The Light Up:
This cigar was made in commemoration of Rocky Patel’s birth year of 1961. This medium to full-bodied cigar was masterfully blended with a diversity of tobaccos. The final result is a smoke that’s rich with chocolate and cocoa notes, slightly spicy yet creamy. The Rocky Patel 1961 is the inaugural brand coming out of Rocky’s newest cigar factory in Nicaragua called Tabacalera Villa Cuba. The cigar had a gorgeous, silky Habano wrapper from Ecuador which complemented the Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers. At first puff, you can tell the cigar had some strength, but it was balanced enough not to bite your palate. You notice the chocolate and cocoa right away with a creamy aftertaste. A hint of spiciness is present, but not overwhelming.

The Mid-Stick:
Nearing the midway point, the cigar never strayed too far away from perfection. The wrapper had a enticing aroma which struck your senses like a blow from a heavyweight boxer. POW! Cocoa, chocolate, spice, and citrus flavors were noticeable and ever so delightful! The strength had now gained some ground. New flavors joined the party, almond and coffee. A pronounced sweetness was also present and made my mouth water. Heading towards the band and past the midway point, the cigar was burning nicely and had developed into one a hell of a cigar.

The Finish:
Once removing the band, I was pleased to be able to venture further. My palate was still tingling with excitement even though the peppery notes that were first present had dissipated into ash. The body was now in full effect and the blend had developed nicely. Burn, perfect! Aroma, appetizing! I had again ventured into smoker’s heaven. Although a little bitter at the end, Rocky had impressed me again! Verdict: go look around for one and add some to your collection. A well deserved 91!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

The Light Up:
Recently named the best cigar of 2009 by Cigar Aficionado, this aged Nicaraguan puro commemorates the 45th Anniversary of Padrón Cigars. Nicknamed “The Hammer”, the Padrón Family Reserve comes in both a natural and maduro wrapper and are in boxes of 10 cigars. Apparently they are very hard to find, but fortunately my local tobacconist carried them and I was able to land one! At first sight, this box-pressed beauty made my eyes and mouth water! The rich maduro wrapper, although slightly veiny, was smooth and seamless, a toothy complexion was also evident. I was going to bare the cold weather to smoke this one! At first puff this cigar came out strong! A peppery, slight bite on the tongue at first which is not the norm for the brand, transitioned into a smooth roasted nutty taste after about a quarter into the smoke. I must admit this was stronger than your normal Padrón, but what do you expect from such an aged and powerful blend. The aroma was fantastic and body was a mouthful.

The Mid-Stick:
Reaching this point in the experience was pure delight, a Padrón smokers wet dream. The cigar had developed into something extraordinary, a characteristic of a well thought out blend. Padrón is known for this with all of their products. Nutty, smooth, creamy, I could go on forever with descriptive words but there’s just not enough words in the english dictionary to describe the cigar, so I’ll leave this one…fantastic. I see now why this cigar was given the industry’s most prestigious award. Who could argue, not me that’s for sure. The burn began a little uneven, but straightened out without any assistance. Coffee undertones began to emerge and a thick white ash was lingering at the end of my progress thick enough to fall off and remain in my ashtray intact, another trait of good tobacco.

The Finish:
I removed the third band with the 45 inscription on it and began working my way to the secondary and primary bands removing them as I continued smoking. Lesser cigars may become bitter beyond the band and so it’s time wasted to venture past this point. I began searching for some way to extend the experience as I could already feel my fingertips getting warm, signaling I was nearing the end of the stick. I braved on. The strong coffee and cocoa flavors intensified at the last quarter forcing me to keep on puffing. There was barely anything left by the time I realized it, and at this point I was pinching my fingers together to savor every last bit. What remained was something that could barely even be called a nub. I had smoked this baby down to the first seam of the head! My fingers may have been screaming in agony, but my palate was screaming with enjoyment! Although at the higher end of pricing, $30 to be exact, which is what I paid, this cigar is one of those treats a cigar smoker seeks. Definitely not a smoke for a newbie, but rather for a seasoned smoker. Would I spend the money again? Most definitely! I think I’ll grab a few more to add to the collection. Rating this cigar a strong 94 simply would not do it justice. The Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro is off my charts!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

First Impression:
Here’s my first attempt at a beer review in relation to cigars. The bottle looked fancy, the beer looked dark like cola and smell was incredible. I was looking forward to pairing this with my full bodied cigar. It was recommended to me by the bartender who happened to work at the cigar bar. Go figure!! I had in my hand the Alec Bradley Prensado Torpedo which I rated earlier. The combo was deadly! Two full bodied killers that complemented each other better than Bonnie and Clyde. A great choice! At first pour, there was a very light head which dissipated quickly leaving behind a dark, rich liquid which filled my glass. The first sip was nutty and had undertones of licorice and molasses. The cigar too had a nutty taste which was complemented by the brew. Puff after puff, sip after sip and the combo was going strong.

Mid-Glass:
At this point in the experience, both my cigar and beer were complementing each other. Not bad for a beer from Spain. I must admit I had never even heard of this beer. The dark beer I was used to drinking was Guiness which seemed to cancel out my palate and coat my tongue too much to enjoy a good cigar with. The nuttiness continued and was joined by some roasted coffee notes. The consistency was light and not too overbearing, leaving my palate clean to enjoy the flavors of the cigar as well.

The Last Sip:
Nearing the bottom of the glass, I had already ordered round two and now my cigar was at the half-way point. I believe this beer would complement any medium to full bodied cigar without overwhelming your palate. Would I recommend pairing this beer with any full bodied cigar, definitely! Although there wasn’t too much alcohol content, about 5.4%, it was enough to give me a nice buzz after two. Go out and see if you can find this beer and let me know what you think. I give this dark beauty an 8 out of 10!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie