Rocky Strikes Again – Vintage 2003 Cameroon

Rocky Patel is a big player in the industry.  He makes lots of cigars, the majority of which are very good.  And this stick is no exception.  Rocky’s offices and cigar bar Burn are near where I live and run into Rocky and his staff frequently.  Everyone is amazed at how big they have become.  But, I see it as a lot of good people working really hard on a focused job.  They are led by Rocky Patel, a driven, dedicated force.  This has been translated to a large line of premium cigars that can be enjoyed by all.

This particular cigar, the Vintage 2003 Cameroon, takes its name from the wrapper.  The wrapper was harvested in Cameroon in 2003 making it over 8 years old when the cigar was released in 2011.  Cameroon has been for long years noted for elegant, dark, sweet wrappers.  This is no exception.  You notice both the color of the cigar, a pleasant rich chocolate brown, and the matching bands, when you first look at the stick.  There are two bands one indicating the vintage and location, the other the cigar maker(Rocky Patel).  Both are printed in silver ink on a royal blue background.  I punched and lit the cigar without problem.

To look at the cigar you notice a rough feel, despite the oiliness.  This in no way detracted for the construction.  The ash held nicely and burned evenly.  However the draw was extremely open.  While not burning hot, the stick burned quickly.  When I puffed there was not even a hint of resistance, sort of like drawing through an empty straw.

Nevertheless, the cigar tasted nice.  I thought it was a medium bodied or ‘lunch’ cigar.  At first it was dry cedar and light spice.  As the cigar progressed there was a creaminess to the spice.  The flavor rolled in the mouth with a silky feel.  Finally, in the last third there was a bit of nuttiness added to the cream with the spice continuing at just the right level.  I liked the flavors of this cigar a lot.

At around $7.50 this is just a bit more than I want to spend for an everyday cigar, but not ridiculously priced.  The flavor adds to its value.  I think if you are a smoker who wants to move beyond mild sticks, this might be just the ticket to try.