A Regal Experience with Rocky Patel Royale
The model of consistency, Rocky Patel is at it again with the recently released Royale. Not to be confused with the Royal Vintage he released as part of the vintage line, the Royale is a semi boxed pressed cigar sporting an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with Connecticut and Connecticut Broadleaf double binder and filler tobacco from Nicaragua. The cigar has been described by Rocky Patel as a medium bodied smoke with all of the great complexity and flavor enthusiasts have come to expect from Rocky Patel cigars. With notes of spice, coffee and roasted almonds (yep, you read that correctly, almonds. Roasted almonds) and a earthy leathery finish, the Royale sounds like it has the potential to be one of Rocky’s most flavorful cigars to date. With a note of roasted almonds, a first for me to see in a cigar, I am very eager to see if the Royale delivers everything it promises.
The wrapper of the Royale is very straight forward; the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper has a milk chocolate hue in a slight red shade. The construction of the cigar is of the impeccable caliber that has become a hallmark any cigar from Rocky Patel, with a slight give and absolutely zero blemishes or soft spots. A quick draw test is highlighted by an easy draw and very delicate notes. After two or three draw tests, I am able to detect semi sweet notes and a baker’s chocolate finish.
Moving on to smoking the Royale, I immediately notice a very smooth profile of coffee, with a slight hint of cocoa. Towards the end of the first third, the hint of cocoa has been replaced by a spice note that I can’t quite define. The closest thing I can compare it to is white pepper with a hint of sweetness. The burn of the cigar has been a bit troublesome requiring several touch ups throughout the first third. Flavor wise, the Royale has been great. It’s a great medium bodied cigar with tons of flavor to enjoy.
As the ash grows into the second third, Royale throws a wild curveball into the mix by revealing a note of earthiness that was nowhere to be found in the first third of the cigar. While the earth notes become very pronounced and almost a little overwhelming, the cigar remains balanced by the notes of coffee and spice, which can be noticed on the retohale. While the Royale still tastes great, I am still not finding the promised roasted almond note. The burn has finally evened itself out to the point where I no longer need to it up with a lighter.
The Royale ends with much of the same notes found in the second third of the cigar. The boisterous earth notes are balanced out by subtle spice and sweetness. One major change to occur in this portion of the cigar is a slight leather note that lingers on the palate. Sadly, the roasted almonds promised did not appear in the cigar. Overall, Royale by Rocky Patel is a solid new release that has the potential to please a wide range of enthusiasts. While the Royale failed to deliver the almond note, the cigar is great for those who enjoy medium bodied cigars, and is a nice change up for enthusiasts who traditional gravitate towards bolder fuller cigars. Aside from the slight burn issues I had in the beginning, the cigar has all of the qualities that have made Rocky Patel such a successful company. The Royale by Rocky Patel is available in 3 sizes in 20 count box at your favorite Emerson’s Cigars shop as well as our online store at emersonscigars.com.
