[caption id="attachment_367" align="alignleft" width="44" caption="Montecristo Afrique Sublimation at My Discount Cigars"][/caption]

The Montecristo Afrique, is a truly rare gem.  Rarely is a truly unique, new blend created in the cigar industry, as most new brands are just remodifications of existing blends.  One of the reasons being that there is a limited variety of black cigar tobacco available for cigar producers to create new blends.  Master blenders, like great chefs, when given the same ingredients as the others to work with, can create amazing tobacco blends. But unless given a new ingredient to work with they are limited in creating truly unique cigars.  The Montecristo Afrique is exactly the rare and unique cigar that only a master blender can create.  It is the joint efforts between George Gershel, Altadis USA's Tobacco Expert, and Lew Rothman.  The Montecristo Afrique is blended with African-grown black tobaccos, specifically a wonderful new leaf from Tanzania.  After much experimentation, a nearly all-African blend was created, which includes a touch of spicy Peruvian ligero bound by an Ecuadorian Sumatran binder, and wrapped in a African-grown Cameroon leaf.

Just like its unique Tanzanian leaf, the flavor of the Montecristo Afrique is equally unique.  Stronger, more dense and richer in body in the smaller ring sizes, and considerably milder in the larger ring sizes, the Montecristo Afrique is certainly a complex smoking experience.  While its ligero core is more peppery, the velvety smoke of the Tanzanian leaves kicks in.  The flavors progressed from a woody, spicy earth to a creamy, chocolatey, coffee.  With the delicate spice of the Cameroon wrapper, the Montecristo Afrique cigar's flavor is intoxicating on the palate, to say the least, and is possibly the creamiest cigar our staff has ever smoked.

The Montecristo Afrique is an absolute must-try for all cigar aficionados.  With several sizes available, here are just a few    we sampled:  Lemosho (5 x 40), Machame (5 x 44), Sublimation (5 1/2 x 43 in glass tubes), and Uhuru (5 x 47).  The Montecristo Afrique cigars are nabbed up very quickly, if you can get a box of them consider yourself lucky!

[caption id="attachment_368" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Montecristo Afrique Cigars at My Discount Cigars"][/caption]

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Flavor: Medium to Full
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Peruvian Ligero, Africa, Nicaragua

The Montecristo Afrique blends are available online here at MyDiscountCigar.com.

You can learn more about the Montecristo Afrique cigars at AltadisUSA.com.

~ Peace, Love, Cigars ~

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Cigar Review of the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru Cigar by Walt, of Stogie Review

Origin: Dominican Republic

[caption id="attachment_371" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Montecristo Afrique Uhuru Cigars"][/caption]

Length: 5.00
Ring: 47
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper Color: Medium Brown (E)
Wrapper Type: Cameroon
Binder: ECU
Filler: AFRICA/NIC/PERU
Shape: Parejo

Yesterday I was in the mood for a cigar. I had been running in and out of the house all day and I just wanted to kick back and relax. I opened up the Humidor and it was a toss up. It was either going to be the Montecristo Afrique or a Romeo y Jullieta – Aniversario. On a whim I picked up the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru and vastly enjoyed this cigar.

I purchased a five pack of the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru smokes from JR back in Feb. This was my last one, and I think that the two months of aging put this cigar over the top. It was much different than I remember the last ones being. Here is how it went.

I pulled the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru cigar out of the cellophane sheath if came in and took some time to look over it. It was slightly veiny but attractive. The Montecristo Afrique Uhuru cigar was firm yet pliable between the fingers. This cigar smelled very rich inviting. My plug cutter cut a beautiful plug with no cracking or splitting in the cap.

Upon lighting the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru there was a vibe from this cigar that made you feel as though it was going to be a good cigar. The initial draw was very light and flavorful. The resting smoke emitting from the foot was nice and light.

The first couple of puffs were kind of tricky. The aroma of the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru cigar was almost woodsy while the taste was sweet and totally different from what I was expecting from the smell. The smoke exiting from my mouth left a sweet taste on my lips that was nice. I’ve never had this before.

As I moved on down the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru cigar the flavors became more and more subtle. After about an inch and a half, the flavors were sort of soft on the pallet. They sort of rolled on then rolled clean off the pallet as you blew out the smoke.

At around the half way point of the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru cigar there were slight hints of pepper that complimented the smooth initial tastes of the cigar. From the start the burn rate was nice and slow with a perfect burn. The ash was firm and what I would describe as a bright grey ash.

The flavors started to evolve some more as I continued to smoke. At this point I was getting sweet smells in my sinuses as I blew the smoke out of my nose. The pepper flavor on my pallet was starting to pick up a bit and I was now getting what tasted like black coffee.

All of the initial flavors started to subside and there was now a distinct pepper flavor on my pallet that was quiet good. The build up to this was very enjoyable. The burn rate was still good as well as the ash. By now there was only about an inch of the cigar left. I continued to smoke the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru until I could no longer hold it.

The worst part of this cigar was when it was time to let it go out. The Montecristo Afrique Uhuru was so enjoyable that I just couldn’t get myself to put it down and walk away. I smoked this cigar for just over an hour and a half. I don?t know if it was just the atmosphere or the fact that I was looking forward to a good cigar all day, but this stick was an absolute joy to smoke and I would highly recommend the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru as a late afternoon early evening smoke.

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Thanks for sharing your smoking experience of the Montecristo Afrique Uhuru, Walt!

The Rocky Patel Decade cigar is part of a special collector's edition in celebration of Rocky Patel being in the cigar industry for 10 years. With the plethora of Rocky Patel blends available on the market, many cigar smokers consider the Rocky Patel Decade blend his best work and blend to date. Released in November 2007, the box-pressed (except The Emperor, which is classic parejo shaped) Rocky Patel Decade cigars pack great flavors and use premium tobaccos such as the robust Nicaraguan longfillers, shimmery Ecuadorian Sumatra wrappers, and tobacco from Honduras, all handmade at the Nestor Plasencia El Paraiso Factory in Danli, Honduras.

[caption id="attachment_282" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Rocky Patel Decade at My Discount Cigars"][/caption]

The Rocky Patel Decade cigar is a well-balanced, rich, complex, medium to full-bodied cigar with full flavors consisting of black cherry, roasted coffee, dark spice, a touch of pepper and a nutty finish. Rocky Patel Decade has a full finish and a lingering sweetness on the palette and the resting smoke produces an intoxicating aroma that's similar to the Rocky Patel Vintage '90 or the Vintage '92.

Each box of the Rocky Patel Decade is produced in limited edition with an original sketch of Rocky on the inside of the lid. The Rocky Patel Decade cigars come in 8 various vitolas. Not only was The Decade line rated a 95 by Cigar Aficionado, the Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo was also named as one of their "Top 25 Cigars of the Year 2008!" Because of Cigar Aficionado's high ratings the demand for the Rocky Patel Decades has actually caused some shortages across the nation.  The Rocky Patel Decade cigar is a testament of just how far Rocky Patel has advanced in the last 10 years, he has become a star in the cigar industry. Between the excellent construction and great balance, the pleasant and distinct flavors of the elegant Rocky Patel Decade cigar will leave you wanting more.

RATED 95 BY CIGAR AFICIONADO!

Country of Origin: Honduras
Flavor: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Rocky Patel Decade cigars are available online here at MyDiscountCigar.com.

Read more about the Rocky Patel Decade cigars at RockyPatel.com.

Review of The Rocky Patel Decade Lancero, by Charlie of The Cigar Feed

For a lot of smokers, the plethora of new lines and unique marketing tactics of Rocky Patel (particularly in the catalogs), seems to be a turn-off. I’ll admit that I’m really not sure where to start when it comes to the seemingly endless options that Rocky Patel offers. However, even those that don’t consider themselves to be fans of Rocky have little to complain about when it comes to the Rocky Patel Decade cigar. Many, particularly those not in the Rocky fan club, seem to consider it his greatest work to date. For me, the Nordings, recommended by Bill Davies of Tobacco Locker given my cluelessness regarding Rocky Patel, remain my favorite. Yet, my expectations for the Rocky Patel Decade Lancero are definitely higher than most would likely assume them at. Anyways, after the jump, my thoughts on the Decade, Rocky’s tribute to ten years.

Name: Rocky Patel Decade Lancero
Vitola: Lancero (Box-Pressed)
Size: 7 x 38
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country: Honduras
Factory: El Paraiso
MSRP: $9.60 (Boxes of 26, $250)
Source: Cigar Warehouse ($9.50)
Time in Humidor: 2 Months

Cut: Montecristo Signature Cutter
Light: Lotus Torch
Beverage: Coke
Smoking Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

Today’s Smoke
Rocky’s marketing strategies are always exciting. A recent approach when characterizing the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary seemed to be an us against the world strategy. While I don’t believe everything I read in the Holt’s catalog about what goes on in the Plasencia factory, Rocky isn’t lying about the hardships and difficulties he has had breaking into the culture of the industry. With a few breaks, Rocky went from just another start-up to a major force in the industry. Rather than celebrating his tenth anniversary in business by giving the finger to all those who doubted him, he created the Rocky Patel Decade cigar, a cigar that would be the virtual middle finger for all the naysayers. Introduced at the 2007 RTDA (now known as IPCPR) tradeshow in Houston, The Rocky Patel Decade cigars were a hit from the start. Each box employs the similar us against the world menatlity with “Against all odds” inscribed inside. While the cigars were good, a 95 rating by Cigar Aficionado took the Decade from “good” to “upping the ante, a few times over.”

When the Tatuaje Tattoo was announced, and the details were finally confirmed by Pete Johnson, the question of “is this the first box-pressed Lancero?” arose. While not the dean of Lanceros, okay, in some circles I guess I am. My first reaction was that Gurkha released a cigar called a Lancero in the form of their Gurkha Micro-Batch Liga TPB-1 for Cigars International, although at 6 1/2 x 44 seems more Lonsdale than El Laguito No. 1. A few hours later, the Rocky Patel Decade came to mind as the candidate. However, like many this is a 7 x 38 vitola, so on a technicality, the Tattoo is the first true box-pressed El Laguito No. 1. Anyways, it’s a dark earthy Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with light veins. Two simple vanilla bands adorn the box-pressed cigar, perhaps Rocky’s best use of bands. Aromas are fully aged mixture of leather and cocoa at the full scale. It’s soft to the touch despite a consistent tight packing. The foot gives off a straightforward mix of leather, meatiness and spice, seems to be Rocky signature.

Lighting
After clipping the top of the Rocky Patel Decade Lancero, it’s leather, cedar and a bit of pepper, somewhere on medium-full. Cold draw is a bit tight with flavors of earth, dark tobacco, cedar and a hint of citrus. Aromas as the Ecuadorian, Honduran and Nicaraguan are lit are dark cocoa, cedar and a bit of musty earth. It begins with cocoa, then a heavier cedar and spice, lots of earthy spices finishing the cigar.

First Third
There’s a sweet darkness to the overall flavor profile of the Rocky Patel Decade Lancero cigar. Dark tobacco, mild cocoa, earth are joined with pepper to create a rather enjoyable flavor. It’s full and to the point, still containing quite a bit of complexity despite the direct nature. Finish is cocoa, earth, cedar and spice, full and medium in length. While the draw is fine and the burn is straight, the Decade Lancero consistently was plagued by an inability to stay lit, even in the first third. Strength is medium-full at the beginning with a subtle rise from the start.

Second Third
It’s much of the same… Most of the Decade vitolas seem to be more about subtle changes, rather than a complete change in flavor. A bit more earth with an added cedar note over the tobacco and cocoa. Finish is much of the same with a bit of grassiness sweetening the flavor profile. Smoke production is moderate through the entire smoke, a dark cedar profile for the air, nothing overly surprising. Strength is slightly into the full range by the halfway point of the Rocky Patel Decade Lancero, but it seems to stall (for the better), at that point.

FInal Third
The construction issues plague the final third a bit more than the rest of the Rocky Patel Lancero cigar, which is unfortunate. To be honest, I originally expected the cigar to fall apart flavor-wise, as many of the cigars that are of a relatively similar flavor profile and have problematic construction tend to do that, but it didn’t. It’s still a full dark tobacco, earth and cedary note. Sweetness comes from chocolate, which is now milky chocolate, citrus and some of the earth notes. A spice is easily one of the top two strongest notes, recognizingable a second or so after the smoke hits the palate. Finish of the Decade adds some herb and a bit less pepper, but still tasty. Eventually, with all three Decades I’ve smoked, the cigar had to be put down, too many relights.

For the Novice
Nicotine-wise this is a bit too strong. It’s a great smoke when it stays lit, but that is the Decade Lancero’s problem. Rocky Patel makes plenty of other cigars (cue laughter), and plenty for the novice, this just isn’t one of them. If you are just starting out and have had your fair share of Rocky’s and now progressing to a bit more experienced of a palate, wondering if there are any Rocky Patel products that can stay in your rotation, this is the line to look to.

In the End
For Rocky Patel fans who need to defend their beloved product against the sea of haters, the Rocky Patel Decade is the cigar you point to when people argue about the quality of product Rocky produces. Unfortunately, the Lancero is not the best vitola in terms of construction, which negatively impacts the flavor, as well as the overall experience of the cigar. Other vitolas have shown consistency and quality over time, enough that it’s worthy to make this a notable try for any smoker. Without a doubt the price tag raises the bar, however, for the most part Rocky Patel's Decade answers the challenge.

Charlie, thanks for a very well written review!