Today we review the Rocky Patel Royal Guard. This is an exclusive cigar made by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars for Smoke Inn, the South Florida and online retailer, as part of the retailer’s MicroBlend series. The Smoke Inn MicroBlend Series concept involves Smoke Inn teaming up with some leading brands and manufacturers in the cigar industry to produce a small-batch, limited-run exclusive to its shops. The series debuted in late 2010 to commemorate Smoke Inn’s 15 years in business. It was initially planned to be a four-cigar series, but became a series of ongoing shop exclusives. Royal Guard marks the first time that Rocky Patel was commissioned to participate in the series.
The Royal Guard pays homage to Smoke Inn owner Abe Dababneh‘s Jordanian heritage. The Royal Guard is an elite branch of the Jordanian military that serves directly under the king. Members are chosen from Arabs without tribal allegiance. As a result, the Royal Guard embodies loyalty above all else. Free from the rivalries and obligations of powerful clans, devotion was reserved entirely for the Hashemite (royal family) crown. The Royal Guard is more than ceremonial; it stands as a symbol of loyalty, discipline, and strength. The Rocky Patel Royal Guard was intended to embody those values in every cigar.
Smoke Inn MicroBlend Series
Below is a list of the Smoke Inn MicroBlends through the time the Royal Guard was released.
- Tatuaje Anarchy
- Padron 1964 Anniversary SI 15 (Maduro and Natural)
- My Father El Hijo
- Arturo Fuente Solaris
- Tatuaje Apocalypse
- Room 101 Big Delicious
- Quesada Oktoberfest Dunkel
- 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster by Espinosa Cigars
- Illusione PACTUM
- The Pope of Greenwich Village by Drew Estate
- Smoke Inn 20th Anniversary by Davidoff
- Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Red Meat Loves Club
- MoyaRuiz Hand Gripper
- 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster FUBAR by Espinosa Cigars
- Tatuaje Anarchy Kaos
- Red Meat Lovers Meat Box Pressed by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
- Anonymous by AJ Fernandez
- Herrera Estelí – The Raji by Drew Estate
- Cage the Dawg by Espinosa Cigars
- Aganorsa Leaf Rare Fusion
- LBD Blue
- Black Works Studio Killer Bee Buzz Saw
- Rocky Patel Royal Guard
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
The Royal Guard consists of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over all Nicaraguan tobaccos. Rocky Patel’s TAVICUSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, produces it.
- Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
- Binder: Jalapa, Nicaragua
- Fillers: Jalapa (Viso), Estelí (Viso, Ligero)
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA)
Vitolas Offered
The Royal Guard comes in one size – a 6 1/2 x 58 Toro Grande. The company produced 300 ten-count boxes. Smoke Inn released the cigars in September 2025.
Appearance (*)
The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper of the Royal Guard had what I would describe as a medium-roast-coffee-bean-colored wrapper. When looking at the surface of this wrapper, it was somewhat toothy. The wrapper surface had a slight amount of oil on it. Upon closer examination, some mottling was visible on the surface. There were some prominent visible veins. In addition, some thin wrapper seams were visible.
PERFORMANCE
Pre-Light Draw (*)
I used a straight cut to remove the cap of the Royal Guard cigar. After detaching the cap, I proceeded to the pre-light draw stage. The cigar presented a mix of herbal, earthy, leather, and coffee bean notes. However, the pre-light draw didn’t impress me much. Since this stage does not factor into the numeric merit score or value rating, it didn’t affect the overall evaluation. At this point, it was time to toast the foot of the Royal Guard and see what the smoking experience had in store.
Tasting Notes
The Royal Guard opened up with herbal, fruit, earth, and coffee bean notes. Early on, the fruit and the herbal notes moved into the forefront. The earth and coffee beans settled in the background. At the same time, the retrohale produced a combination of herbal notes with a layer of mixed pepper. Later in the first third, some cream notes entered the equation in the background.
In the second third of the Royal Guard, the herbal notes remained primary. The fruit notes began to diminish while the earth and cream notes grew more intense. Before the midway point, the herbal, earth, and cream notes were primary with the fruit and coffee bean notes secondary. Some black pepper notes surfaced on the tongue. Toward the latter part of the second third, the cream notes retreated into the background, leaving the herbal and earth notes primary.
There wasn’t much change in the final third. The herbal and earth notes remained primary. The pepper notes were the most prominent of the secondary notes. Notes of fruit, coffee bean, and cream still lingered in the distant background, though they were hard to detect. This is the way the Royal Guard came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn
The Royal Guard burn required frequent touch-ups to keep a straight burn path and line. Disappointingly, it required an excessive amount of touchups. The resulting ash had a concrete color. This ash was skewed toward the looser side. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.
Draw
The draw of Royal Guard had a touch of resistance, which I like. Sometimes, on larger ring-gauge cigars, a resistant draw can be negative, but that wasn’t the case here. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.
Strength and Body
The Royal Guard delivered a medium strength and medium-bodied smoking experience from start to finish. There was a nominal increase in the strength and body. At the same time, the strength and body balanced each other nicely.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
The packaging is simple, but I like it. The boxes are done in the style of the Rocky Patel Vintage Series, but it uses a green color over a white background. As for the bands, they are more in the style of the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve or Rocky Patel Special Edition. It’s simple, but it works.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
First up, at $11.00, the Royal Guard is a reasonably priced 6 1/2 x 58 Gordo cigar. However, I encountered two main issues. First, the burn required significant touchups. Second, I don’t typically enjoy an herbal profile. On the bright side, while the herbal notes were present, they were not as overwhelming as I’ve experienced with other cigars. I think some enthusiasts will appreciate this cigar, but it wasn’t my usual preference. Ultimately, the $11.00 price point is still attractive, so I’m inclined to recommend trying a sample to see what you think.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Herbal, Earth, Fruit, Cream, Coffee Bean Pepper
- Burn: Fair
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Medium
- Strength: Medium
- Body: Medium
- Finish: Good
Rating
Value: Try a Sample
Score: 86
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
