Why does Rockey Patel have a bad rap?

I haven't heard too much about a bad rap. Our customers here at the shop seem to recognize the name and think of them as good cigars. I am not a huge fan of the vintage 90's or 92's, but I LOVE the vintage 99 CT and the Sungrowns. The Decade is pretty good as well. I do agree that they may be suffering a little from C.A.O. Syndrome by coming out with too much too soon and not developing what they already have...but overall I thing they are doing alright.
 
I like most of Patel's cigars. The two I didn't like are the R4 and sun grown. I like all of the vintage series, both fusions, sig series, decade, and the edge and edge light.
 
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Love him or hate him, Rocky is one of the top dogs in the cigar business.

He has been one of the industries biggest leaders in fighting the tobacco tax increase ( the S-Chip).

Check out his youtube videos

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ayi8zWrBwug

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kT8au5WUb74

I agree he has way too many cigar lines out. I loved the vintage 90/92 line when they came out, as well as the edges, but those have gone way down in quality as of late. Right now his hot cigars are the Decade and the Summer Collection. The edge Sumatra if you can find it is a great smoke as well as the Olde World reserve Corojo.
 
Hmmm I didnT know he got a bad rap. I know a lot of folks that like one or two of his smokes. I like the 92's for instance
 
gnukfu said:
Hmmm I didnT know he got a bad rap. I know a lot of folks that like one or two of his smokes. I like the 92's for instance
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I'm with ya. I didnt know there was this much dislike for him. Anyway you say it this hobby is all about tastes and no one can take that away from you! Vintage 90/92 nothing to wow at but consistantly smooth, you know what your getting. Double Maddy fits right up there with the Vintage with a touch more flavor. Sungrowns.. I love, unique fresh citrusy summer day flavor, Edges and OWR are becoming more of a fav. Thats my :2 and I'm a stickin to it!
 
SCHIP (or its new rendition) may be _the_ big cigar story in 2009. We will need all the allies we can get. I agree he has hurt his "name" with the lesser "knock-offs" and cheapies.

Made in Dade said:
Love him or hate him, Rocky is one of the top dogs in the cigar business.

He has been one of the industries biggest leaders in fighting the tobacco tax increase ( the S-Chip).

Check out his youtube videos

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ayi8zWrBwug

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kT8au5WUb74
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I have a few Vintages in my cooler that I havent touched in two years. Im not sure if I like them or not. The CA rating came out for the Decade, although a 95 is a bit high, I tried it and loved the cigar so much I bought a box. Who gives a damn about the rep. I enjoy what I enjoy. I dont care whether he was a lawyer, the tobacco isnt quite "vintage", or he has oompa loompas roll them. I love what I have tasted and will smoke what I enjoy. :ss

OompaLoompa-192x195.png
 
I think RP just dropped too many new cigars into the market and a few ended up tasting entirely the same. The R4 was a flop for the most part for me. Sungrowns and the vintage series were a staple in my humidor forever.
 
JohnnyKay5 said:
I'm with ya. I didnt know there was this much dislike for him. Anyway you say it this hobby is all about tastes and no one can take that away from you! Vintage 90/92 nothing to wow at but consistantly smooth, you know what your getting. Double Maddy fits right up there with the Vintage with a touch more flavor. Sungrowns.. I love, unique fresh citrusy summer day flavor, Edges and OWR are becoming more of a fav. Thats my :2 and I'm a stickin to it!
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I don't think there is nearly the level of dislike that say Gurhka has (I believe no one other than Cremosa gets clowned more). But people who don't like RP brands tend to really not like them and be vocal in their dislike where as Gurhka is "universally" abhorred.


I still think if you went to the average herf and handed out Vintage 1992s most there would consider you to be the man.
 
Addiction said:
I don't think Rocky has it as bad as Gurhka or CAO, but I believe he has two issues. The first being so much product, that many marcas and your bound to bring a dog or two to market. The second being that there are probably a lot of people like myself who used to LOVE Rockys and upgraded their tastes so they hate on him a little bit.

I don't hate RPs, and to my recollection the only one I didnt like was the Vintage 1999. The others I though were quite good a year ago. Heck if I go in a B&M chances are 10-1 the stick I'll buy there is a RP even tho I'd prolly smoke what I brought with me.
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I agree with 100% of what you just wrote, and could not state it any better!

RG4U!
 
Addiction said:
...where as Gurhka is "universally" abhorred.

I still think if you went to the average herf and handed out Vintage 1992s most there would consider you to be the man.
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I think we tend to get a bit jaded since we (most users here) represent the "obsessed".
Some of us here will try more varieties of cigars in 1 year than some do in their whole life time.
I travel circles of the occasional smoker and by far if given the choice from a handful of quality cigars they will almost always grab a Rocky or a Gurkha and spend the rest of the night praising "The Man".

Chas
 
I'm an RP fan. No bad rap here. He has some less than stellar brands that are there only to make a buck or two (IMHO). But his top stuff is excellent. Vintage 90 and 92, Edge (Sumatra, Corojo, Maduro, Lite), SunGrown, and OWR are all GREAT cigars. Vigilante, Deisel, Indian Tabac (which isn't bad btw), Reo, and other brands are out there b/c Rocky wants to make a $, and I can't blame him for it. But he doesn't advertise these brands as top quality like he does w/ the good sticks.

If you don't like that, go smoke something else, like a Gurkha:D (j/k).

Seriously, smoke what you like. If you don't like RP, send all his sticks to me.
 
jovenhut said:
Rocky's problem is he puts out to much stuff (Like Gurkha & CAO) Rocky pissed alot of people off eraly in his career as one he was a Lawyer who got in the tobacco business and is not of Cuban descent. He came out early and copied Padron form the looks of his Cigars to the advertising sign thatn looks like a Cigar. Some B&M's still call them a Padron knockoff but they also call LFD a Fuente knockoff.

Rocky also got into some arguments about the TRUTH to his Vintage 90/92's and if there really is 18 year old tobacco in there. (Lew started a huge smear campaign with his La Baloney Brand)
He did buy all of General Cigars wrappers for the Astral Brand back in hte late 90's (Which had to be alot if General was going to make it one of there main brands) I think the Vintage 90/92's started that way with real Vintage tobbaco but I don't think its still the same to day. I don't care I still like the Brand with 5 year old leaves

I love all of Rocky's stuff even the exclusive brands he makes for online shops.
It all comes down to taste and Quality and you if like it or not.

His latest brand The Fusion Double Maduro is a great example. The cigar was one dimesional and smoked the same all the way down. That can be a bad thing but in my case its Great! I want to taste a smooth, chocolatly Real Maduro with lots of smoke and thats what I get. The Cuban Blend is another case of single flavor but it hits on a different level. The Old World Reserve and the Vintage 90/92 are still one of my favorites and will always be.

Now that he is making Lancero's in all of these brands and the new Seasons "Summer Blend" has me looking to buy more RP's

The Fusion, Decade & Sungrown are good cigars and I would never turn them down but I am not looking forward to smoking them either.

I am Rocky Man and always will be. If your a Maduro person Rocky Patel is your Guy!
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Really good b/g on RP's. :tu
 
I think it's because he looks like the guy who played the oompa loompas in the Johnny Depp version of Willy Wonka. See attachments for proof. :D :r

Seriously, though, I do like his cigars. Especially the 1990 and 1992.
 
I personally enjoy the RP Sun Growns. They are a solid full smoke, never had a bad one. The Edge Maduro was good as well, but the Vintage 90 & 92 stuff I could deal without.

I think his bad rep has to do with the volume stuff he is putting out. A lot of hit or misses there. I've had several of his Famous and CI offshoots and can say that I wasn't impressed with any of them and really disliked some of them, the rosado from Famous in particular.

A previous poster said there seems to be a correlation between how many different blends or sticks you put out and negative reputation. I have to agree. Look at Gurkha, and even Don Pepin as well, a lot of people say all of his lines are beginning to taste the same (I assure you, they don't).

Also, not trying to insult anyone here who likes RP's (myself included), but they seem to be perceived by the more involved community as a beginner or "noob" smoke as well.

:2
 
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