When is older better? Usually, when a cigar comes from Rocky Patel’s Vintage Collection — in particular, his Vintage 1990 Broadleaf. The 1990 Broadleaf’s rare and highly regarded wrapper is carefully cultivated in Honduras’ Talanga Valley. It’s then softened in strength by aging for 12 years and utilized at Rocky’s Danlí, Honduras factory to envelop specially blended, seven-year-aged Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers bound with Nicaraguan leaf. The result is a milder, medium-bodied cigar with a subtle nutty, caramel essence.
With an ultra-smooth draw and silky gray smoke, the 1990 Broadleaf exhibits a rich, earthy flavor profile that remains consistent to the end. Memorable notes of black pepper and cocoa assert themselves along with a taste of raw tobacco with a grassy undertone; the satisfying finish smacks of bold mocha.
These distinguished cigars — once claimed to be “for connoisseurs only” — are now more affordable, yet they remain as complex, balanced and elegant as ever.
The Robusto vitola of the 1990 Broadleaf was ranked 22 and rated 90 in the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 for 2004, making it the highest-ranked Rocky Patel up until that year. Two years later, the Torpedo vitola of the 1990 Broadleaf was ranked 16 with a rating of 91 in the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 for 2006. Rocky’s Vintage lines are some of his most highly regarded smokes, and the 1990 Broadleaf is a perfect example of this.