While at my local smoke shop, I ran into a gentlemen who fully endorsed the Rocky Patel 2009 Winter Collection. He said it was the "best" cigar produced by Rocky. It was bold, flavorful and will be worth every penny of the eleven dollars I had to spend to fire this stick up. This gentlemen had passion for the newest creation by Rocky, so I had to try it. However, I did warn him that Rocky makes some great cigars and I would be very surprised if this was the "best". Needless to say, my expectations were very high for this cigar.

The Rocky Patel 2009 Winter Collection was produced in small quantities. Only 3,000 boxes were made for each size: corona, robusto and toro. I fired up the toro which measures 6 x 52. It is blended with Nicaraguan fillers along with an Ecuadorian binder. It is then finished with a dark, oily Connecticut Broad leaf Maduro wrapper.  This stick had a beautiful appearance; the dark tobacco contrasted perfectly with it's silver and blue double band. The 2009 Winter Collection fired up easily and maintained a hot, almost harsh, even burn. It did burn a little fast and hot which took away from the flavor. Most of my taste came from the first third of the smoke before the ash got too close to the foot. Early in the smoke, I could taste a bold, hardy leather and chocolate flavor. However, as the burn became closer to the foot, the flavor disappeared. This occurred around the middle of the stick. At this point, it became just an ordinary full-bodied smoke that lacked any personality. I think a little aging would help with this issue. Otherwise, it was pretty enjoyable, but nowhere near being the "best" Rocky Patel creation. I still prefer the Olde World Reserve and the Decade over the 2009 Winter Collection. At a price of $127 for a box of 20, I would pass unless you plan on resting them for a couple of months. They are just not ready.

MonkeyDan Rating: 87