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Brand: Rocky Patel
Line: Edge Lite
Vitola: Torpedo (6 x 52)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Natural Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Body: Mild
Strength: Medium
Box Price: $89.00 (Box of 20)
Blue Havana in Chicago has a free monthly smoke that I enjoy attending. But to truly get an idea of the type of shop it is, consider this: It’s part of The Alley group of stores on Belmont Avenue, a trendy little strip on the city’s North Side.
The May 2008 smoke, hosted by Rocky Patel, featured several of the company’s Edge sticks. And while I usually enjoy a medium-to-full bodied stick, I enjoyed the Rocky Patel Edge Lite so much that I picked up a couple to review.
The Rocky Patel Edge Lite has a smooth, slightly veiny wrapper and a good prelight draw. I noticed hints of almonds — almost marzipan — to start, so when I lit up, I wasn’t surprised that I got a toasty, nutty, slightly sweet flavor right off the bat. As the cigar progressed, it picked up hints of leather and cream.
As I smoked it down to the nub — it generally takes about 75 to 80 minutes — I noticed it stayed cool the whole time, which is a must-have for me. The Rocky Patel Edge Lite also had a good draw, along with an even burn and solid, dark-gray ash.
Verdict: One of the best $4-$5 cigars you’ll smoke, and at this price, I can think of some $8 smokes this outperforms. Not too overpowering for beginners, but a nice break for veteran smokers as well. (Mollie, my girlfriend, also liked this one!)
Similar cigars: I couldn’t think of an exact cigar to compare the Rocky Patel Edge Lite to, but the AVO Classic and the 5 Vegas Gold came to mind.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)