Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the rectangle pressed Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto is dark brown and has well pressed veins and some fine tooth. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, both in a gold, brown and white color combination. The primary band denotes the company and line, while the sleeve that runs from the foot, up to about a half inch shy of the primary band, denotes the company. The aroma from the wrapper is a spicy mix of cocoa and earth, while the foot brings a mix of cedar and dusty earth. The pre-light draw brings an airy and dusty cocoa along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto is a good-looking cigar. Nicely pressed, the bands really play off the wrapper. Rocky has always had this style packaging, so it has that classic vibe while being more expensive. The gold looks good against the Colorado-Maduro wrapper, and it has a dark chocolate coloring wrapper. Oily with medium sized veins throughout, the cigar is firm in hand. Rich aromas of chocolate, coffee, tobacco, earth and spices.
John: The Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information, along with an integrated tear tab to remain intact when opened. There is a primary Rocky Patel Gold Label band along with a gold sleeve attached to a Rocky Patel foot band. For artisanal complications, the cigar is box pressed. I weighed the cigar at 14.3 grams and measured the humidity at 56.8% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the cigar included rich tobacco and earth. Out of the foot, I could get sweet raisin and tobacco.
Jiunn: The Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto has a Colorado Maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even on the soft press and the head is decently wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of slight campfire, cedar and game/meat.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth and baking spice. At a quarter inch in, some cocoa powder joins in and the baking spice transitions to black pepper. The retrohale is an even mix of the toasted cedar, earth, cocoa powder and black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the cocoa powder right behind and the black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with dark earth and oak notes. Bits of tobacco and mineral spices are present as well. There are some leather and dark chocolate notes as well, and the finish has that pepper and mineral quality. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third gets going with toasted tobacco followed by medium-full spices and pepper that finish and linger on the post draw. After the cigar settles in, the intense spices settle down to medium minus. As the first third continues, espresso and chocolate make up the center of the retrohale. The chocolate moves to the front of the profile with medium spices following in the center. By the halfway point, creamy chocolate is driving the profile with spices and earth to follow and finish.
Jiunn: The first third gives a spicy and chocolatey vibe. Dried red pepper spice and chocolate fudge gives not only a nice flavor combination but also a good fullness in mouthfeel. Retrohaling is pleasant because the spice is accentuated. The finish is short with tapered cedar. Strength is medium and body is still overall medium.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the cocoa powder mellows a fair amount. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. At a half inch in, the black pepper and cocoa powder are now both in the background. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper picks up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper in the back half of the profile and some light cocoa powder in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. Strong mineral and pepper notes with tobacco and oak. Dark chocolate and coffee present as well on the finish. Still medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: Creamy tobacco is the initial flavor with chocolate in the middle and medium minus strength spices mixing with earth on the finish and into the post draw. As the cigar continues to the halfway point, espresso and earth take up the front of the profile as medium to medium-full spices define the center of the profile.
Jiunn: The second third decreases the scope of flavors such that it’s primarily cedar and dried red pepper spice. The flavors are balanced but lack character and depth. Strength and body remain medium.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the cocoa powder has departed. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level increases a bit. The retrohale is now just toasted cedar and earth. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper in the back half of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third delivers a mineral, pepper spice, leather and tobacco profile. Sharp mineral notes on the finish. The final third shows a downfall from the second. It continues to smoke at that medium-full level which it has from the start.
John: The last third greets me with creamy earth that evolves to toasted earth into the post draw. That profile remains stable to the halfway point as the earth on the post draw moves up to medium, almost medium-full, to completely take over.
Jiunn: The last third continues to be mediocre, providing the same mixture of cedar and dried red pepper spice. At this point it just kind of feels like smoking it just to smoke it. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was wavy throughout, and required a touch-up in the first third to keeps things in line. The cigar went out once in the second third, requiring a re-light.
Seth: The burn was great from beginning to end.
John: The burn was uneven as it progressed in the first third. That burn continued to be uneven in the second third, eventually requiring a touch-up. The burn was wavy for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: Perfect burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was spot on from start to finish.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw score.
Jiunn: Perfect draw as well, striking the ideal balance between resistance and air flow.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth and baking spice. Some cocoa powder joined in fairly quickly and the baking spice transitioned to black pepper. The second third saw the cocoa and black pepper move to the background. The pepper later picked up a bit. The final third saw the cocoa powder depart. The Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. As the cocoa and pepper mellowed to start the second third, the profile dropped a level and remained that way through the rest of the cigar. I was really hoping the cocoa powder and pepper could have maintained their supporting roles, as it was a nice combination that I enjoyed. The price point is somewhat attractive and I’d be open to coming back to see if those components I enjoyed can have a longer influence.
Seth: Coop always goes on about the right vitola, and that message rings true with this cigar. I have smoked Gold Label Robustos and Gold Label Toros, and the Toros have always been superior. Gold Label is a cigar with dark and rich flavors, but the Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto delivers a stronger pepper and mineral profile that takes away from some of the complexities in the blend. The wrapper seems to be involved with the Robustos as well which hurts the cigar. Fun blend but go with the Toro.
John: The Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto had promising flavor combinations in the first third that kept me quite engaged. The profile was still interesting in the second third but not at the same level of complexity, becoming more average as it moved into the last third. The draw was perfect while the burn required a touch-up in the second third. I would say the price point on the Gold Label Robusto is fairly reasonable for the 2024 market, and I would smoke this cigar again but I don’t think I would actively seek it out. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 9 minutes.
Jiunn: There’s only a finite number of ways I can say how a cigar started out good but shat the bed overall. While the Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto shows a lot of pizzazz in it’s luxurious gold colored thick bands, the substance inside is uneventful and not something that kept my engagement past the first third. Pass on this one.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$2.07

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$2.29

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$2.00

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.97

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto