Rocky Patel Hamlet Tabaquero

Rocky Patel Hamlet Tabaquero

• Strength: 3 / 5
• Size: 6 x 52
• Origin: Nicaragua
• Price (local): $12.80
• Wrapper: San Andres
• Flavor Text:

Cuban-esque at its core.

Hamlet Paredes was one of Cuba’s most sought after cigar rollers, often traveling internationally to do in-store rolling demonstrations. Rocky Patel aided Hamlet and his family in escaping Cuba and coming to the US, and now Hamlet is releasing his first cigar for Rocky, Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes.

Hamlet had never touched non-Cuban tobacco before working for Rocky at his Burn Lounge in Naples, Florida, and was very excited about the potential for extracting flavor and richness from these new leaves. Tabaquero comes draped in a San Andres wrapper concealing binders from Brazil and Mexico, and Nicaraguan long-filler. Medium-bodied, and containing Cuban-esque richness, flavors abound including spice, cocoa, coffee, pepper, earth, and subtle cream.

Hamlet Paredes has received an impressive 90-rating noting: "Near black and gleaming with oils, this cigar delivers rich, leathery intonations coupled with spice, herbs and a touch of licorice." 

I reviewed the Hamlet 2020 several weeks ago, and it was an amazing experience overall. It was a little stronger than the standard Hamlet Tabaquero featured here, and it was bursting with flavorful notes and a pleasant, yet strong, aroma. I really enjoyed the 2020 version of the release, and the cherry on top was that I got it much earlier than most retailers normally would. The sneak preview of the 2020 Hamlet will always stick out in my memory as a cigar I really liked and one that is certainly memorable.

The Hamlet Tabaquero, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired. It's not as strong, which is alright, but the flavor was just very bland and not very well represented. It was a pretty plain smoke, and for a medium body, it didn't really present anything to me except just smoke. Not bad if you're looking for a cigar with a slow burn and a nice, even ash, but at the same time, the experience with this one wasn't there. I tried a second one, and it was more of the same. The draw on these cigars is not consistent, and it's one of the only cigars I've had recently that just didn't give me the amount of smoke I was longing for. My experience with the Hamlet Tabaquero, every time, has been poor. I wouldn't recommend it, but I know a ton of people who like it. Not me. Not an endorsement from me by any stretch. Grab the Hamlet 2020 instead; it's a bit more pricy, but extremely delicious and a smoke worth adding to your humidor with haste.

Happy smoking! CB