As a long- time cigar smoker, I have developed a  great respect for Rocky Patel. This should come as no surprise because along with amassing a   huge portfolio of award-winning blends using the finest tobaccos available,  he was a pioneer of the now thriving boutique segment of the premium cigar market. This means that unlike manufacturers that mass-produce their cigars,  Rocky was one of the first cigarmakers to craft his blends in limited small batch quantities, thus assuring the utmost in quality, construction, and unwavering consistency in taste from one cigar to the next.

For this review, I chose the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Toro cigar because many industry experts along with the general cigar smoking community alike, consider Rocky’s  Vintage Series to be the best of the best. Furthermore, I also chose the Toro,  because with a popular 6 x50 size, and a medium-bodied strength profile,  it’s the perfect one-hour smoke that can be equally enjoyed in the afternoon or at the end of the day.

Starting with aesthetics, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Toro is a stunning handmade premium cigar that’s perfectly box-pressed and covered by a seamless, dark reddish-brown  Ecuadorian-seed Sumatra wrapper.  Underneath this eye-catching  10-year old crown,  is a Nicaraguan binder, and a core blend of fully aged Dominican and Nicaraguan long-leaf fillers.

Like most other box-pressed cigars that I’ve smoked, this rock-solid stick was very easy to light and immediately displayed a crisp, even, razor-sharp burn.

Immediately after lighting,  I detected a harsh bitter peppery taste that lasted just a bit too long. However,  after about the first quarter inch the bitterness was gone, replaced by hearty flavors of earth, leather, and less pungent notes of pepper.  By the end of the first third, some bold hints of black coffee have joined the party.

During the duration of the second third,  it became a predominantly peppery smoke, punctuated by deep layers of leather, earth, and wood. In addition,  up until now, this slow-burning  Toro has been producing plenty of thick, creamy white smoke, and an irresistibly sweet tobacco aroma that provided me with many relaxing moments of pause.

The final third produced the same core favors as the second third, with the addition of some rich coffee and caramel notes that lingered in the background throughout the remainder of the smoke.