Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Robusto

[Cigar Surgeon]

http://cigarfederation.com/profiles/blogs/review-rocky-patel-vintage-2003-cameroon-robusto

The Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Robusto was won courtesy of Cigarbrief.com and their Foxtoberfest contest. Thanks to all the guys at Cigarbrief for this opportunity to smoke and review this cigar.

Nose:

The Cameroon wrappers always lend themselves to interesting nosing. Dried cedar, spices and pepper all mix for an interesting combination here.

Construction:

This particular cigar is a Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon in a Robusto vitola measuring 5.5” x 50 ring gauge. It was a flawless brown wrapper with a metallic blue and white band. There is a second band indicating the 2003 and Cameroon designations. The cigar itself is quite firm when rolled between my index finger and thumb.

This was the first cigar that Rocky Patel released with a Cameroon wrapper, and it originally hit the market in 2011. In 2012 they announced that they were expanding the line into a Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press with limited box counts.

Flavor:

First Third

Just under medium strength of sweetness with some slightly stronger nutty flavors post-draw. The initial start reminds me of why I’m starting to really enjoy cigars with Cameroon wrappers as of late.

The sweetness increases in intensity at about the 20 minute mark.

Overall the first third is very balanced and smooth.

Middle Third

There is some earthy notes coming through with the same intensity of the sweetness on the initial first third. The earth falls off in strength about 5 minutes in and the previous flavors are still present, although dialed back in intensity.

Last Third

Quite nutty going into the last third.

Not much else here, just nice balanced savory nut flavors to close out.

Burn/Draw:

The burn is fairly good with occasional touch ups required. Draw is right in the sweet spot, cut with a v cutter. Total smoking time was a leisurely 2 hours and 17 minutes.

Value:

Singles of the Vintage 2003 Cameroon in the Robusto vitola are available around $7. You can pick up 5 packs for $35. They also come in boxes of 20 for approximately $140. $7 for singles is a great price point for almost all aficionados. Affordable enough that you can try out several beforehand if you were looking to move up to a full box.

Final Word:

The Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Robusto is a very balanced and enjoyable cigar from start to finish. It’s medium bodied and I didn’t find the flavors too intense. If you’re a fan of Cameroon wrappers or you’re looking to branch out into something you haven’t tried before, the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon would be a great choice.