Rocky Patel Mulligans Calcutta Slice Staff Review
I’m smoking a recent standout from one of my favorite bundle brands of all time – Rocky Patel Mulligans – Rocky’s top-selling golf-themed franchise. I’m smoking the latest blend, the Calcutta, in a 6 by 50 size called a Slice. “Calcutta” is also a reference to the great game of golf. In golf, a Calcutta is a tournament set up for betting whereby the winner(s) receive a payout from an auction pool. I’ve never played in a Calcutta, but I’m willing to take your money if you bet I can’t take this here Calcutta down past the nub.
Truth be told, I’m a lot better at smoking cigars than I am at golf, but it’s tough to compete with the country club crowd when you stick to the budget I’ve got in my bank account. You’re more likely to find me plunking my fishing pole into a pond on the course so I can catch a few while I’m waiting around for my buddies to whack their balls over the grass. If I was dedicated to the game, I’d have to tee off at night, at least I hear that’s when most courses are free to play – as long as security’s not around.
In any case, that’s why I’m a bona fide expert on the best cigar bundles you’ll find online. Not a penny is wasted on the packaging when you buy cigars in bundles. I’ve smoked nearly all of the Rocky Patel cigars that come in fancy boxes, and I’d put every one of ‘em up against his uber-affordable Mulligans franchise. I’ll be gosh darned if you can tell the difference. I call ‘em my “cheap seats” Rockies, and for prices starting around two bucks apiece, they’re just as good if not better.
There are over a dozen different Mulligans blends. Previously, I’ve bestowed my blessings upon the Masters Collection and the Golden Ferret in my swelling string of staff reviews. Judging by the golden-blond Connecticut Shade wrapper that glistens from under the mint-green and tangerine-colored cigar bands on the Calcutta, you’d be hard-pressed to convince me this one’s going to disappoint. A creamy aroma of cedar, nuts, and French toast forges a formidable impression from the unlit foot.
With a swift slice to the cap, I detect a luscious profile of fresh cashew and coffee bean notes as I spin the ‘RP’ Mulligans Calcutta between my lips a few times and take in a lengthy cold draw. A vintage interior of premium Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers comes to life as I wave the flame on my trusty Djeep lighter under the foot. The flavor and aroma are positively resplendent right off the bat.
Velvety notes of nougat and English breakfast tea cascade across the palate and leave not a single taste bud unattended to. Decadent hints of caramel and black pepper get cooking as the first fifteen minutes come to a close with a lingering aftertaste of cocoa nibs. The burn is excellent, and my precisely tuned olfactory sense picks up a plethora of pepper and honey undertones as if my nose hairs were plucking daisies from a spring meadow.
As the ash nears the first band, I gently pull it off and release a large cloud of creamy smoke into my keyboard as my face muscles relax into satisfyingly sublime grin. There are no words I can type to do the Calcutta justice. My favorite portion of a good cigar is always the home stretch. Notes of baking spices and sugar-coated almonds caress my palate in the final third. Although the spices intensify a bit, they remain elegant and balanced all the way to the light and buttery end.
Don’t deny your coolerdor the profound privilege of housing a bundle of Rocky Patel Mulligans Calcutta. You’ll probably devour them within a week. And, if you need more Mulligans to smoke on the course, sample the whole brand in the Rocky Patel Mulligans ‘Aces’ Collection or our Rocky Patel Mulligans Monster Deal. In the meantime, I may trade in one of my Carhartt flannels for a pair of plaid pants and a polo shirt if you know where I can get a good set of used clubs – for a discount, of course.
Until next time, long ashes to you!
