Wednesday, October 06 2010
By Matt from Toasted Foot.com
Size/Strength: 6.5 x 44 Lonsdale / Mild – Medium
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
The Rocky Patel American Market Selection is made exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop. " American Market Selection" [a/k/a "AMS"] refers to the shade of the wrappers, which were apparently popular in the early 20th Century. Billed as medium bodied, I’d say it’s more mild and not nearly as complex as advertised, which was surprising with Honduran and Nicaraguan longfiller.
The AMS is available in eight sizes and sold in boxes of 20: 7x49 ( Churchill), 6.5x44 (Lonsdale, reviewed here), 5.5x50 ( Robusto), 4.5x44 (Petit Corona), 7.5x52 (Double Corona), 6x60 (Sixty), 6x52 ( Toro), and 6x52 ( Torpedo). The prices by box range from $91.99 to $111.99, and there is also a Test Flight, which I sampled; it includes 2 each of six of the eight sizes, and is priced at $58.99.*
A dark almond colored wrapper is full of veins, stretched along the seams, and spongy near the
band, though the American Market is topped with an even and clean double
cap, and has a well packed
foot. The aroma is of sweet hay and the profile becomes sweeter toward the foot with a green crispness. On the cold
draw it is airy and loose, which matches the sponginess in areas, and there is a gentle herbal flavor.
With an airiness noted on the cold draw, I am not surprised by the loose draw and quick burn on the Lonsdale. The ash is also loose and flaky along the edges, but the ash is even colored and the burn line is razor sharp throughout the smoke. The temperature of the cigar remains cool until the final third, when it turns hot and harsh. Overall, this is a clean burn that requires no attention.
This was a classic Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper flavor profile - gentle, one-dimensional, and creamy. The creaminess is only mild and fades as the smoke progresses, while a herbal tone and barnyard notes of hay dominate the profile. There are no transitions to speak of in this smoke, but it is very consistent throughout and never turns harsh or sour - and the profile is pleasing for the mild loving palate.
More than anything, I like the price and the consistency of this smoke. At just over $4.50 a stick, I would definitely keep some of these around. Though the burn was fast on each of my Test Flight cigars, the flavor profile was exactly what you would expect, and I was OK with no surprises. In my opinion, this is a quality low-to-midrange-priced product from Famous Smoke Shop and Rocky Patel.
Scoring Notes:
Appearance: 8
Construction: 9
Burn: 8
Draw: 9
Aroma: 8
Flavor: 9
Final Score: 8.5
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* Price noted is the price at time of publication.
