Rocky Patel White Label Toro

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc.

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A.
• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Valley), Nicaragua & Undisclosed
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• MSRP: $20 (Box of 20, $400)
• Release Date: November 2021
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Original Score: 91

When I first saw the Rocky Patel White Label on display at the 2021 PCA Convention & Trade Show in July 2021, my first thought was, “Well, Davidoff isn’t going to like this.” Davidoff has unofficially used the “White Label” moniker to describe its eponymous products since the cigars come with a signature white band, i.e., a white label, but Davidoff never trademarked “White Label,” something that Rocky Patel did. Once it had the trademark, the company could have opted to create a very different product than the ones Davidoff is known for, but alas, it went straight into the fire.

It’s a four-vitola line of $20ish cigars, highlighted by a shade-grown wrapper from Connecticut. The end result is one of the highest ratings halfwheel has ever given a cigar from Rocky Patel. Flavor-wise, this is the greatest hits of what Connecticut shade cigars have to offer: a sweet, at times butter-like creaminess, nuttiness, woody flavors and black pepper. As it oftentimes does, retrohaling will produce some more complex flavors, but the cigar is still very good even if you opt not to blow the smoke out throw your nose. It’s fairly rare to see a new cigar using a shade wrapper grown in Connecticut—most are Ecuadorian-grown versions—but there’s an appreciable difference between the two, one that’s on full display here. — Charlie Minato.