Just when you think Rakesh Patel has come up with every blend imaginable, he surprises you. In the case of the Rocky Patel LB1 line, he was looking for a cigar to make with some aged Ecuadorian wrapper leaves grown in the top portion of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco plants. The result is a well-balanced, elegant, and sweet line with a unique name directly taken from its factory code.
There are five sizes in the line: Corona, Robusto, Toro, Churchill Shaggy Foot, and Sixty. While you can never go wrong with any Rocky Patel cigar, which earned its reputation as one of the best-known names in the world of premium cigars, it’s the Toro’s perfect balance of flavors that appealed to me the most.
Pull of Cigar
Blended around a core of aged Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos, the Rocky Patel LB1 Toro is covered by a medium-brown Habano-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. The cigar has a thin vein structure and is smooth to touch, sporting minimally visible seams.
The cold draw seemed a bit snug, revealing creaminess, black pepper, malt, cedar, with endearing notes of dark chocolate. Upon lighting the cigar, the draw eventually opened up to just the right amount of pull.
Taste
At the first puff, my palate was embraced by hints of citrus and grass that linger just enough to tease for another draw. As I progressed through the cigar, rich leather undertones paired with strong coffee notes take center stage, while subtle hints of toasty citrus round out the taste profile nicely.
As the cigar transitions beyond the halfway mark, the coffee notes dissipate, allowing rich flavors of citrus, a subtle kick of spice, and creaminess to shine through. As I progress further, the spiciness once again fades, allowing an abundance of savory tones to mingle on my palate.
As the final third of the cigar closes in, I finally pick back up the dark chocolate and cedar notes present on the cold draw and some leathery and earthy nuances. Throughout the last couple of inches, a pepper spice ramps up. The flavor profile is perfectly balanced between leathery, sweet, and a touch of spice. I could not ask for a better finish.
The burn was consistently even without requiring a touch-up and produces a flaky dark gray ash. It was firm enough to hang on for a while but came off easily when I tested it for firmness against the ashtray wall.
Overall Review of Rocky Patel LB1 Toro
While an overall enjoyable smoke, the Rocky Patel LB1 Toro did not offer a smooth evolution of flavors and the aromatic experience could be described as somewhat linear. Nevertheless, its well-balanced notes were indeed flavorsome and very made for a pleasant experience.
The LB1 Toro size measures 6 ½ x 52. It also comes in a gorgeous 20-count box with intricate details of a tobacco plant. If you are yet to experience a Rocky Patel LB1, do yourself a favor and smoke a Toro. It earns an 88 rating from me. This may not be the best cigar I have ever tried, but it is surely one that I will always have in my humidor.
