Rocky OSG Torpedo: Mild and Incompetent

I've commented before on the pleasantly strong but disappointingly short-lived RP OSG corona.

Now for the Rocky Patel OSG torpedo, a mammoth-sized, brawny-looking stogie that would seem to be a bargain at the now reduced price of $39.95 per bundle of 18.

It's not. Unlike its little corona sister, the OSG torpedo is mild and undistinguished in flavor - better than a Dominican, maybe, but nowhere near Rocky's usual capacity for complexity and wonder. And, just like it's naughty little sister, the OSG torpedo loses steam at mid point, in this case suffering a complete breakdown in construction. On mine, the burn gradually tunnelled in towards the center and snuffed itself out. After snipping off and re-lighting, all I got was charcoal.

So: Weak flavor + improper construction = Dud cigar.

The entire OSG line was "a dog in the sales department" for a reason. This is simply a sub-paar line of cigars, with undependable construction and uneven blending from size to size. The coronas are a decent smoke for the first 2 inches. But stay away from the torpedos, no matter how tempting they might look in a low-bid auction situation. You will only be saving a buck to spite the smoker, i.e. yourself.

Rocky Patel OSG: On Second Thought...

After my first review of a Rocky Patel "Original Sun Grown" corona a few months ago, I'm returning with an update.

I've had a couple more OSG coronas since then, and have noticed that they maintain their quality for only about 2 inches, i.e. you are only getting a half-smokeable cigar.

However, at today's prices (dropped recently to $39.95 for bundle of 18 at CI; winning bids as low as $28.00 on cigarbid.com) you might decide that half a cigar is worth the price. Looking at it this way, a Rocky Patel OSG corona is a great 20-minute smoke, and now quite affordable. Just remember to toss out the second half, before it turns bitter and charcoaly and ruins your memory of the previous 20 minutes.

Small Serviceable Rocky Patel OSG

Review of Rocky Patel OSG Petite Corona:

"Original" sun grown? As opposed to "standard" sun grown? Ah, the stories these distributors tell. Who knows if any of it is true, or what it means? Bottom line is, the Rocky Patel OSG petite coronas are decent little stogies, especially if the price goes down again. Right now you can get 18 of these for $49.95 at Cigars International. Still a bit on the high side for a cigar blend that is widely acknowledged to be inferior to the standard RP sun growns.

And just how inferior are they? Not bad, actually. Like most other full-bodied Rockies, the OSG has a deep, solid burn that you can leave unattended for several minutes at a time. Which is exactly what I did, stepping out to the porch every 5 or 6 minutes to steal a few puffs in the freezing cold, then running back inside and watching the tube. You can do this with a Rocky and not worry about having to relight.

This particular OSG was pleasingly strong and tart, with a bit of salty citrous flavor on top of the usual Rocky brawn. You won't be "oohing and aahing" the whole time, but you will certainly nod your head appreciatively. One of the better small cigars I've had, big enough to smoke like a "real" cigar with a slow burn that doesn't get hot or bitter.

I look forward to having a few more of these. I'll update this posting if the experience changes over multiple samplings.

---