The Rocky Patel Hamlet 25th Year Anniversary Robusto (5½"×50) arrives in 20-count boxes priced at $183.60, sporting an oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that whispers "special occasion smoke". Master blender Hamlet Paredes blends Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers with Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder, creating a medium-bodied stick rolled at RP's boutique TaviCusa factory in Estelí - the same facility pumping out 7 million cigars annually through traditional techniques.
Cold draw brings damp earth and walnut notes. Initial puffs release white pepper spice that tingles the tongue without aggression, settling into roasted coffee bean dominance by the inch mark.
Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder flexes its muscles with leather and molasses sweetness. Watch for cinnamon flashes around the band removal point - this is where the Nicaraguan Jalapa fillers start singing through creamy smoke.
Last third introduces bittersweet cocoa powder and Brazil nut nuances. Despite the 50 ring gauge, the draw tightens slightly toward the nub, concentrating the espresso bean aftertaste that lingers 15+ minutes post-smoke.
Rolled in Estelí's TaviCusa factory using leaves aged 18-24 months. The triple cap construction holds firm, with tight seams invisible under the dark wrapper. Burn line stays razor-straight in 65-68% humidity environments, producing firm white ash that drops cleanly every inch.
