Review | Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press

The Tobacconists’ Association of America, Ltd. is a trade organization established in 1968 of which there are 76 retail members according to their website. Today’s cigar, Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press is a Special Edition available only to members of the TAA of which site sponsor, Two Guys Smoke Shop is a member.

Released back in 2012, very few of these cigars remain with 2GuysCigars.com only having a few Toro and Torpedo sticks left, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to review these for posterity.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press Special Edition
Size: 6.5 x 52 (Toro Box-Pressed)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican & Nicaragua
Strength: Mild – Medium

The Look: It’s not often you see a cigar with three bands, but this one has that going on. The primary band of blue and white denotes Rocky Patel, the secondary one utilizing the same color scheme denotes Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press and the last one at the foot with the colors reversed states that this is a Special Edition Box-Pressed. As far as the cigar, it is an exquisite look box pressed with a nearly flawless looking wrapper and cap. There are a nice amount of oils present on the wrapper with no soft spots or voids and a well packed foot.

The Notes: The nose of the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 reminds me a little bit of an egg cream, which is something very New York, especially Brooklyn. It’s basically chocolate milk and seltzer and that’s what I get off the foot of the cigar. The cold draw of the cigar reminds me of Grand Marnier, which is an orange flavored cognac that was created in 1880.

Once the cigar is lit to me it is obvious how different the box press makes the Cameroon edition of the Rocky Patel Vintage Series. There is some citrus notes that slowly fade as we work into the first third of the Box Pressed Edition. Once we are totally into the first third of the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon a note reminiscent of Crème brûlée is easily identifiable.

In the second third of the cigar the notes of vanilla, cinnamon, grand mariner continue but the one thing that really stands out around the halfway point is the aroma of the cigar which matches the Creme Brûlée notes of the first third of the cigar. As the second third comes to a close the focal point is oranges, specifically Grand Marnier.

The last third of the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press the cigar changes slightly, as the Gran Marnier notes have fade away, what is left is a classic Cameroon and a cigar that is much close to its non box press relative. There are notes of coffee, and cedar with a caramel like sweetness on the finish.

The Burn: The Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Box Press has a nice draw to it, with a slight resistance. The ash holds strong, although it is very flaky it remained on the stick for a 1/4 at a time. The burn line is true with a thin carbon line. This was a well constructed box press.

The Finish: Of all the Rocky Patel Vintage smokes the Cameroon is my favorite in aesthetics as I like the color combination of blue and white, but also because I enjoy the rich taste that this one delivers. The notes of Grand Marnier are very different for a cigar and it worked for me. The Cameroon Box Press offers a completely different experience then the traditional sizes of the cigar.

Price: $9.79
Score: 90