Let's talk about the Rocky Patel Edge Candela Toro - a 6x52 Nicaraguan puro dressed in that eye-catching green candela wrapper. Priced at around $8 per stick in boxes of 20, this medium-full bodied cigar rolls aged Honduran/Nicaraguan fillers into a Connecticut-grown candela leaf that's been heat-cured to lock in that signature grassy hue. The construction from El Paraiso factory shows in its firm pack and smooth cap, though I noticed the foot tobacco looks slightly looser than usual Edge line standards.
The cold draw brings sweet hay notes. Upon lighting, sharp vegetal flavors dominate - think green bell peppers and freshly cut grass. The smoke feels thin but carries a pleasant creaminess. Burn line starts slightly uneven but self-corrects within the first inch.
At the 30-minute mark, the Nicaraguan fillers start shining through. Earthy coffee grounds and damp cedar emerge, tempered by that persistent candela sweetness. Draw tightens up a bit here - needs more frequent purging than I expected from a Rocky Patel blend.
Last inch gets surprisingly spicy. White pepper tingles the tongue while the retrohale delivers a burnt caramel bitterness. Smoke output increases dramatically here. Need to put it down at 1.5" mark as tar buildup becomes noticeable.
Rolled at Rocky's El Paraiso facility in Honduras (opened 2017), this shares production lines with RP Sun Grown and Decade lines. The triple-aged tobacco gets sorted using optical scanners before bunching - explains the consistent density despite occasional draw issues. They use a unique double-fermentation process for the candela wrapper to reduce chlorophyll bitterness.
