Rocky Patel DBS Toro

Over the years, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has been known for using Broadleaf wrapper – whether Connecticut Broadleaf or Pennsylvania Broadleaf. Over the past couple of years, there have been shortages of Broadleaf tobacco, typically of the Broadleaf grown in Connecticut. As a result, this has led many cigar factories to seek out alternative tobaccos. At the same time, many farms outside the U.S. have experimented with growing Broadleaf tobacco. As a result, we have seen Broadleaf tobacco come from Nicaragua – and to a lesser extent, Broadleaf is being grown in Honduras and the Dominican Republic. In 2022, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars would introduce a new regular production line called Rocky Patel DBS (Double Broadleaf Selection). It would utilize Broadleaf tobaccos from Nicaragua as well as Pennsylvania. Today, we will take a closer look at the Rocky Patel DBS in the Toro size.

The rise of the Nicaraguan Broadleaf has widely been used as an alternative to the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. In this case, the Double Broadleaf is not used for the wrapper but is incorporated as a part of the binder and filler. As we get into the meat of the assessment, we’ll get into the full breakdown of the blend.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Rocky Patel DBS uses a Mexican San Andres wrapper. The Pennsylvania Broadleaf is paired with an undisclosed Nicaraguan leaf for the binder. For the filler, the Nicaraguan Broadleaf is paired with undisclosed Honduran tobaccos. Production comes from Rocky Patel’s TAVICUSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: Nicaraguan, U.S. Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan Broadleaf
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA)

Vitolas Offered

The Rocky Patel DBS is offered in three sizes. Each comes in 20-count boxes.

Robusto: 5 1/2 x 50
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52
Sixty: 6 x 60

Appearance

The Mexican San Andres wrapper of the Rocky Patel DBS Toro had a dark roasted coffee bean color. Upon closer examination, a slight amount of mottling could be seen. There wasn’t much in the way of oils on the surface of the wrapper. The surface of the wrapper also had a few visible veins, while the dark color of the wrapper minimized any wrapper seams.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before lighting up the Rocky Patel DBS Toro, a straight cut commenced the cigar experience. From that point, it was on to the pre-light stage. The cold draw delivered notes of rich mocha and earth. The mocha is what I describe as a fusion of coffee and chocolate. This was a simple yet flavorful pre-light draw. I judged this to be an excellent pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to remove the footer band of the Rocky Patel DBS Toro, light up the cigar, and proceed to the smoking stage.

Tasting Notes

The Rocky Patel DBS Toro started with notes of earth, mineral, wood, mocha, and white pepper. Early on, the earth and mineral notes moved into the forefront. Meanwhile, the wood, mocha, and white pepper settled in the background. As the cigar progressed through the first third, there was an increase in the mocha notes, and by the middle of the first third, the mocha was present with the earth and mineral notes. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered an additional layer of white pepper.

The second third of the Rocky Patel DBS Toro opened with the earth, mineral, and mocha notes. The mocha notes soon receded, and before the midway point, they receded into the background with the wood and white pepper notes. At the same time, the white pepper notes increased on the tongue and remained prominent on the retro-hale.

The final third saw the white pepper notes join the earth and mineral notes. Meanwhile, the mocha and wood notes rounded things out in the background. This is the way the Rocky Patel DBS Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The Rocky Patel DBS performed excellently on the burn. While there was a slight waviness on the burn line occasionally, the cigar did not require many touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path. The resulting ash had a silver-gray color. This was an ash that was skewed toward the firmer side. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Rocky Patel DBS Toro

Draw

The draw of the Rocky Patel DBS Toro had a touch of resistance to it. If you have read many of my assessments, you will know this is something that I categorize as a positive. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

The Rocky Patel DBS Toro opened up with medium-strength and medium-bodied flavors. Both the strength and the body increased as the cigar experience progressed. The body increased at a more rapid pace than the strength, and by the midway point, the Rocky Patel DBS Toro was delivering medium to full-bodied flavors. Throughout the smoking experience, the body maintained an edge over its strength.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

The Rocky Patel DBS contains three bands, with one of the bands on the footer. All three bands include an orange, black, and gold color scheme. The color orange has been known to be company President Rocky Patel’s favorite color – and it is also prominent on the boxes. The primary band has a gold RP circulus logo, the secondary band denotes the brand name DBS, and the footer band has the scripted Rocky Patel logo. The packaging looked quite nice on these cigars.

Rocky Patel DBS Packaging

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, as cigar enthusiasts, we get overly excited about seeing new and exotic tobaccos. I’ll be honest: the jury is still out on one of these newer tobaccos, Nicaraguan Broadleaf. I’ve seen it work in a few cases, but it has yet to provide me some wow factor. This is also the case with the Rocky Patel DBS. It’s a good cigar; it’s not a great cigar. I’ve been very high on many of Rocky Patel’s San Andres blends over the past few years, but this one falls short compared to some of the others. Ultimately, it’s a cigar I wouldn’t mind smoking, but I admit, I’d hesitate to pay $21.00 to smoke this. This is a cigar I’d recommend trying a sample of first.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Mineral, Mocha, Wood, White Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Excellent