Rocky Patel Ocean Club Staff Review
Rocky Patel Ocean Club has been a juggernaut at Holt’s for over ten years. Every time I turn down the giant Rocky Patel aisle in our warehouse, boxes of Ocean Club fly off the shelves like hotcakes while Rocky dutifully fulfills standing orders for all four sizes, including the 6-by-52 Toro I’m smoking for today’s review. Find out why cigar lovers ravenously stockpile this handmade gem, considered one of the finest specimens in the enormous Rocky Patel portfolio.
Rocky Patel Ocean Club is handcrafted in Honduras from an oily, gingerbread-hued Nicaraguan wrapper leaf over a well-aged blend of premium Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers tucked inside a binder made of tobacco from Mexico’s San Andrés region. What makes Rocky Patel Ocean Club so popular is its medium-bodied, widely appealing taste. It’s got just the right amount of spice and the right amount of sweetness, and it isn’t too pricey – starting around $140 for a box of 20 cigars.
When I crack open a fresh box of Rocky Patel Ocean Club cigars, the top row entices with ten perfectly uniform Toros, each dressed in a pair of blue-green cigar bands. Ocean Club has occupied a generous footprint in the Holt’s warehouse since 2007, nearly as long as my tenure in the cigar business. A cigar has to be pretty darn good, especially a house brand, to have that kind of staying power. Truth be told, Rocky Patel Ocean Club sales have grown substantially ever since its debut, and it’s all thanks to the taste and consistency of the cigar.
When I cut the cap and start puffing, accessible notes of nuts, leather, and cedar accompany a good mix of spices, reminiscent of the cigar’s cold draw. Peppery notes of chestnut, earth, and nutmeg round out the profile as the wrapper, binder, and filler burn at a nice, even pace. Creamy and zesty clouds of smoke emerge in a string of effortless draws that reveal a firm, well-constructed ash. I pick up a touch of molasses at the back of my palate and a copious spice in the nose.
Today I’m smoking in my office, but I typically like to smoke outdoors when I’m relaxing in the backyard or enjoying a cigar on the golf course. Because Rocky Patel Ocean Club regularly winds up in our recurring deal rotation, it’s an ideal candidate when I need a box of good, affordable cigars to take to my campground during the summer, too.
By the time my Toro is halfway done, its overall flavor hasn’t changed that much. Hints of mesquite and nutmeg lend a bit of complexity, but the cigar’s core notes of leather, earth, and smoked nuts prevail. You could sip a bourbon with Ocean Club or take a swig of your favorite everyman beer. You’re likely to please plenty of buddies who smoke cigars with you when you hand them an Ocean Club due to its middle-of-the-road body and flavor.
When I peel off the bands to zero in on the last couple inches, the cigar is still burning straight and easy. I touched up the wrapper with my torch briefly at one point, but the finish is smooth sailing. Woody and spicy flavor lingers on the palate and the nose throughout the final few minutes.
Ocean Club isn’t an over-the-top, opulent smoke, but it’s far better than any yard ‘gars you’ll come across. And, best of all, it’s a solid value from a big, name brand manufacturer whose got thirty years under his belt as one of the industry's top cigar-makers, thanks to hits like Rocky Patel Decade and Sun Grown Maduro, as well as the budget-friendly, golf-themed Mulligans franchise. Pound for pound, Rocky Patel Ocean Club is a campground classic I’ll be hauling back to the bonfire this season. Add a box to your rotation. You won’t regret it.
