This Nicaraguan puro from Rocky Patel packs a full-bodied punch in its sleek 7.5"×38 lancero frame. Wrapped in oily Connecticut Broadleaf maduro, it's like smoking liquid dark chocolate with bonus pepper kicks. Twenty of these beauties will set you back about $193 - not exactly pocket change, but cheaper than therapy when you need that after-work unwind.
The first third hits with espresso bitterness that'd wake the dead, mellowing into black cherry sweetness around the inch mark. Midway through, the Nicaraguan filler flexes - think charred oak and white pepper with a cocoa powder finish. Last third gets rowdy: leather, cinnamon, and this sneaky caramel note that makes you want to chew the smoke.
Triple cap holds firm, but watch that narrow ring gauge - requires slower puffs than your average robusto. Burn line stays razor-straight if you're patient. Smoke output's decent for a skinny stick, though not quite cloud-chaser material.
Rolled at Rocky's TaviCusa joint in Estelí - same crew that pumps out 7 million sticks annually. That maduro wrapper gets the royal treatment: fermented in oak barrels like some tobacco whiskey. Makes most Honduran maduros taste like diet cola in comparison.
Pair with black coffee or bourbon - the sweeter Kentucky stuff balances the cigar's bitter edge. Morning smoke? Only if you skipped breakfast. Two-thirds in, you'll feel that nicotine buzz creeping up your spine like a caffeine-deficient intern.
