REVIEW--Rocky Patel Fusion MM

The best thing about smoking cigars is smoking them with a pal. Every week or so my buddy Nathan and I sit out on his porch and turn a stick and shoot the bull. We started this routine about two years ago when we were both out of work (I was laid off twice in these last three years--not fun) and needed a break from job hunting; he's still looking while I finally landed somewhere. The conversation is good and the cigars are great. He always always something new for me to try, and today it was the ROCKY PATEL FUSION MM.

I'm not a huge Rocky fan only because of the price. His stuff is way too expensive and I smoke way too many cigars to pay those prices. But I have to admit that sometimes the difference between a $2 and a $10 is more than eight bucks, and this is one of those cases.

The wrapper was tight with a few veins and a good pre-draw. I guess this was his Toro size, a 6.5x52. I'm a stickler for the 6x50--for me, that's the perfect size, though I like lonsdales and robustos too. But this was not a jaw breaker and seemed promising.

The first inch or so offered a very heavy flavor with a spicy kick. I liked it. The reason I don't smoke many Dominican brands is that I cannot for the life of me find a blend that matches the heavier Nicaraguan or Honduran blends (if you know of one I'd appreciate a tip). Toward the middle the spice went away and it was heavy but smooth. I mean really smooth. Makers Mark smooth. So smooth that when it got to the end I didn't want to have to put it out.

When I returned home I had to look up the prices of the Fusion MM but I cannot find anybody who carries it. However, I did discover Rocky Patel Seconds, which are still steep but more affordable, and you can get that I will partake in some of those very soon.

What's In Your Humidor?

I currently have four humidors full of stogies, a far cry from the days just a few short years ago when a "good cigar" to me was what came out of a pack of Dutch Masters (I liked their Panatellas and Cameroon Elites). Nowadays I smoke handmade stogies and thoroughly enjoy them, so much so that I wanted to do my own blog about what I smoke and what I think of it. The title, A Smoke and a Coke, comes from my preferred beverage when lighting up--Coca-Cola. I know it's a bit questionable, but I enjoy the combination.

I thought I would start my cigar blog by going over what I'm currently smoking. Of course, feel free to discuss your own current stash in the comments.

RED DOT--I bought these at JR Cigar. JR says they made these to recreate the old Royal Jamaican cigars; what the heck do I know, I've never smoked one of those, and Red Dot could be a dead ringer or so far from the ballpark it isn't even funny for all I know. What I do know, however, is that these are good cigars. You get Nicaraguan long filler mixed with Jamaican short filler, and with the mild flavor you get a sweet kick that takes you by surprise every time. I like 'em. I tried a 5-pack sample first, in the natural wrapper, and thought the maduro version would be really righteous, but the maduro is too strong and overpowers the sweetness of the Jamaican filler. Stick with the Natural if you want to try these.

PALMA REAL--I got these through Thompson. Dominican long-filler. At first I didn't like them. They had a toasty flavor but it was too powerful. I thought they would be my giveaway smokes but I let them sit for a month or two and tried another and holy cow, now you can't pry those out of my hands. Rich, yes, and still toasty, but they really mellowed out and have a great draw and terrific burn.

CUBITA NICARAGUAN--Another JR purchase, my most recent, in fact, a bundle of which I won in one of their auctions. The first Cubita I smoked was a disappointment, bland and tasteless. It has a mix of Dominican long-filler along with Nicaraguan long-filler and I thought that would be a great combination but I was not impressed. But after one week in the humi I tried another and as Howard Cosell used to say, HOLY COW! What a difference a week makes! Rich and spicy (think medium tobacco mixed with hot peppers), I didn't want it to end. The good thing is, I have 18 more of them waiting for me!

V.S.O.P. PREMIUM DOMINICAN--Another Thompson buy. The maduro is the best option, full of flavor and lots of smoke. It almost makes too much smoke--it's thick and rich but it's too much. You choke on it. But I like 'em. What I like even more is that Thompson now offers a Nicaraguan blend with a couple of wrapper options and I like Nicaraguan better than Dominican so you can bet I'll get those next.

FLOR DE OLIVA--These are terrific Nicaraguan long-filler smokes that I found by accident--and what an accident it was. I found them at my local shop. Go with the Corojo. Medium-bodied, good draw, good burn, nothing fancy. Just a good smoke.

HAVANA BLEND--Ahem. These are made by the Finck company in Texas and I try not to let the name of the company influence what I think about their products (haw haw) but they say these smokes are blended with 1959 Cuban tobacco. Who cares if it's true--these are great smokes. Very sweet and mild but similar to the Red Dot in flavor, and I like the Red Dot better so if I had to choose, Red Dot wins. But Havana Blend is worth a try and I like 'em a lot.

MISTER B--Here's another low-cost option from JR Cigar, a mixed-filler handmade. It's good. I like it. The candela wrapper gives you a mild, crisp taste; trade up to the maduro and let it sit in the humi for a week or two and you get something mild yet with a solid kick--or, dare I say it, a "punch". They're cheap, too, about $22 for a bundle of 20, and at first they'd be a knock-around smoke but I really enjoy them.

Those are what I have in the humi right now. What are some of your favorite smokes?