Brand: Indian Tabac
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5.00 Inches
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa Valleys)
County of Origin: Nicaragua
Price Per box: $95.00

Brand:
The Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary cigar is blended by Tabacalera Fernandez to commemorate Rocky Patel’s 10 years in the cigar industry. This all new cigar is said to become one of the regularly available cigars branded by Rocky Patel. They are offered in boxes of 20 and are available in four different sizes.

The makeup of this cigar is all Nicaguan tobacco and is surprisingly similar to that of the Perdomo Habano Corojo. Both cigars consist of a Cuban Seed Corojo wrapper, Nicaraguan Binder, and Filler comprised of tobacco from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa in Nicaragua.

Pre Light:

As I looked over my IT 10th Anniversary I was impressed by the appearance of it. The wrapper appears smooth and oily as well as being a rich brown color. The bands, One labeled ITC 10th Anniversary and the other By Rocky Patel, were both fairly small and classy while giving the cigar a real sophisticated look.

When held up to the light I found the wrapper to have a consistent sheen from head to foot. When pinched the stick was firm with a few soft spots throughout. The aroma on both the wrapper and foot were deep and aromatic.

First Third:

After opening up the head of my cigar I began to toast the foot. After a few seconds I began puffing and was a bit startled by the initial puff. The base consisted of a heavy Nicaraguan tobacco flavor with a dark fruit flavor in the background. The startling part was the roughness of the smoke, it immediately began to irritate my throat and sinuses.

After about twenty minutes passed, the roughness of the smoke began to dissipate and the cigar was becoming more enjoyable. The finish was still a little rough while the body sits firmly in the medium range. The burning aspects of the cigar were excellent. The burn line was very thin and even while producing a generous amount of smoke that was easily passed through the sinus cavity.

Second Third:

As I made my way deeper into the cigar, the roughness I experienced earlier on was dissipating more and more. By this point in time the cigar was becoming pleasurable and delivering little to no irritation to my throat and sinuses. The body was picking up gradually to the medium to full range while the finish was now only mildly rough.

The base flavor was that of rich Nicaraguan tobacco mixed with flavors of wood and spice. When the smoke was passed through my sinuses the spice was amplified quite a bit, but never became overwhelming.

The ash remained firm and compacted throughout the second third but suddenly plopped onto my desk after reaching about an inch in length. The draw was free with little resistance and continued to produce a generous amount of smoke. The burn rate was about average while the burn line remained thin and even.

Final Third:

At this point, my Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary was beginning to plateau as far as the body was concerned. It settled off in the medium to full range with the finish still being slightly harsh. The base flavor was beginning to turn to a Corojo flavor with caramel fading in and out in the background. I was thoroughly enjoying this new flavor combination and the occasional spike of spiciness it delivered through my sinuses.

The cigars burning characteristics remained impressive with its compacted light colored ash and open draw. To keep the ash from falling I kept a close watch and did not allow it to get too long before gently tapping it off into the ashtray.

My Thoughts:
In the end I think that the jury is still out on this one. I strongly dislike the beginning of the smoke while it grows on me as it burns away. By the time I hit the final third I find it to be an enjoyable smoke. With a price point of $6.00 each (locally) I’m not sure I’m willing to fork over the cash to force myself past the halfway point to enjoy the remainder of the cigar.

I think that the best thing for me to try at this point is to lay a couple down for a few months to see if the harshness will mellow over time. If the rest in the humidor does the trick, I think that this cigar could be a winner.

Happy Smoking