Rock Hill Farms and Rocky Patel

[TBoner]

Rock Hill Farms – late 90s edition (gold chain, etc.)

Appearance: Orange-copper with rich golden caramel hues. Unbelievable legs – the best I’ve ever seen.

Nose: Corn husk and vanilla at first. Disappointing. Then: Demerara sugar, cotton candy, marzipan, leather, and candy corn in a single brilliant second wave. Wow. This is only my second pour of RHF, and the first was at the end of a very long night. I don’t remember the nose at all, but this is outstanding. The hint of leather keeps the scent from becoming cloying.

Flavor: Toothache sweet butterscotch and honey on the front of the palate. A whiff of smoke, then leather and a hint of tobacco. Walnuts and wood round it out. This is not nearly as earthy as some other BT bourbons, and I really like it. Mid-afternoon it’s a bit much, but after dinner, I think it would be great.

Finish: Long and sweet. Alcohol lingers a bit, but the marvelous butterscotch overwhelms it.

All in all, a sweet bourbon that I wouldn’t want just any time, but which I would only ever drink neat. I really enjoy the richness of this, but it isn’t as complex as I’d expected. That’s not a knock on it, but it does reflect my love of rye and spice.

Rocky Patel The Edge Toro – Natural

Appearance: Smooth, lightly veined, dark caramel wrapper. No flaws.

Aroma: Chocolate and nougat, earthy depth. A bit of hay, a lot of leather.

Pre-light draw: More hay, wood and leather, some vanilla. Bourbonlike.

Taste: Creamy café mocha, a touch of pepper, maybe some nuts. The chocolate is big and rich, but not too sweet. Leather and sweat push through, as well. The draw on this is a bit tight, which prevents the flavors from being as focused as they could be. It does do a nice job of drawing the leather and smoke out of the whiskey, and balancing the sweetness of RHF at the same time. It’s a nice pairing.

Finish: Rich, bitter chocolate. Soft caramel. Light salt and pepper pushing the other flavors forward. Lingering.

I’ve had this cigar many times, and this is the first time I have found a tight draw (I even dryboxed it since it was stored too humid at the store). The salt character is not something I’d picked up on before, but it is a welcome addition as it adds to the balancing effect this cigar has on the bourbon. I’d think it might pair even better with a well-aged rum for this reason. But the light smokiness of RHF does good things for the cigar, too. Ah, heck, it’s whiskey and a cigar. Rarely has any combination thereof led me astray.

[jwrussell]

Very nice review. I've enjoyed the Edges I've had, never have had Rock Hill though. I've found I have to let anything (from the store or shipped) sit for about 2 weeks if I really want it to acclimate to the humidity I keep my cigars at. Of course it is always possible you just got a cigar that was rolled a tad too tight. Hand made products and all that.

Again, great review.

[DrinkyBanjo]

A local spot by me has "The Edge" for about $5. Sounds like I need to try one. Also gives me a good reason to have a pour of RHF!

[jwrussell]

That's a decent price. Enjoy!