Rocky Patel DBS Toro

When I was getting into cigars more seriously around 2010, I remember there was always excitement about when a cigar company would release a maduro version of a cigar. It seemed like there was a pattern of a new line coming out and then a maduro version being released that would amp up the profile a few ticks by way of a darker and more flavorful wrapper.

It’s a point I bring up because as I was getting ready to smoke the Rocky Patel DBS Toro, I wondered what kind of tobacco gets cigar smokers excited when they see it in a blend, whether it’s from a certain country, a specific varietal, or the result of a process like a maduro leaf is. Yes, maduro can also be used to refer to a color, but for this purpose, it refers to the extended fermentation process that results in a darker color and more intense flavor.

Since that time, it seems like broadleaf tobaccos, generally grown in the United States, have become one of the buzzier tobaccos to be featured in cigar blends. Tatuaje once released a 100-count sampler containing 10 of its existing cigar wrapped in Connecticut broadleaf. In the last year or so, two companies—Alec Bradley and Rocky Patel Premium Cigars—released cigars with double broadleaf in their names.

In particular, the Rocky Patel DBS, which stands for Double Broadleaf Selection, uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, while the dual binders come from Nicaragua and the U.S.A., specifically a Pennsylvania-grown broadleaf. The filler is made up of Honduran tobacco and Nicaraguan broadleaf.

The line debuted at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show and is offered in three vitolas, all packaged in 20-count boxes.

The Rocky Patel DBS line was scheduled to ship to stores in October but was delayed until the end of November.

• Cigar Reviewed: Rocky Patel DBS Toro
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Broadleaf)
• Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua (Broadleaf)
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• MSRP: $21 (Box of 20, $420)
• Release Date: November 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

First and foremost, the Rocky Patel DBS Toro looks fantastic, as the bands look great against the wrapper leaf. The combination of navy, orange and gold work very well together on their own, but then each seems to play off a different aspect of the wrapper, which is a color that seems to merit the word auburn, though it does have a good amount of dark brown to it as well. There isn’t much oiliness among the three cigars—one cigar has absolutely none—but all three wrappers have a bit of a glossy texture on my fingers. That doesn’t completely obscure the dry texture of the leaves, providing another distinct sensation. Even though it’s a 52 ring gauge—which checks out when I measure it—it looks and feels a few ring gauges smaller, more like a 50 or so. The cigar is rolled fairly firmly, even to the point of being hard at times, yet I can still feel some suppleness and flexibility of the leaves. There is a bit of give across the three cigars, but that varies from cigar to cigar. The foot has a bit of light earthiness, the smell of a freshly opened bag of dry pretzels and some kind of subtle sweetness that I can’t quite place, though in one cigar, it seems like something I might dunk those pretzels in or which could be used as some or coating. There isn’t much in the way of pepper and the aroma becomes cool and damp the more I smell it. The cold draw is a bit woodier, a bit sweeter and a bit more peppery. There are a few puffs where I get a mild accent of a pulpy orange juice, while the wrapper leaf also imparts a strong tingle on my lips. Airflow is good in two cigars and a bit firm in the third.

The Rocky Patel DBS Toro starts off with an almost completely amplified version of the last cold draw I took, meaning some vibrant and rich wood, a decent amount of black pepper and some earth interwoven between them. The sweetness hasn’t amplified, though I feel like I get a very subtle maple syrup on the finish, which is more distinct than what I picked up before the cigar was lit. A bit of creaminess comes along towards the one-inch mark, which is where the ash has a habit of breaking off on its own. Given the name of the cigar, I find my attention focused on trying to pull out what the broadleaf tobaccos are adding to the profile, and thus far, it’s the earthiness and some sweetness, though the latter is not what I tend to think of based on other experiences with broadleaf tobaccos. A rich, fairly intense wood flavor continues to drive the cigar as the first third comes to a close, while the creaminess evolves to take on a bit of chalk, or at least something that has a powdery, chalk-like taste. Retrohales in this section add a bit more of the wood, earth and pepper in this section, but passing through the smoke through my nose is more of an echo of the flavor than an expansion or accent on it. Flavor is medium-plus to medium-full in the first third, while body is medium-plus and strength is mild. Construction is good thus far, though the ash’s durability isn’t great.

The second third sees the wood dial back just enough to let some earthiness develop and step into a more prominent secondary flavor. It’s not quite the rich, heavy earthiness that I sometimes find in cigars that are built around broadleaf tobaccos, but I wonder if that might be a function of the wood countering the earth. It also feels like a lighter profile than what the first third offered, as the cigar started off on a fairly strong note and has since backed off a bit. Part of that seems to be due to some creaminess coming back into the profile or maybe the mellowing revealing it after a bit of a hiatus. Retrohales continue to mirror the flavor for the most part, but now add a bit more pepper. While it seems like black pepper at first, exhaling brings on a bit of a red chili pepper flake sensation and the farther I get into the second third, the more that sensation intensifies. A sharper expression of the wood note that has been present since the start of the cigar closes out this section, bringing flavor intensity up from medium, while body is medium-plus thanks to the creaminess and strength is still shy of medium. Construction remains very good; the one cigar with a firm draw continues to have a firm draw, but it doesn’t adversely affect things. There does seem to be a need to puff a bit quicker to avoid the cigar going out, but that’s my only other note on construction.

The uptick in the woodiness continues into the final third, though at a more gradual rate than before, and does seem to plateau not too far into this section. There’s a bit more pepper and now a rockier earth flavor, and with that comes a more pronounced physical sensation from the cigar. It leads me to wonder if the proximity of the core of the cigar is contributing to the change or if this is simply an evolution of the blend. There is still some creaminess that comes and goes, now hitting my palate as vanilla ice cream without the coldness. Retrohales have shed the chill pepper flake sensation and are now back to regular black pepper with a hearty backing of the thick, rich wood aroma that has been part of the aroma since the start. The homestretch brings about a sharper pepper note on my taste buds, leading me to space out my puffs a bit in hopes of spreading out and lessening the intensity of the sensation. That works for the most part, but there can be just a pinch of harshness emerging as the cigar comes to a close, a seeming indicator that it’s time to put the cigar down. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is just into the medium range now. Construction remains very good as the cigar continues to put out a good amount of smoke, the burn line remains even and the draw is good across the three samples.’

Final Notes

• I wasn’t keeping track of how much of the ash ended up in the ashtray versus being sucked up by my hand vacuum, but most of the first inch went to the latter.
• When a company makes a varietal part of a new cigar’s name, I find myself wanting to really smoke the components individually to see what each tastes like and thus help me understand what those leaves are contributing to the profile. This, in turn, helps me relate my experience with the cigar, since just because I might like Cigar X which uses broadleaf, I might not like Cigar Y and how it uses broadleaf.
• Coincidentally, I reviewed the Alec Bradley Double Broadleaf Robusto in December 2022.
• I didn’t feel much strength from the Rocky Patel DBS Toro.
• Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc. advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 20 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct and Famous Smoke Shop carry the Rocky Patel DBS Toro.