Rocky Patel Disciple Robusto - Pack of 20

Rocky Patel's most personal release, built to mark his 60th birthday with a San Andrés wrapper that rivals anything in his catalog.

The Rocky Patel Disciple was launched at the 2021 PCA Trade Show with a statement from Rocky himself: "In all of our years creating world-class cigars, we've never produced anything that more rigorously adheres to our high standards and dedication to quality." Released to celebrate his 60th birthday alongside the acclaimed Sixty, the Disciple is the darker and bolder of the two birthday releases, built around a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a full Nicaraguan blend from Condega and Estelí. It earned 91 points at Cigars International and sits comfortably among the finest premium cigars Rocky Patel has ever produced.

The San Andrés wrapper is central to this cigar's identity. Rocky's most celebrated releases, including the Sixty, which was named #2 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado in 2022, share this same Veracruz volcanic-soil wrapper. The Disciple uses it to anchor a medium-to-full body Nicaraguan blend that delivers dark chocolate, espresso, earth, and pepper in a session-worthy 5 x 50 Robusto. Each box of 20 comes dressed in distinctive copper-and-black packaging with a decorative foot band that covers most of the cigar before the main band is revealed underneath. Among the handmade cigars in Rocky Patel's San Andrés portfolio, the Disciple is the one most often described as the most focused expression of what that wrapper can do.

The blend includes:

1. Mexican San Andrés wrapper, dark chocolate brown, rustic and tactile with abundant oils beneath the surface, grown on Veracruz volcanic soil
2. Nicaraguan binder for structure and body
3. Nicaraguan long-filler from Condega and Estelí, well-aged and selected for the Disciple's darker, bolder character

From the first draw, you will notice:

1. Almond paste, coffee, cedar, and cinnamon-baked apple on the open with a backbone of black pepper (Cigar Aficionado)
2. Cocoa powder, dark roast coffee, black and red pepper, and earth exploding in the first third
3. Dark chocolate taking the dominant position in the second third alongside hazelnut, leather, anise, and cedar
4. Molasses sweetness and espresso beans building in the final third alongside hints of black licorice and lemongrass
5. Raisin sweetness on the retrohale with a persistent black pepper note that runs throughout

The construction is excellent. The burn is razor-sharp, the draw is open and generous with heavy smoke output, and the white flaky ash holds cleanly. Strength builds deliberately from medium in the first third to medium-full by the close, with the final third delivering the most intensity of the entire smoke. Each Robusto at 5 x 50 smokes for approximately 45 to 60 minutes.

Compared to other medium-to-full San Andrés wrapper cigars:

1. Veracruz volcanic-soil grown San Andrés leaf contributes a distinctive rustic, oily character and dark chocolate depth not found in most Central American wrappers
2. Condega and Estelí Nicaraguan filler brings a more nuanced complexity than single-region blends
3. The strength build from medium to full across three thirds is deliberate and well-managed, never crossing into harsh territory
4. 91-rated, matching the critical reception of Rocky's most celebrated San Andrés releases

Compared to other Rocky Patel San Andrés releases:

1. Disciple: darker and bolder twin to the Sixty, medium to full body, Robusto format here at 5 x 50
2. Sixty: #2 Cigar of the Year 2022, same San Andrés wrapper, slightly different Nicaraguan blend character
3. Vintage 2006: San Andrés wrapped, fuller and more aged character, longer vitolas
4. Sun Grown Maduro: San Andrés Maduro wrapper, sweeter profile, different from the Disciple's drier earthier character

This product is best suited for:

1. Experienced smokers who want a 91-rated San Andrés puro built for a 45 to 60 minute sit-down session
2. Rocky Patel fans ready to explore the darker and bolder half of the 2021 birthday releases
3. Anyone who enjoys dark chocolate, espresso, and earth-forward Nicaraguan blends wrapped in Mexican volcanic-soil leaf

Key Features

1. Brand: Rocky Patel
2. Line: Disciple
3. Vitola: Robusto
4. Size: 5 inches x 50 ring gauge
5. Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés (dark chocolate brown, oily, rustic, Veracruz volcanic soil)
6. Binder: Nicaraguan
7. Filler: Nicaraguan long-filler, Condega and Estelí
8. Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA), Nicaragua
9. Strength: Medium to full (builds through the smoke)
10. Flavor Profile: Almond paste, dark chocolate, coffee, espresso, cedar, earth, pepper, raisin sweetness, hazelnut, anise, molasses
11. Smoking Time: 45 to 60 minutes
12. Rating: 91 points (Cigars International); 90 points (Cigar Coop)
13. Release: 2021 PCA Trade Show, Rocky Patel's 60th birthday
14. Packaging: Box of 20