Thursday, January 20 2011
By Barry Stein |
A Cigar Smoker's JournalA w
hile ago I was sent a Rocky Patel sampler back from Famous Smoke Shop who is an advertiser on this website. According to the Famous website the Rocky Patel Vudu is, “Made at Tavicusa S.A. in Estelí, Vudu Robusto cigars boast a shimmering Mexican Maduro leaf that surrounds a complex, full-bodied blend of diverse Nicaraguan tobaccos. The smoke is creamy, chewy and brimming with a perfect balance of earthy, spicy and sweet tobacco flavors that hit on all cylinders. Among the best cigars blended by Rocky Patel’s 'go-to' tabaquero, Amilcar P. Castro, VUDU cigars are also reasonably priced. Start with a 5-pack, or order a box now and enjoy this luxurious new selection.”
Cigar: VUDU
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Mexican Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium/Full
Appearance and Construction: The Mexican Maduro wrapper that adorns the Rocky Patel Vudu is dark and toothy but it seems to lack oils. There are some moderately sized veins present on this Robusto stick that sports a black on black band. The cigar as a decent weight to it but it doesn’t feel well packed as there are a few soft spots present on the stick. The Vudu is well rolled and has a nicely constructed cap that I was able to remove easily with my teeth. (Yes my cigar utilities are in my car under some snow).
Flavor & Notes: Maybe being snow bound as effected my mind, but the pre-light draw on the Vudu reminds me of marshmallows, particularly those found in Lucky Charms. The draw has me thinking of pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers (this has to do wonders for my credibility!). Once the cigar is lit there is a spice present that is very pleasing to my taste buds. As we continue down the first third of the smoke the spice mellows out some and is joined by earth and a faint sweetness. As we breach the second third of the cigar the sweetness turns a bit more intense and reminds me of berries, with apricot especially through the nose. The final third the spice kicks it up a notch and the sweetness remains but it is very faint.
Smoking Characteristics: I was surprised at how slow this cigar smoked, which is always a plus in my book. The ash was a bit weak in the first third before becoming more firm and was salt and pepper in color. The draw offered a slight resistance which is ideal in my book and the burn line was rather crisp. At times the cigar offered a really nice aroma to the nose and it produced a fair amount of smoke.
Conclusion: To me it seems that Rocky is producing some better smokes out of Nicaragua and this cigar was a nice surprise. A big enough surprise for me where Rocky is back on my radar as the profile has changed somewhat with the factory switch. I would smoke these again especially since the price is right. Despite being a medium/full cigar this might be a good breakfast cigar as well. 
Rating: 88
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To learn more about Vudu cigars, click here.
