing for as they tend to overpower your everyday cigar. I have noticed that the sweet, milder cigars really make for a great pairing with the bitterness and citrus from the beer. The Burn is a perfect example of that as the extra vanilla flavor from the cigar mixed with the hoppiness from the beer really clashed to create a nice, floral experience.

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