The Disciple is a nice companion for a walk in the forest

Rocky Patel Cigars are said to have over 100 lines and sell millions of cigars every year. I am a fan of some of those lines and will often give new ones a try when I can get my hands on them. At the 2021 PCA Convention and International Trade Show, Rocky Patel announced the release of the Rocky Patel Disciple 6 x 52 Toro, and the following year extended the line to include a Half-Corona (3 ½ x 46), a Robusto (5 x 50), a Bala (5 ¾ x 58/50) and a Sixty (6 x 60).

I had the opportunity to smoke the Robusto when it landed on SA shores but, while I enjoyed the smoke, I didn’t go back to it for at least a year. About two months ago, walking through the humidor of Pedro Portia where I get most of my cigars and wanting to try something other than my usual suspects, I picked up the Disciple Robusto which is, on the surface, a beautiful looking cigar, in an impressive box.

It has a foot band in black with the Rocky Patel logo and an embossed trimming in what looks like rose gold covering half the cigar. The main band is also embossed in rose gold on a black background. With most cigars, one can start smoking immediately, only removing the band when you get to halfway. The foot band makes that impossible with the Disciple. Removing it before lighting forces you to engage with the solid construction and the dark, oily Mexican San Andrés wrapper.

Listed as medium- to full-bodied, the Disciple is produced at Rocky Patel’s Tabacalera Villa Cuba (TaviCusa) factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Inside the Mexican wrapper is Nicaraguan binder and long fillers.

According to Rocky Patel’s website: “In all of our years creating world-class cigars, we’ve never produced anything that more rigorously adheres to our high standards and dedication to quality. We call it: The Disciple, and it’s anything but a follower.”

It may seem an exaggeration but there is a richness to both the feel of the cigar in your hand and the smoke that makes it feel believable, the attention to quality. Most of the Rocky Patel cigars I have smoked tend to be extremely spicy as one goes through the thirds.

The Disciple, however, settled quite quickly after a bit of a kick after the first few draws, where black pepper came to the fore. Smoking the Robusto I got strong woody and leather notes when it settled down halfway through the first third. There was also a cocoa and dark chocolate lingering that brought a subtle sweetness to the smoke from beginning to end.

While the pepper and spiciness kicked in again for me in the last third, what I do appreciate about the Disciple, which I did not know I needed, is the consistency of the flavour notes.

While I often shy away from longer and bigger ring gauge vitolas, generally smoking Robusto with the occasional Toro, I decided to give the Disciple Sixty a try. I was pleasantly surprised. I tend to find those bigger vitolas overwhelming and overpowering, particularly when I get into the last third, but the Disciple Sixty was comfortable to smoke right through to the end. I attribute that to the consistency of the rich, earthy, cocoa flavour notes that serve as a base of sorts throughout the smoke, including in the last third where often the intensity of flavours ramp up.Smoking the Disciple Sixty is like a leisurely walk through a forest. You get the blood pumping but are never breathless. And it would be a nice companion for the walk.

The Disciple has gone from an afterthought to at least one or two every month or so. Out of the different vitolas, the one that I would want but haven’t tried is the Toro. Hopefully one day soon.