Rocky Patel Cigars, what are your thoughts?

[skullnbones]

So I've been smoking cigars for about a year now and I've never tried a single RP cigar.There has never really been anything that I've seen to get me all that interested in them. I've read reviews, seen them in tons of adds online, and fully stocked at my B&M's but they have never really jumped out at me as something I need to try. I hardly ever see anyone on forums talking about them and most of the reviews somewhat ho-hum. When I look around at B&M I usually find a lot more interesting cigars in that price range, so I end up gravitating away from RPs. So my question to you BOTL, are their any RP cigars out there that are a "must try" or are they just a good stick if you happen to have one lying around? Discuss...

 

[Dave]

Got a few left that're over 5 years old that I expect will smoke well. Nothing produced in last few years interests me. I'd smoke an Edge Corojo or 50 if it were gifted to me.

 

[ZipTie]

I like the Vintage '03 Cameroon. Not a box purchase for me but I do make it a point to keep several in the humi.

Cheers :ccool:

 

[Romulus Cogswell]

So I've been smoking cigars for about a year now and I've never tried a single RP cigar.There has never really been anything that I've seen to get me all that interested in them. I've read reviews, seen them in tons of adds online, and fully stocked at my B&M's but they have never really jumped out at me as something I need to try. I hardly ever see anyone on forums talking about them and most of the reviews somewhat ho-hum. When I look around at B&M I usually find a lot more interesting cigars in that price range, so I end up gravitating away from RPs. So my question to you BOTL, are their any RP cigars out there that are a "must try" or are they just a good stick if you happen to have on lying around? Discuss...

There have been a few I have enjoyed and a few more that I've heard are good but I think there's always something better for the price. I've enjoyed the Decade and I've heard good things about the latest Edge that came out and the Fifty.

 

[derwood]

Glad to see this posted..... I actually had pretty much the same thoughts last week while on a "let's see what I've missed in the last year" trip to one of the local B&M's. They had a ton of RP sticks in there. And noticed they were featured like crazy in a recent Holt's catalog I received.

 

[Sin]

When I first started smoking, the RP Vintage 1990 and 1992 were pretty good. I've fallen away from those two but I still enjoy the Edge Corojo torpedoes from time to time. Give the Edge a try.

 

[Chief StrongLeaf]

I'm more of a Newb than you so take this with a grain of salt.

Draw, burn and smoke output have been outstanding no matter which blend or vitola I've smoked. This is a huge selling point for a beginner, trouble free.

My favorite is the Decade and the 1992, however for the price tag you can do much better. For this reason I've never tried their "big dog" the Fifty.

If I was stuck without a cigar and the B&M had a mediocre selection, I would go to the trusty RP. knowing I'll at least enjoy the experience.

All the best

 

[mdwest]

I like the 90's and 92's.. and enjoyed an edge that I smoked a few months back... but for the price there are a lot of other things out there that I prefer.... other than the edge, which I picked up on a closeout sale at one of the local B&M's.. I havent bought an RP stick in a pretty long time.. Ive been bombed with a few in recent months.. and I am sure I will enjoy them when I smoke them (I always do).. Im just enjoying other brands more right now...

 

[Monsterdg]

I like a handful of RP, Sun Grown comes to mind. That said, I believe the issue that many BOTLs have with RP is rather than just doing a few things well they try to be all things to all people; hence the volume of sticks they produce.

 

[Grrrrr609]

I like the Vintage '03 Cameroon. Not a box purchase for me but I do make it a point to keep several in the humi.

Cheers :ccool:

Amen. That is a good cigar.

Sent from my SPH-D710BST using Tapatalk 2

 

[Joeytivo]

I like some of the RP's. I usually smoke them on the golf course. You have to let them sit for a little before you smoke them.

 

[danthebugman]

Eh :dunno:. The Sun Grown has been the only one that has done anything for me and even then I haven't bought any more in quite a while. Construction has been fine on the ones I've smoked, but flavor has been lacking or just didn't do it for me. To each their own and there sure are a lot of people out there that buy them. You're not going to know until you give a few a spark for yourself...happy hunting.

Dan

 

[AdamJoshua]

Like everyone else, the '90s and '92s have been good to me, I have two Edge sticks in the coffins someone gifted to me but have yet to try. The one thing about RP (at least at my BM) they are usually there in force and in my case you can get a deal buy 3 get 1 free type of thing, seems like I see the RP Rep in there at least once every couple weeks as well.

 

[javajunkie]

I like a handful of RP, Sun Grown comes to mind. That said, I believe the issue that many BOTLs have with RP is rather than just doing a few things well they try to be all things to all people; hence the volume of sticks they produce.

pretty much this, jack of all trades, master of none. like sam adams; good beer, but by the time you are on the net chatting about it and hunting down stuff (like HERE!), most of their offerings pale a little.

wouldn't turn down an old world reserve at a decent price, FWIW. o)

 

[ciggy]

I like the 90's and 92's.. and enjoyed an edge that I smoked a few months back... but for the price there are a lot of other things out there that I prefer.... other than the edge, which I picked up on a closeout sale at one of the local B&M's.. I havent bought an RP stick in a pretty long time.. Ive been bombed with a few in recent months.. and I am sure I will enjoy them when I smoke them (I always do).. Im just enjoying other brands more right now...

When I REALLY got into cigar smoking as a daily thing these were at the top of my list. It wasn't until a year later and joining BOTL did I know anything about brands and blends that were better for the buck. Going from a boutique brand to a premium brand really took me over the top and I have not touched an RP in well over two years. But from what I've heard his sales are mainly from novice or occasional smokers and not geared to the advanced smoker. Truth is you wont really know until you buy and try. Like all things in the hobby your taste is your taste.

 

[joshthe6th]

I loved the 90 and 92. Sadly, quality has gone downhill on those. The Decade is still a pretty damn good smoke though.

 

[Master Shake]

When I first started smoking I had a small repertoire of RP sticks that I smoked with regularity. As I smoked more I went to RP less and less, and now I can honestly say that I haven't smoked one in a few years.

One of the things about RP sticks is that the maker wants every stick to come out at a cost of roughly 50 cents. This is why many of the top rollers, including Don Pepin, have never worked with them as Pepin will want to spend 50 cents on a wrapper leaf before any other costs are factored in. If you read any cigar related publications I'm sure you'll see a plethora of RP ads in most every magazine, apparently they feel that it is better to drop money in advertising then in the product itself. Having said that, I understand some of his recent releases, including the Fifty have stepped up the game a bit and there are people out there who will swear by the Decade, Vintage, or Edge releases.

When it comes to a brand like RP I would recommend a smoking session with a RP followed by one of your favorite premium blends, like Viaje, Tatuaje, or Liga. Don't do anything else that will deflect your focus just relax and smoke the sticks, and take notes and actually dedicate your time to paying attention to the intricacies of each stick. When you're done, compare and decide for yourself if the RP was worth the money. Then, compare that price and your enjoyment of the RP with a stick in your go-to stash and decide for yourself about whether or not RP is for you.

 

[krulos]

When I first started smoking cigars, he just had the 90, 92, Sungrown, and Edge (all blended by J. Fuego). I used to love them, but then Fuego left to do his own thing, and Rocky had a new blend every week. I didn't care for any of the new blends, and the old ones didn't do it for me anymore. I know my tastes changed, but I'm pretty sure the blends did, too. The last 3 I tried were Patel Bros., 1961, and Decade. The Decade was good (but not for the price) and the other 2 were pretty awful. I regard RPs like Gurhkas now - there might be a few good ones, but it's not worth sifting through 100+ blends to find them.

 

[Rupe]

When I first got into cigars, my initial impression of the RP's was that they were primarily for the FOGs at the B&M. Then mwlabel bombed me with a Decade last year and I really liked it. Since then I have tried a few different ones but have only been really happy with the Decade an the Sun Grown. As others have said though, taste is subjective so your results may vary.

 

[bluearmy]

I, too, smoked a lot of RPs when I first started smoking - specifically the sun growns. Tastes changed and I found cigars I liked more at a better cost. I've had three within the past few months, two were gifts from my GF's father and one I received in a trade. I absolutely loved the Vintage 2003 and could see myself picking some up in the future if the price is right. I thought the 1992 was very average and not that good. And finally I had a 15th Anniversary which I didn't like at all and couldn't finish it.