Today, we review the Rocky Patel Gold Label in the Toro size. The Gold Label debuted at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. Two things stood out to me when it came to Gold Label. First is the fact that Rocky Patel is theming several of his releases around a “color” theme, and Gold Label represents that. Second, it is designed to be a more affordable offering with some very nice packaging. Gold Label comes in priced between $9.70 and $14.00. This is a stark contrast to the Conviction, which was released in 2023 and came priced at $100.00 per cigar.

As mentioned, I find it interesting how Rocky Patel has been using colors for various releases. He hasn’t created an official “color” brand pillar, but it is worth noting there have been three releases with this theme thus far:

Let’s examine the Gold Label Toro and see what this cigar offers.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Toro – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

An Ecuadorian Habano wrapper highlights the Gold Label. The blend features a dual binder of Connecticut Broadleaf and Connecticut Shade leaf and fillers from Nicaragua’s Jalapa and Estelí regions.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf/Connecticut Shade
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí, Jalapa)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA)

Vitolas Offered

Gold Label comes in four box-pressed sizes. Each size is packaged in a 20-count box.

Petite Corona: 3 1/2 x 46
Robusto 5 1/2 x 50
Sixty: 6 x 60
Toro: 6 1/2 x 54

Appearance (*)

The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper of the Gold Label Toro had a cocoa powder color to it. This wasn’t a very oily wrapper. Instead, this wrapper had a silky complexion. There was also some toothiness in this wrapper. The surface of the wrapper had some thin, visible veins. There were also some visible wrapper seams. In terms of the box-press, the Gold Label Torched a soft Cuban style – namely, there was a slight rounding of the box-press.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before commencing with the pre-light draw and overall cigar experience, I removed the sleeve that covered most of the Gold Label Toro. Once the sleeve was removed, I cut the cap (with a straight cut) and moved on to the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a combination of earth, mild cedar notes, and mild raisin notes. I am not a fan of cedar and raisin notes, but I found the combination worked in this case. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Gold Label Toro and head into the smoking phase.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Toro – Sleeve removed

Tasting Notes

The Gold Label Toro opened up with notes of earth, cedar, raisin, mineral, and cocoa. The cocoa and raisin notes did not take long to move to the forefront. While I usually don’t like raisin notes in a cigar, it had a nice sweetness and was not overpowering. Meanwhile, the mineral, earth, and cedar notes settled in the background. These background notes were joined by white pepper. The white pepper was also prominent on the retro-hale.

The flavor profile of the first third of the Gold Label Toro continued into the second third, with a gradual increase in pepper notes. By midway, the raisin became the sole primary note, and the cocoa joined the pepper, cedar, mineral, and earth notes.

In the final third, the raisin notes got some of the qualities that I consider negatives. The raisin developed a sourness – almost an unripe flavor. Meanwhile, the pepper was the most prominent secondary note. As for the other secondary notes, they were muddled and seemed to be overpowered by the raisin and spice. This is the way the Gold Label Toro came to a close. The cigar finished with a cool, soft nub.

Burn

The Gold Label Toro required several touch-ups to maintain a straight burn line and path. While the touch-ups did the trick, more than I preferred were needed. The resulting ash had a silver-gray color. This was an ash that wasn’t overly firm. While it wasn’t a loose ash, it still was prone to some flaking. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

The Gold Label Toro draw performed quite well. This cigar had a touch of resistance, which I like. I also particularly like this feature with box-pressed cigars, as they tend to draw a little open. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

The Gold Label Toro started out medium in terms of strength and body. The intensity levels of both attributes slightly increased throughout the smoking experience. While there was more intensity at the end of the smoking experience than when it started, both attributes remained in medium territory.

In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely, with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

I love it when companies go the extra mile with packaging, and the Rocky Patel Gold Label is an excellent example of this. The brownish-gold combination works quite well. While the gold sleeve covers most of the very nice-looking wrapper, it also dresses up the cigar nicely. I also really liked the pseudo footer band on the gold sleeve.

Packaging of the Rocky Patel Gold Label (Sixty Size Shown)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

For the majority of the smoking experience, the Gold Label Toro was heading a potential Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation. However, to quote Phil Collins, “Something happened on the way to heaven” – namely, when it hit the final point, it lost much of its luster. I assess a cigar on the whole cigar experience, and while the first two-thirds were very good, the last third was rough. Ultimately, this cigar earned 88 points. However, given that final third, I’m more inclined to recommend trying a sample to decide if it is worth a purchase.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cocoa, Raisin, Earth, Cedar, Mineral, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Good