Of them the only one I would consider smoking again is the Candela and even that one wouldn't pay more than a couple bucks at the most - and that would have to include any shipping. I was actually surprised a bit since Candela's are not usually a favorite of mine. Pre-light it tasted like i was sucking some big green plant, Heavy and overpowering chlorophyll & Green Tea flavor. After lit it however, it was much better. Mild but still tasty. Nothing amazing, but not a bad change from my usual.

All of the others gave an identical experience. VERY good for about 3/4 of an inch, then just went to $hit. Couldn't finish any of them to the very end. Seriously, how can you consistently make a cigar that tastes really good for the first bit then turn nasty from that point on.

Thinking of trying the Tupperware/Rum or Bourbon infusing trick on the remainder just for grins.

Except for the Candela which will fire up on St. Pat's!

Usually crap cigars never have a "VERY good" period at any point in their burn lifecycle. The fact that they're ALL doing this, multiple blends, leads me to suspect the following.

What may be happening with your cigars is this: they may have been overhumidified (quite significantly too), and then put in a lower humidity environment for awhile.... long enough for fillers near the feet to come down to an ideal humidity level, but the rest further in is still too wet.

Result: First 3/4 inch "wow nice!", rest is schitt.

I've personally experienced this when a guy gives me a good-brand, good-reputation cigar from his personal humidor, which he keeps at 75% (or similar) because he's a clueless asshat. I notice it seems a bit too moist so I let it dry out for maybe a week or so.... when I should've waited 3+ months. Guess what happens? First 3/4 inch is great, rest is schitt.

My guess is your friend got them overhumidified (typical of internet retailers) then stored them at a much lower humidity level for awhile (long enough for 3/4" near the foot to shed excess humidity), then he gifted them to you.

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Good info. I think I've run into this before. Just never put it together. Thanks!

If I cared enough, I guess I could dry-box them, but the bourbon thing is too fun not to try and these are the best candidates 🙂

Will they infuse if they are already over humidified? I'd dry box them first. Measure twice, cut once.

Possibly...…..and it could just be another miss from Rocky,I gave up on them bout 10 years ago

Me too. There are many much better cigars for the same money.

Only thing of his that I've bought in recent years are the Super Ligeros, which I have to say are quite nice. And, surprisingly, they haven't gone down in quality after the original release, at least as of the latest ones I've had (from late 2018 or so). Can't speak to current 2020 production though.

Don't be a sucker and pay the high "normal internet cigar website price", though. They can be had as low as $50 a box if you know how, when and where.

I also hear the Sun Grown Maduro is supposedly good too, but I've never had one.

Aside from those, I've steered clear about as long as you have.

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Same here. I used to smoke several RP cigars VERY frequently. He has been on my 'do not buy' list for several years now. A while back, I grabbed a few singles to see if there has been any improvement. There hasn't.

Count your lucky stars!

While Puddin’s analysis is solid, the fact remains...........it’s an RP.

Let em sit at 65 for several months, then infuse the chit out em, and pass them out to your less than favorite moochers.

I’ll take note of the few decent ones mentioned here.

I mean..............RP makes.......a LOT of cigars........they can’t ALL suq....

I have a Sungrown maduro lancero a whirl last year because it looked BEAUTIFUL and it’s a maduro lancero.......

$8 crap

Should have added, but DON'T get the lanceros LOL. I like lances and RP Sungrowns but not RP Singrown lancero. The lancero version does not taste the same and are rolled too tight.

Also, even for the sizes I like, I would not pay $8 unless needing to pick up a single of something in cigar bar or B&M. Gotta be a lot less for me for an internet buy of them.

Thanks brother............you saved me.

RP back on da no buy list.

The Royale and the Sungrown Maduro are both just as good as they ever were in the past. Those are the only two RPs I smoke through and rebuy on a regular basis these days. I also have a large stock of Decade sticks in Lonsdale, Robusto and Toro. The Decade Lonsdale is an excellent smoke by the way! CB is one of the few places you can buy boxes of them at a decent price. A lot of shops don't even stock the Lonsdale version of the Decade for some reason. I personally consider it the best Decade vitolo in the line!

Goose my guess is you're like 30 and you been smoking cigars less than a year.I may be completely wrong but that's my take.

The only reason we dislike RP is because it makes no sense to have 500 cigar releases and most of them bad.I'll be the first to admit he had some hits back in the day.I suppose what I am saying is if he had followed the model used by Litto Gomez or the Fuente Family and just insured those hits remained solid and consistent and passed on mass producing the other 498 releases he might have garnered some respect around here.But sadly he chose the toss it on the wall and see if it sticks approach...…...Piss poor business model IMHO

Heh heh..........he was just jealous of Hansotia...

True......two birds of a feather indeed

Bam!

I used to smoke the sh*t out of RP cigars. After several bad boxes (lousy construction, changing blends, nasty chemical or ammonia flavors) I wrote him off. When the Decade came out, they were amazing. Within 2 years, the blend had OBVIOUSLY changed and the construction went to sh*t. Then I got 2 bad back to back boxes of the RP Connecticut (terrible construction). Then I got a bad box of Indian Tabac Super Fuerte. That's when Rocky went on my 'do not buy' list.