I recently smoked a RP Sungrown that was actually a pretty good smoke, so I decided to end my 5+ yr boycott of Rocky and grab a few singles and give him another chance since he used to produce some of my favorite cigars.

Puro Cubano by Hamlet toro

Very light in the hand, draw is looser than an 80 yr old hooker. Nice aroma, but burns too hot and too fast (and very unevenly). Not much depth to the flavor, a little woodsy and spicy through the nose with a grassy finish. I expected more from this one, but I’m not surprised. Turned bitter about halfway through.

ITC Super Fuerte natural robusto

I used to smoke the sh*t outta these back in the day. Then, like several other RP cigars, I got a couple of bad boxes (poor construction, weird and/or unpleasant flavor). When CI decided to bring this line back, I was optimistic. Starts out good, burn a little crooked but not bad. Flavor is similar to the old blend. About 1” in and the burn is getting worse, and the flavor is getting there too. Weird, bitter flavor on the finish. Pitched it about 2” in.

Decade lonsdale

These were really great when they were first released. Then after a year or so, they started tasting different. This was one of the cigars that made me give up on ol' Rocky. Like the Hamlet, this cigar is very light in the hand. The draw is similar to a straw. Flavor starts out good, a unique spice flavor with a woodsy finish. Also like the Hamlet, this one starts burning crooked and hot because of the poor construction. Starts tasting like ammonia about 1/3 of the way in.

Rocky stays on 'the list' for now.

I gave up when he **** ed up the OR Edge natties by using the Edge wrapper on the OR Decade.Yea I smoked several Decades but at twice the price........and then he **** ed that up as well.

I still have a few RP Sungrown Lancero's with 10-12 years on them that are fantastic......when they're gone they're gone.Done taking chances on this jackwad

With hundreds of different cigars being produced by Rocky and k. whore every year, it's a wonder that there's enough sh*tty tobacco left over for companies like gran habano and drew estates to continue existing...

Never really fell in love with any RP .............fortunately I suppose.
I was on my 15 year hiatus when he was making decent cigars....

[quote=opelmanta1900]With hundreds of different cigars being produced by Rocky and k. whore every year, it's a wonder that there's enough sh*tty tobacco left over for companies like gran habano and drew estates to continue existing... [/quote]
Ha!
=d>

I think I have one 2009 Winter blend left

am i remembering correctly that rocky was the guy that got caught dyeing his wrappers?

The Sungrown Maduro and the 2003 Cameroon are the only 2 RPs that I have had that are worth the money and effort and have not had one of the Cams in a while so no idea if they have gone downhill.


UPDATE: both the RP Sungrown and the Cameroon are on sale at the Tenskie place for $4.72 and $4.50 per, respectively, including shipping in bundles of.....wait for it....10.

Not tempting to me right now, I still have a number of the sungrowns I got cheaper here on cbid awhile back and for that price, I would rather grab a another box of the remaining Room 101 MC3 Roxxos or the bargain CCs discussed elsewhere.

The last RPs I won was 4 years ago when I grabbed some of his Connie wrapped cigars for cheep. Loosely rolled air balls. It really says something when you can screw up a mild Connie cigar.

With that said, the only RP I still have left is a single OR Winter Blend, which was a gift from John. I've had the pleasure of smoking half a dozen of them, and they where fantastic. It shows he COULD make good and even great cigars if he actually wanted to. Sad.

David

[quote=Mrs. dpnewell]With that said, the only RP I still have left is a single OR Winter Blend, which was a gift from John. I've had the pleasure of smoking half a dozen of them, and they where fantastic. It shows he COULD make good and even great cigars if he actually wanted to. Sad.[/quote]
Yeah, and record companies COULD find and sign great new innovative pop artists and release their amazing, inventive new pop records, if they really wanted to.

But when you can make just as much, or more, money producing low-quality crap and selling it to a vast army of people with bad, or no, taste?

Why would you put in all the extra effort and risk to make a truly great product?
.

I loved several RP cigars about a decade back. If he changed the wrapper on the Decade, that's a shame. Haven't tried any newer efforts, as I have enough stash, but the OWR maddie was always good (actually bought a box of 50 of them years back; they are gone now). Love the 2013 and the Decade Cameroon. His CI Legends version was actually pretty good, and the Edge were good back in the day (the original Sumatra extension was really, good, but I haven't tried one in a long time). Always liked the Sungrown, but have not gotten around to trying the maddie fiver I have aging. The 15 year was decent, 20th better.

One thing I have noticed is that none of the cigars he puts another person's name on (Hamlet, Nish) are worth a damn. IIRC, CA ratings back me up on that. I avoid any RP cigar that doesn't have RP's name on it solo. BTW, the ITSF was always better in the maddie wrapper. Have a fiver of the re-boot, but until I'm feeling better, won't know if they are any good. The original ITSF maddie was a good cigar at a bargain price. The natties were never any good, IMO.

I use to be a huge Rocky fan. My two favorites were the Sungrown and the Vintage 90. Still have a bunch of both from over 10 years ago. What turned me off was when he changed the wrapper on the Sungrown and put a very thin wrapper on it.. The original ones had pretty thick wrapper, but once he changed them, they were cracking left and right when you cut the end. I asked Rocky at an event if he changed the wrappers and he denied it and blamed it on my cutter.. I quit buying any Rocky cigars after that. Hadn't smoked a Rocky in over 6 years until I pulled a Sungrown out a few weeks ago. It was one of the early ones I bought. Was still as good as I remember them being. Use to be able to bid and win a 5 pack for around $15.

Blame your tools.....a better person would own what they produce and be honest

[quote=pacman357]I loved several RP cigars about a decade back. If he changed the wrapper on the Decade, that's a shame. Haven't tried any newer efforts, as I have enough stash, but the OWR maddie was always good (actually bought a box of 50 of them years back; they are gone now). Love the 2013 and the Decade Cameroon. His CI Legends version was actually pretty good, and the Edge were good back in the day (the original Sumatra extension was really, good, but I haven't tried one in a long time). Always liked the Sungrown, but have not gotten around to trying the maddie fiver I have aging. The 15 year was decent, 20th better.

One thing I have noticed is that none of the cigars he puts another person's name on (Hamlet, Nish) are worth a damn. IIRC, CA ratings back me up on that. I avoid any RP cigar that doesn't have RP's name on it solo. BTW, the ITSF was always better in the maddie wrapper. Have a fiver of the re-boot, but until I'm feeling better, won't know if they are any good. The original ITSF maddie was a good cigar at a bargain price. The natties were never any good, IMO.[/quote]

Still have a box of the OWR OR Churchill and small torp. These were some of his best which included the oR Sungrown and as previously noted the Indian Tobac. Haven't bought or smoked a newer RP and have no intention of doing so. 😳

🇨🇮

Used to love the edge Maduro. Smoked a bunch of them back in 2014, got 20 of them for cheap back in March and so far the 3 I have smoked have been boring/non-complex. Is it possible quality went down and I’m smoking an entirely different blend?

The Vintage 1990s are still an absolute dream - I started smoking them back in 2019.

I bought dozens of the RP Sungrown boxes over 15 years because it was consistently great. Then, about three years ago it stopped being consistently great and I stopped. I imagine its hard to get that exact mix of tobacco for so long...or they changed the formula. Regardless, I have moved on.

I used to by the h3LL out of those RP 1990? & 92? Seconds mostly and the actual firsts of the five packs...

Back in the hay day of CBID...I was getting bundles of 20 secoNdS
For $16-24 bucks all day long..
Prolly bought 20-30? bundles and 30-35 five packs on quickies...then...all of a sudden...
The famous rocky Patel quality went out the door and down the block...they started canoing and tasting like dog rockets..

Then I gave up...

My buddy at the Lancaster American LEGION Post #34
( THAT WAS FILLED WITH EARLY RELEASED FELON GANGSTALKING FBI - SSG RATS and actual agents from 2013-16...i refuse to set foot in that NaRC rAT inFeStEd NEsT ANYMOrE) used to give me first quality EDGES AND EDGE SECONDS 2011-13? FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS...THEY WERE GREAT...

THEN...THEY SUCKED ALL OF A SUDDEN...

THAT IS THE ROCKY PATEL WAY...

He finds great tobacco and makes great blends ....then he runs out and can't produce the same quality after 2-4 yr long runs...

The RAT SSG PRICKs wErE
*Butch -a patron who never gave me crap at the bar but who poisoned my coffee with arsenic at the Lancaster Orthopedic group along with his duece friend...
*Jacquee /half hispanic(spelling?) Hot young "artist" Waitress with marine TATS and sleeves..
*Cindy massive rack bartender
*Last name ?Troxell? An old fat musician who played at badly on the organ at the Lancaster Elks club and wore Irish woolen driving caps
*Some older blonde 60ish BEOTCH "PUNCHY" who was a manager over at Donnelly Printing who said : "we're not allowed to harass him ( me) anymore...I just wanna punch his ( me) face in"
And several others who escape my steel trap memory at the moment...

Can anyone confirm or deny that Rocky just hired away the old CAO people?

Wizards at marketing...pisspots at production.

Vintage 1999, 20th Anniversary Maduro, and Sun Grown Maduro are the only R.P. blends I think rise above "average".