It’s not often the cigar industry is early to the party. The Rocky Patel Edge 20th Anniversary was released 2 years early in their 18th anniversary.
When Rocky Patel first released the Edge is was mind boggling how quick they sold. Available in two wrappers (Corojo & Maduro) the cigars would sit in an unfinished box of 100. There would be no bands, no cello, just cigars. At $5 though everyone was willing to take a shot. This soon turned into handfuls at a time and an iconic cigar was born.
Eventually cigars would get a band at the foot denoting the wrapper type and boxes were trimmed down to 20. The hype would eventually die as well but the brand remains available today.
Cigar Review: Rocky Pate The Edge 20th Anniversary
Size: Toro (5.5 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaragua & Panama
Debut: November 2022
Box Count: 20
Final Smoking Time: 1 hours 18 minutes
The Cigar: The silver, red and gold band seems to be inspired Rocky Patel’s Indian Heritage. The colors are vibrant and the gold offers up a henna designs. At the foot of the cigar is a thin band utilizing the same colors and denoting the 20th Anniversary. The Sumatra wrapper is evenly colored while being a bit coarse under the fingers.
The Notes: The cold is damp and musty like an old wooden shed on a dew filled morning. The aroma from the foot reminds me of a Crème de Menthe from Andes candy with its mint like notes over chocolate. Once the cigar is lit all the non-traditional flavor profiles pull back as earth becomes the primary flavor profile.
Moving into the first third there is no hiding this is a Sumatra wrapper. A love it or hate it for many smokers the cigar has notes of earth and nuts as well as a slightly peaty component. The peat isn’t over powering but its the as if you were sipping on an Oban and not something overly peaty like a Laphroaig. Also present is a vegetal component that is amplified via the retrohale where it is joined by additional earth and pepper.
In the second third the pepper is noticeable on the nostrils as the cigar rests in my mouth while I type. The flavor remains very earthy with mushrooms, subtle peat, lemon zest and dry peanuts. The finish is loaded with minerals and has a leather mouth feel. As expected the retrohale has an abundance of white pepper where it is joined by more lemon zest notes.
The final third continues down the path of the first two-thirds. There is that typical Sumatra flavor profile that is earthy and vegetal. The lemon zest and nuts remain and the finish is long and drying. The retrohale increases the lemon zest with white pepper along for the ride.
Conclusion: As we alluded to in the review itself most cigars smokers have a love it or hate it relationship with Sumatra. If you love Sumatra then this cigar is for you. Personally I am not a fan of the sour flavor profile. However, this does not mean it is a bad cigar. The addition of the tobacco from Panama also provides and interesting flavor profile that makes this cigar strangely unique. Personally, I would have rather seen the brand celebrate 20 years with a throw back to the original blend with some seriously aged tobaccos.
Score: 88
Price: $11.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
