The Cameroon is offered as a Robusto (5.5 x 50 – $7.55); Toro (6.5 x 52 – ); Torpedo (6.25 x 52- ); Churchill (7 x 48 – $8.55) and a Sixty (6 x 60- $8.55). According to Atlantic Cigar who is an advertiser on this site,

The Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 blend has been in the works for many years now. Rocky has always wanted to use a Cameroon wrapper on one of his cigars lines… so here it is. For nearly the last decade Rocky Patel has been carefully selecting and amassing only the finest grade ‘A’ Cameroon wrapper leaf in hopes of one day launching a Cameroon wrapper cigar. The result is a sweet and spicy medium bodied cigar that’s well balanced and delivers a refined clean flavor and smoothness. The blend is comprised of a Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers finished in the finest Cameroon wrapper that Rocky could get his hands on.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon
Size: 5.5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon

Appearance and Construction: The Cameroon wrapper of the Vintage 2003 is glistening with essential oils. Upon close examination there are some imperfections in the wrapper with some color discrepancies especially near the cap of the cigar that I would compare to the bruising of some fruit. The cigar is rolled to perfection and in the hand it feels a very smooth like enamel. There is a hefty weight to cigar and examination of the foot shows a nice variation tobacco in the filler. The dual band is a gorgeous royal blue with white text. The first denotes Rocky Patel while the second denotes Vintage 2003 Cameroon.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar has a nose of wheat and cookies baking at Christmas time. The cold draw is sweet, but it reminds of holiday cookies as well. I love when I get a cigar that triggers such a vivid image such as this. I used my Xikar soft flame lighter to spark the Vintage 2003 Cameroon up and was treated to notes of caramel sweetness which makes sense since Christmas cookies use caramel coloring. As we worked into the first third of the cigar some notes of wood began to develop, but the aroma is what really held my attention. Not to be a dead horse, but it reminded of the kitchen when my friends mom was baking, your guessed it, Christmas cookies. In the second third of the cigar the caramel was the primary note, however in the background there was some coffee and leather added to the mix. The last third of the cigar there is an aroma that is nutty that compliments the cigar which has developed a nice vanilla bean note. The finish was a little short with a nice sweetness about it.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: What a great ash on the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon, it held on for half the stick at a time, which was pretty damn impressive. The burn was iconic, and the draw was perfect. Just a really well constructed cigar, one of the best I ever had the joy of smoking. As stated in the last section the aroma of the cigar was even more delicious than the smoke itself. It complimented things so well and really filled the room.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - Second 3rd

Conclusion: I was really impressed with the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon to the point where I might call it the best Cameroon I ever smoked. There was a nice subtle complexity to it and the cigar performed well. The price is right, and it has sparked a renewed interest to me in the brand.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - Last 3rd

Rating: 94
Price: $134.95 / Box of 20 or $6.80 a stick at Atlantic Cigar

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Reyes Family Vintage

I was hit with another cold this week and it destroyed my taste buds. It is now at the point where acigarsmoker.com is looking for another reviewer to join our team. If you have an interest in this un-paid position reach out to us via the contact page. The Reyes Family Vintage comes courtesy of Reyes themselves. They sent me a few cigars for review, and this is the first of others over the next few weeks. This cigar used to be known as the Puros Indios Viejo.

Cigar: Reyes Family Vintage
Size: 6 x 53 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Aged 8 Years
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (16/20): One thing I learned from the Reyes Family is looks can be deceiving and we shall see if this holds true with this smoke. The wrapper has some significacnt veins in it, and there is a wrapper tear near the cap of the cigar. It’s more a hole, then a tear but due to the roll of the cigar it does not go through to the binder. There is some tooth as well and some oils visible on this cigar. Despite the wrapper issues the cigar is well rolled, and has a well placed cap. The band has the tribal looking Reyes logo with some green and the word Vintage.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): The prelight draw offers some wood and earth. Upon light of the cigar there are some mocha/coffee notes that quickly fade and give way to earthy notes. The second third offers continued earth notes but some wood is mixed in as well. As we reach the final third there are some faint coffee notes with wood on the finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): The burn line on the cigar is jagged and uneven which has been an issue for me since Reyes was known as Puros Indios. The ash is strong. It has minimal flake and holds on forever. The draw would make Goldilocks proud as it is just right.

Overall (22/25):A cigar like this teaches you aesthetics are not everything. The Reyes Family classic while not pretty to look at offers a nice flavor profile and is a nice everyday smoke.

Rating: 88
Price: $Unkown

Rocky Patel Vintage 1992

It’s hard to believe that 10 months into acigarsmoker.com that I have yet to review the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992. One of my first go to smokes, I lost my way and started smoking new stuff every time I lit up. Today I decided to take a trip down memory lane. While I prefer the 1990 I found this stick in the back of my humidor and I decided to share the experience on the Internet.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Vintage 1992
Size: 5.5 x 50 (Robusto)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Aged 10 Years
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican & Nicaragua Aged 8 Years

Appearance & Construction (18/20): This slightly box pressed cigar has some thin veins adorning the wrapper, and virtually has no seems. The foot of the cigar reveals a well packed stick that has a good weight to it. The simple double band sports colors of red and maroon that fit this classic Rocky Patel stick. The only flaw was the slightly week cap, that has a tendency to unravel a bit from time to time, stick to stick.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The prelight draw on this stick reveals a sweet black cherry note that reminds me of a Dr. Browns soda. It is a note I always get from these sticks, yet I have not found a reviewer to make reference to it. Once the cigar is lit, there is a totally different experience. Right off the bat you are hit with notes of earth, which is normally a note I am not a fan of. However, on the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 the earth has a richness to it which makes it enjoyable. As we reach the transition point to the 2nd third of the smoke notes of coffee and nuts. The final third of the cigar has some really nice coffee notes making this the perfect cigar to enjoy after dinner.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The draw of this smoke from prelight, to toasting, to nub is perfect all the way through. The ash was a little flaky and it could of held a little better but the ash was a very light shade of gray almost bordering on white. The burn was very straight which is always a nice thing.

Overall (23/25): Even though I prefer the Vintage 1990 the 1992 remains one of my favorite Rocky Patel cigars. A great flavor profile, and a nice draw made this cigar a perfect way to end the day.

Rating: 91
Price: $122 a box at TS Cigars

Camacho Liberty 2007

Keeping up with the better late than never theme this week I decided to reach deep into my humidor and pull out the Camacho Liberty 2007 release. I enjoyed the Camacho Liberty 2008 release, although I thought it needed some age. So with 18 months on this beauty I decided to break open a coffin and smoke it.

Cigar: Camacho Liberty 2007
Origin: Honduras
Size: Figurado
Wrapper: Corojo/Broadleaf Barber Pole
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Hunduras & Pre Embago Tobacco

Camacho Liberty 2007

Appearance & Construction (16/20): A fun cigar to look at the Barber Pole is not always a friendly smoke. The different types of tobacco usually burn at different rates making them annoying to smoke. This version of the Liberty is darker than the 2008 version. It features a fair amount of veins on the wrapper, and surprisingly a few at the foot. The cigar has two bands on it both blue gold and white. This cigar is pleasing to the eye, but the construction (veins at the foot) is disappointing,

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The pre-light draw features some very sweet notes with a touch of cocoa. Upon lighting the cigar, it reveals notes of chocolate and a sweetness with a touch of cinnamon. As we move to the second third, the primary note is a sweet spice, that is joined by some leather and chocolate notes in the background. The final third of the cigar the sweetness was pretty much erased from existance, while the primary note was leather, there was some chocolate hiding out in the background.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): For a barber pole the burn line was remarkably straight. The ash was tight white, and held on for inches at a time. The draw could of been a little better, as at times I felt like there wasn’t enough smoke being produced and it kind of killed the smoking experience for me. With a better draw, I would of enjoyed the smoke much more.

Overall (22/25): The Camacho Liberty continues to be the only line of Camacho that I truly enjoy. The overall experience would of been more enjoyable if not for the draw issues, but I am still happy I made the decision to smoke this cigar on a lazy Sunday afternoon. If you can still pick up the 2008 version I would still highly recommend it and if you come across a 2007 despite the 87 rating I would give it a shot.

Rating: 87
Price: 15.00