In recent years, several brands have introduced super-premium offerings to the market, and one of those is Rocky Patel’s Conviction. This cigar is made with tobacco that has been aging since 2014, from Rocky Patel’s first harvest, and it comes with a retail price of $100 before taxes.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Toro 6 1/2 x 52

The Conviction features a dark chocolate brown, box-pressed wrapper. The wrapper is velvet smooth, with almost invisible veins and seams, and no soft spots. The foot of the cigar offers aromas of barnyard and cocoa. The draw is excellent, providing flavors of cocoa, barnyard, earth, and cream.

Upon lighting, the cigar presents notes of earth, cocoa, dark coffee, and a musty undertone. The burn is nice and even, with a razor-thin burn line. The finish is smooth and creamy with a hint of cinnamon spice. The ash holds for about an inch before naturally falling off.

As the cigar progresses, the cocoa flavor intensifies, accompanied by soft black pepper and earth in the retrohale. The burn remains excellent halfway through the cigar, and the flavors deepen while remaining consistent. The body started as a straight medium and has increased to medium-plus, while the strength I would say has been and stays medium.

In the final third, the earth notes become more pronounced, and the chocolate notes sweeten. The hint of cinnamon fades away, and the cigar continues to burn flawlessly without any construction issues. The back half of the final third brings more unsweetened dark cocoa, with earthy dark cocoa and black pepper in the retrohale.

There are two questions I had about this cigar: first, is it good; and second, is it $100 good?

Is it good? Yes! The Conviction is an excellent cigar with a wonderful flavor profile that is extremely well-balanced and nuanced. The flavors of cocoa, chocolate, earth, and cream are consistent from start to finish, deepening as the cigar progresses. I experienced no construction issues, and the burn was flawless, requiring no corrections. Without hesitation, I can say this is the best Rocky Patel cigar I have had. It was very enjoyable and definitely not just blowing smoke.

Is it $100 good? The answer to this question is decidedly subjective, but I will share my thoughts. To me, when you pay for a cigar, you are paying for an experience. You are essentially buying time for relaxation, unwinding, and rejuvenation, whether for yourself or with friends and family. Therefore, a super-premium cigar should offer an amazing experience well beyond the ordinary, one that leaves you thinking, “Now that was money well-spent! That is one of the absolute best cigars I have had in my life!”

Unfortunately, that was not the feeling I was left with after smoking the Conviction. It was excellent, yes, but it did not provide an experience that I felt justifies the $100 price. While the tobacco is undeniably top-notch and well-aged for 10 years, there are other super-premium options, such as Meerapfel, that utilize A-grade tobaccos aged 20 years or more for under $100 and, at least to me, offer a bigger “wow” factor than the Conviction.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to enjoy this cigar, and I would like to think that Rocky Patel could bring a similar profile offering to market at a price point more in line with the rest of his brand. If he does, I will be all over it, and that is not just blowing smoke!