Let’s talk about the dark: the expectant quiet of midnight, the thick black swirl of espresso, the sheen of fresh-roasted coffee beans, the dark dissolve of chocolate. Heavy against the tips of your fingers is a smooth stick, The Edge, by Rocky Patel. Grey twists of smoke stretch and curl lazily in the air as you surrender to the serenity of the evening. Does life get any better than this?

Luxuriantly oily and smooth as a raven’s beak, the glossy wrapper of The Edge catches your eye almost at once. Both the robust red Cuban-seed Corojo and the dark-cocoa Maduro are full-bodied, hearty smokes. Made with aged Nicaraguan and Honduran Ligero, The Edge's filler is a proprietary blend carefully guarded by Rocky Patel himself. At six inches of solidly-packed tobacco, The Edge has a satisfyingly muscular feel that promises a powerhouse experience and doesn’t disappoint. Above all, Rocky Patel prides himself on consistency -- the assurance of enjoying a high-quality stick every single time since 2004.

The hand-rolled Cuban-seed Corojo begins with the spicy tang of freshly-ground black pepper that gradually mellows into woodsy cedar and French roast, while the smoother, slightly sweeter Maduro with its dark wrapper starts with deep gourmet chocolate before maturing into earth and warm spice. With no lingering bitterness, both flavors of The Edge peak in intensity before smoothing out in the last third to a full, smooth finish. It’s easy to imagine savoring this stick between shots of espresso thick with crema, swirls of smoke intermingling with coffee steam.

Not for the novice smoker, as the package for The Edge is happy to tell you, this stick will leave you weak in the knees and pleasantly adrift. As one reviewer put it, “You won’t want to get up and mow the lawn afterward.” This is true -- plan on a relaxing evening enjoying the nighttime. For $30-35 for a pack of five, the slow-burning Edge makes the experience worth your while. Either the Corojo or the Maduro would make a great gift for a cigar connoisseur who prefers a classic flavor. While this cigar is not for everyone, it’s worth waiting for.

Pros

• Very consistent flavor from stick to stick
• Maduro and Corojo flavor profiles were both very smooth
• Thick, rich smoke
• Glossy, oily wrapper -- felt pleasantly solid in the hand
• Well-packed tobacco

Cons

• Some feel the flavor palate was too conservative
• The draw feels tight for some reviewers

Check Pricing

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JRCigars.com

Famous-Smoke.com

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