Rocky Patel Sun Grown Toro
Size: 6.5 x 52
Wrapper: 5 Year Old Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Price: $7.50

These four cigars came from my friends at CigarsDirect.com as part of two free Rocky Patel samplers. I reviewed the Original Sun Grown (or "OSG") a year ago and I was interested in seeing how this one stacked up against it. I know RP Sun Grown gets a lot of positive reviews on the internet.

Appearance: RP Sun Grown looks great in a glass-top humidor. With that dark thick wrapper, almost a maduro color, highlighted by two flashy red bands, it looks elegant and expensive. The wrapper is oily and smooth. The cigar itself feels hefty in your hand. The prelight aroma is sharp and promises a full, pungent, spicy experience.

Burn/Construction: They burned straight and didn't need relights, but I was surprised at how quickly these cigars burned. Cigars of this size should last 90 minutes or more, but I usually had to slow down just to wring out an hour. The draw was full and easy.

Taste: These cigars are billed on various advertisements as full and robust, but I would actually classify them as medium-strength and medium-body. The intial few puffs deliver on the promise of spice and strength, but the cigar quickly settles into earthy, almost leathery notes that are, in fact, very reminiscent of Rocky's Indian Tabac lines. After that initial flourish at the beginning, the flavors don't vary much as the cigar speeds (literally speeds) to a very pedestrian climax.

Overall: As much as I wanted to really like this cigar, I didn't find them very special at all. They are well-constructed, and certainly tasty, but also very average. You can get better flavors from some of Rocky's other cigars that cost a thid of the price. This "premium" certainly does not live up to Rocky's Edge and Old Worlde Reserve.

Score: 6/10.