By this point, I've been smoking the corojo version of "The Edge" by Rocky Patel for damn near two decades. Not continuously mind you, but whenever the mood strikes me.

It's a Honduran-heavy premium cigar blend, with unabashed strength stemming from its ligero (top-leaf sun-grown tobacco leaves) core, which is a mix of Nicaraguan and Honduran leaf. A macho smoke for fans of spice and bold tobacco flavors.

Being that it has been about half a year since I last puffed one of these red leaf-wrapped rocketships, I fired up the "Missile" vitola the other day. Just to see what the baby torpedo had to offer my senses...

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Unlit Impressions

I mean it when I say that this cigar is a macho smoke. Even unlit it embodies a tough appearance. From its ultra-pointy torpedo tip to the oily corojo leaf cigar wrapper, Chuck Norris veins pop out from every angle.

This machismo is backed by an unlit nose of peppery ligero leaf, freshly split firewood, and a faint sweet nougat smell.

Cold pulls are a bit tight, but there is a draw. All of the Honduran heat one can expect to find in a good corojo cigar are here, along with a mild chewy sweetness to balance it all out.

Initial Smoke

My first impression of "The Edge Corojo" always manages to take me by surprise upon lighting up. All of the spicy, peppery, sun-grown strength that is corojo and ligero leaf hits you like a Mack truck without any air brakes.

Perhaps that's why I keep returning to this cigar. It's a bit of a thrill ride for fans of strong cigars.

A half-dozen minutes in though, and things balance out, as the oily mouthfeel from that ligero leaf filler melds with the Nicaraguan binder. It is still 100% a corojo flavor profile, but that robust, sweeter filling does its job very well. There is a mild cinnamon taste in there somewhere, with a little bitterness to go with it.

2nd Half

The halfway mark of this particular premium cigar blend is my favorite part. Chewy spice-spiked smoke swirl with grassy flavors, making for one outstanding aftertaste.

This is also the sweetest point in the cigar, with freshly cut lawn-clipping aromas providing a playful retro-hale. That potent corojo taste and ligero backing are now but a springboard for a select few flavors, with a woody aftertaste closing out each exhale.

Parting Puffs 

Like many cigars, even the stronger smokes have the tendency to finish on a bit of a flat note. Crafting a cigar's evolution is a complex and difficult process to master, so I tend to rate the final third and parting puffs with a less discerning eye.

As with almost every vitola I've had bearing "The Edge Corojo" band on the foot, the "Missile" version becomes more muted toward the finish. The flavor is still there, but by this point, all of the combustion has turned the oils and resins into a stew of flavors.

Forest soil, cedar smoke, tobacco sweetness, and black pepper all blend with a campfire char flavor. Again, it all kind of coalesces into this big, chewy stew, and the taste buds struggle to sort out what is where. 

Just enjoy the ride and know that your time spent has been well worth the modest entrance fee. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Although I have not smoked the "Missile" version of Rocky Patel's The Edge for quite some time, I have had the parejo version relatively recently. It too provided tight construction, a fairly clean burn line, and respectable amounts of smoke.

Unfortunately, this particular stick was rolled a tad too tight, so I was forced to do a second cut to open things up. Even then, the cigar struggled to provide a fluid draw, and I was left wanting in the smoke production department.

It also required a touch-up along the way, and randomly went out. Hand-rolled cigar problems. Le sigh...

Final Thoughts

Construction issues aside, "The Edge Corojo Missile" by Rocky Patel provided me with much of the enjoyment I recall from past smoking experiences with this blend. 

Rich, intense corojo spiced flavors and ligero leaf full-bodied feel, interwoven with a wild grassy sweetness and deep, forest-like wooden flavors. A vibrant smoking adventure, filled with enticing aromatics and one hell of an impressive aftertaste.

Furthermore, at just 5 inches long and a 48 ring-gauge, this particular vitola's nearly hour-long burn time categorizes it as a short smoke in my book. Making this little projectile a top pick for fledgling full-strength cigar smokers. 

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