I remember getting this stick a while and thinking, hmm… this bad boy looks like it will need some age. So I put it away, forgot about it and it wasn’t until now that it began calling me from the bottom drawer of my humidor.

Now I’m a huge fan of Rocky Patel, especially of the sun grown stuff, and as the edge promised to be a cigar for the professional smoker, I had to accept the challenge. Now that I’ve brought this dark toro to its knees, not only do I feel triumphant but satisfied.

Perhaps it was the meal I had beforehand, perhaps it was my battle hardening habit of taking these beauties to the nub, whatever the case, this stick did not seem overly powerful to me. Even with some over-puffing, I didn’t really feel the power. However, I would probably still recommend this cigar to full-bodied aficionados.

The wrapper on these sticks has a very nice natural maduro color. On the nose, it reminds me of black pepper, nutmeg and sweet chili peppers. I lit this up with a cigar match and noticed that the black pepper of the wrapper translated into a perceivable spicy hot taste which I found appealing.

I particularly enjoyed the draw of this cigar. It was right where I like it and yielded a generous volume of baking-spice -scented smoke. As the smoke progressed it got a little doughy, if that’s the word. The tasting notes turned toward toasted bread, spices and maybe even some musk. The latter was certainly present in the scent as well.

A bit further and the notes, though far from actually evolving, got a little more concentrated, with the addition of a certain chewy character. Well past the half way mark I noticed a bit of an espresso note come in alongside the baking spices, which were still the central characters.

The only gripe I have about this stick is that it would have been more enjoyable had it not been for the constant attention it required from me as it continually threatened to go out. As I keep my humidity constant at 65% it is unlikely that this was due to over humidification. As a result, I probably puffed a bit more than I’d like and so a mildly acrid flavor almost jeopardized the finish.

This is an issue that may be resolved with a bit more age. However, I recommend that the cigar is smoked more slowly in general to avoid having the flavor profile going completely south in the last 2½ inches. If you do, you will enjoy a nice spicy finish.

You can get more information on this and other Rocky Patel Edge cigars at Cigars Direct where I bought this lot.

If you are a wine enthusiast like me, there is one trip that comes just about as close to a religious pilgrimage for us as can be. That is a trip to the Bordeaux province, and more importantly, to the Médoc region.

Having visited the area on a recent trip, I can also say that, regardless of how long you have been a wine enthusiast, there is a lot to be learned from a visit of the celebrated wine region.

First, I should say that in order to tour any of the five Premiers Crus, known in English as the First Growths, you would be dreaming, unless you make a reservation at least six months in advance, in some cases, even a year earlier.

On our hit list, first and foremost was Château Margaux followed by Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Haut Brion, and the modern addition to the 1855 list of Frist Growths, Château Mouton Roschild.

We also wanted to have some more personal tours of other Great Growths in the area, some of whom are making wine these days that is as good as the First Growth elites, but which are much more affordable due to the lack of name recognition.

Whatever the case, you can’t tour any château in Médoc without getting the real up-close look at the classic Bordeaux wine making process and an in-depth understanding of the myriads of variables that come together to produce a great Bordeaux red.

We got a personal, not in a group, tour of two great wineries that I would like to recommend. Château Pontet-Canet sits just up the road from Château Mouton Roschild. They make wine that has been consistently scoring in the upper to mid 90s by celebrated magazines such as Wine Spectator. They were not only professional, informative and extremely friendly, but were classy enough to let us taste a bottle of well aged wine when it was at its peak; as opposed to many châteaux that will only serve the latest crop, which obviously is still very tannic and clearly not enjoyable.

A second personal tour we had was Château Prieuré Lychin, in the Cantenac Margaux region. They strive with great success to produce wine that is very classically Margaux with excellent marks as well. Their tour was very detailed indeed and loaded with information. Expect notable detail in the cellars, where you will learn of the different properties of the varieties of oak used to bring out the best potential of each years’ vintage, the periodic sampling and the oxygenation process. You can have a generous taste of both their first and second wines.

This trip is a must for all wine enthusiasts. There will be more to come on the classification process as opposed to other wine regions in France and maybe some of the details I gathered during this awesome trip.

With so many cigars out there, both old and new, it sometimes boggles my mind as to how manufacturers expect to differentiate new cigars with any success in such an already crowded market. I recently tried a 601 Habano robusto by Don Pepin Garcia and was enlightened a bit: You have to shoot for something that, while reasonably priced, is so good that it creates an instant buzz as it hits shop shelves.

In my estimation, that is the winning recipe for the 601 Habano. At around 6.00 bucks a stick, the Habano robusto delivers flavor, texture, density, and combustion that is comparable to that of much more expensive cigars.

Some have gone so far so as to compare the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper to that of a Cuban Ramon Allones. Having smoked hundreds of what I consider one of my favorite Cuban vitolas, I obviously don’t go that far, but I don’t mean that to down play how good the 601 Habano wrapper is. It’s simply deserving of accolades on its own merit.

I enjoy a cigar that conveys rich smoke while maintaining a creamy texture and a good depth of complexity. This the cigar does and more. It starts out with baking spices laced with some pepper and a very smooth texture. As it burns, a distinct cacao aroma fills the room.

The aroma gradually turns to sweet leather and musk at around the ¼ mark. Sweet wood comes out on the palate around now, while the smoke keeps yielding a very creamy texture.

Past the ½ way mark, the pepper notes pick up a bit and dark tobacco notes of leather and baking spices set in as well. Though rich, the smoke remains surprisingly smooth down to the last inch. If you are so inclined, this is certainly a stick to nub. The finish is clean and creamy. I recommend this great cigar to anyone.

As a big fan of Rocky Patel, I was really looking forward to sampling it’s R4 Corojo creation. Now, I normally tend to associate Patel sticks with robust, dark and full cigars that are generally on the stronger side. The Rocky Patel R4 Torpedo is in a completely different philosophy altogether.

Perhaps geared toward the mild cigar smokers among us, the R4 is almost nothing like its other, better known, Patel cousins. I always hesitate when I review a very light-bodied cigar; I’m afraid my bias for full-bodied sticks will cloud an objective review. So… let’s just acknowledge, from the beginning, that we’re talking about a cigar for the mild leaf lovers.

The R4 Corojo wrapper mildly exudes aromas reminiscent of baked French bread, cedar, and bitter nutmeg. The pre-light draw is grassy. Light herbs and maybe even some red tea (think: Darjeeling) can be tasted as well.

Once lit, the smoke is thick, as you would expect from a Rocky. The baked bread notes really dominate this stick through out; with one or two notes surfacing here and there as it progresses.

The cigar does get spicy into the second third, and a black pepper note is clearly present. I found this stage particularly interesting.

Around the half way mark, the smoke gets toasty. The pepper notes fade here and the flavor profile pretty much assumes its final posture. From here on end, I found the smoke doesn’t evolve anymore, except for some mild cedar coming in at the last second before the finish.

I generally would recommend a cigar like this to a beginner. However, we’re talking about a whopping torpedo here. It might be alright as long as it is put down before matters begin to get unpleasant.