RP Edge Perfecto Maduro

Manufacturer – Rocky Patel
Shape – Perfecto
Size – 6” X 60
Wrapper – Maduro (Costa Rica, I believe if memory serves me right, I don’t think Edge Maduros are Puros ……………… are they?)
Binder & Filler – Nicaraguan

I bought 6 of these at the CI Super Store in Bethlehem just day before yesterday and decided to fire one up last night. I didn’t even know they existed until a few days ago and since I love Edge Maddies, I just had to try some.

Prelight (7:30 PM):

Wrapper was very dark, extremely smooth with almost nary a vein to be seen and fairly firm with no soft spots at all. The wrapper felt almost velvety and the shape just felt natural in my fingers. The foot was open slightly and the head was to a fairly sharp point, that snipped off very cleanly. It was dark out (I lit it outside a restaurant after dinner) so I couldn’t see any leaf pattern on the end. Predraw was just about perfect with a slightly spicy / sweet taste. I toasted the end slightly and it lit easily & cleanly with seemingly plenty of smoke, and a bite of spice, especially to the nasal passages.

1st 1/3:

The burn started to go a little off after the first ½” or so, but a few very minor corrections with a single flame torch kept it in the straight & narrow. The smoke was quite plentiful, but didn’t seem as much as other Edges. It also didn’t seem to have the same kick. What it did have, was the typical (or so it seems to me) RP Edge flavours those who love the Edge line like, but as I said, in a lower level of strength. The ash for the first inch was absolutely jet-black, and as the diameter of the “burn” increased as the stick burned down, it faded to a dark grey.

2nd 1/3:

The burn was perfect for the most part, with a little touch required here and there. Normally a slow turn of the cigar kept it tame. Draw was consistently good, with flavours constantly changing slightly. I’m not going to pretend I can tell the difference of Cocoa and dark semi sweet chocolate or flavours of Sumatran coffee as opposed to Italian Espresso, but I can sense changes, sometime subtle ones and this one seemed to go back and forth, all the while, staying a little on the milder side of what Edge lovers have come to expect.

Final 1/3:

Once the diameter at the burn started to decrease, the spice seemed to increase quite a bit, as did the strength (tar maybe) and the burn got a little fidgety again. Still quite a bit of smoke, but at about 2” left, it got just a little past the comfortable side of warm. Smoking slow didn’t seem to help so after 1 hour 15 minutes, I unceremoniously dropped it into a storm sewer.

Final Impressions:

I have to give this smoke about an 8 out of 10. Flavour was great, burn was decent for the most part, draw was top notch (for me) and just the feel of the smoke in my hands raised the marks. I took a bit off for the mildness and the burn, both of which could very well be attributed to the stick being a little damp. Once I get home, I’ll bury these at the bottom of one of the humis ‘till May and revisit one. I believe it’ll be a solid 9 by that time.

FWIW, there's almost no info on these on the net. I couldn't even find a reference to them on Rocky's site!!