Size: 5 1/2 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder and Filler: Nicaraguan & Honduran
Strength: Mild
Price: About $5.00 a stick

Behind The Stick:

This was a cigar that was gifted to me from the generous people at Famous Smoke which, not only is kind but the only location you can find these cigars. I was unable to locate much more than a brief overview of the cigar, although I feel that the retailer has a nice blurp which I have included in full.

“Lush, mellow-smoking cigars from Rocky Patel in an affordably-priced ‘American Market Selection.’ Also referred to as ‘AMS,’ the term comes from the mild, light-colored wrappers that were preferred by American smokers early in the 20th Century. Blended with long-aged Nicaraguan & Honduran longfillers rolled in silky, Ecuadorian Connecticut wrappers, the smoke is medium-bodied, creamy, and very aromatic with subtle flavors of sweet cedar and spice throughout. A *must-smoke* and a great buy!”

Now, doesn’t that just sound like a great mild cigar? I’m going to go ahead and dig in, please let me know your thoughts and maybe stop by and give the Rocky Patel American Market Selection a try for yourself!

Construction:

Although well made, these cigars just feel very light in weight. I’m not saying they are under packed for all I can tell they appear to be uniform, well wrapped and no direct ‘issues’ I just can’t get over how it feels like I’m looking at a 5lbs weight but it only weights 2 1/2 lbs. This does not make it bad, but I’m worried about how hot these may burn due to the higher (what it feels like) air ratio inside the smoke. Aside from that the wrapper looks flawless, no defects with the band or cap or really anything that stands out (good or bad). As well, on one of the cigars I tried there was this monster vein that ran the length of the cigar – did not cause any issues, but I was concerned for over half the smoke.

Flavor:

I am not sure if its just because I’m not that great at pulling out the light flavors in mild smokes or perhaps its just because this cigar does not bring the complexity of flavors one may find in a darker cigar but this smoke was much more linear than I had expected. Of course the natural tobacco flavor kicks into gear right from the start followed by a smooth but undefinable ‘wood’ flavor that slowly transitioned into a more buttery cream type sensation with a mild hay overtone in with the wood. As I said, not complex but damn good.

Overall:

Yeah, this is a mild cigar – so for you hard nosed veterans you may not think that this will ever be a good cigar – wrong. No, this is not a 50.00 mild smoke, but move that decimal place and for 5.00 you got yourself a great ‘start the day’ cigar. I was able to smoke one in the morning before work, paired with a nice sweet coffee and I must say this was one pairing made in heaven. I had another one later in the day (after work) and the lighter body as well as the lack of flavor complexity really turned me off – setting in stone that this will be a morning smoke for myself. That being said as well, at 110.00 a box, these things are just over $4.00 a pop making them quite the bang for the buck. All in all, if your a mild smoker or looking for a nice way to start your day – given the price, delivery and availability, this cigar is something I would recommend to fit that bill.

Every Cigar Has A Story, Every Smoke A Memory