I'm smoking Rocky Patel TAA Signature Series not a bad smoke reminds me of a OWR. I give all his cigars a shot but haven't found many that I'd buy a box of.
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I've never understood the dislike of any company for making different varieties. RP and Gurkha get the worst wrap on the boards for having too many varieties. As soon as a brand starts to branch out it's not long before the comparisons to the above 2 start and its all "downhill from there" in the eyes of some. Is it not possible for a company to make many kinds of their product to try and reach the largest group of customers? I buy potato chips from a company that makes about 20 different varieties. Since they make barbecue should I not buy the regular chips from them and just find a company that makes plain chips?

For me most of the enjoyment of this hobby is trying new cigars and revisiting old friends to see if they taste the same.

As for the RP brand, many I like some I don't but honestly never had one I threw out.

Chas
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My fav from the RP line was the Olde World Reserve maduro torpedo. Started not to like the RP line when I was smoking a Decade and had my lips turn black from the dye in the wrapper. Wasn't happy at all about that!
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I got one of these the other day. Glad to hear they are reminding you of the OWR I like those.
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:-) Couldn't have said it any better myself. Out of the RPs i have had, a couple i really like and one or two i didn't care for. I keep track and move on, just because i had one RP i didn't like doesn't mean i woln't smoke them later on.
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Only Rocky Patel I have ever liked was an Olde World Reserve.

That being said, I would consider Rocky a "friend". He loves cigars, loves cigar smokers, and makes cigars that many of my friends enjoy.
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I like a few of Rocky's smokes, I just think he pumps out to many blends that are sub par. I wouldn't say I consider him a foe, because he is a fellow cigar enthusiast and that goes a long way.
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The only cigar of his I smoke with any regularity is the Edge Maduro Missile. That said, the Edge is a nice smoke for what it is, and, as said previously, extremely well put together.

Regardless of those who are critics of the volume or quality of the blends he produces, Rocky's zest for the industry and his amazing work ethic certainly make him a "friend."
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I give him a thumbs up!

Decade, Edge Corojo, Olde World Reserve, and the 1990 Vintage. The other 50, not so much.
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I think a lot of people are pushing for a "Do one thing and do it well" rather than "try to do everything and hit or miss."

It'd be nice if you could pick up any RP/Gurkha blindly and in the first few puffs go, "Yup, that definitely has that Gurkha/RP flavor." Unfortunately they've stretched their blend catalogue so far to reach every single possible consumer that it's nearly impossible to associate the cigar to the blender beyond the band.

Don't get me wrong, I have liked the few RPs I've tried. I also keep a box of Cuban Blend maduros in my stash.
I just think the hobby is possibly getting a bit worn thin by these overzealous blenders/companies.
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I enjoy smoking alot of Rocky's cigars. The Decade , Edge and Renaissance are my favorites.
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I am fan of RP and his cee-gars.

:-) :-) :-)

Chris.....
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I enjoy his Decade and OWR. But I love the Sun Growns...
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Never really got into his stuff. The few I tried weren't to my tastes.:-)
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I think that I have a bias against anything RP because for years I had smoked a lot of really bad Indian Tabac cigars. Nice boxes and hype couldn't help these cigars, they were just lousy.
It seemed, IMHO, that Rocky finally decided to blend a better cigar and put his name on it because he finally made something he could be proud of. That's OK, good for him and his business. I guess when I see RP's at the store I can remember that IT bad taste and I just pass up the RP's.
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Patels are some of my favorites. Namely, the Edge series and the Sun Grown. Not to mention, RP seems to be a good promoter of his product. A top quality web site and he's active in cigar smoker's rights activities.

People like that I'm proud to support.
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I agree with you completely, Paul!:-)
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I'm a fan, if not for the fact that he pushes so hard to keep taxation at a minimum, and fights hard for our passion as cigar smokers. On to his smokes, I love the OWR maduro, Sungrown, and ITSF as a great value smoke. All of these blends are available at rock bottom pricing as 2nds that look/smoke/taste just like 1sts IMO, and for that my wallet likes him too.
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I think RP is good for the industry in general. I really enjoy his Sun Growns and Vintage 90's. I'm big on getting the best bang for my buck, so the 2nd and x-out versions of these are right up my alley :-) I think it's great to offer these as an option for people who don't necessarily need a fancy box or band.
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I hear what you're saying, but for me the hobby is about variety. Finding new sticks, testing things out, discovering new flavors--that's the biggest reason why I smoke cigars. There are more blends out there than I'll ever get around to smoking, but I'm more inclined to try something new from a brand where I have already enjoyed a few different lines: RP, DPG, and Oliva fall into that category.

On the other hand, I can appreciate a company that just produces a few lines but does that very, very well: Padron comes to mind, as well as some of the new boutique players who don't have a ton of lines on the market, like illusione & Esencia.

I guess I just like experimenting. It's the same with me & beer. Over the years I have bought (or brewed) a huge variety of beer, but I also usually keep a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada or Victory on hand for when I want just that.

If someone like Rocky helps enhance my enjoyment of the hobby by producing good quality, enjoyable cigars, then I consider him a friend. :-)
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