"But she caught me on the counter - it wasn't me - saw me kissin on the sofa - it wasn't me - I even had her in the shower - it wasn't me - she even got me on camerA - it wasn't me".
I know you all remember Shaggy, Mr. Boombastic. Not exactly my genre of music, but he no doubt released some catchy tunes in the '90s. I prefer shaggy cigars instead these days. No, not cigars made by Mr. Boombastic, but cigars that have a shaggy foot. That's when the wrapper ends roughly 1" before the foot and exposing the binder. It's done so that you're able to experience the blend without the wrapper and then taste the difference when the burn goes beyond the shag. Honestly though, I don't think anyone cares about how the cigar tastes on the first inch. We just want a cigar that tastes good and performs well. I will say though, it does add a coolness factor to the overall look. Island Jim was my first shaggy foot cigar. No doubt a cool looking smoke. Now enters Rocky Patel LB1 Shaggy Churchill. I've had the LB1 numerous times in the past and enjoyed it, but had never seen the Shaggy Churchill vitola before. Let's fire it up!
The Deets
Cigar: Rocky Patel LB1 Shaggy Churchill
Origin: Honduras
Factory: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars
Size: 7 x 48
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras-Jamastran Ligero / Nicaragua-Condega, Estelí
Appearance 9/10
A nice looking specimen. Satin wrapper with a small amount of sheen, vanished veins, and a simple but clean cap. The shaggy foot is a little longer than I typically see at almost 1.5". The band was on snug and didn't slide around. It certainly looks like a cigar I would like to smoke.
Draw 9/10
I found the draw to be almost perfect. A slight heavy pull was needed during the 1st third but eased up as it progressed. I didn't have to pull out any tools.
Burn/Construction 8/10
I wouldn't say the burn line was razor straight, but I got to save my fuel and didn't have to blast any touchups. The ash may not have been rock solid, yet it remained in place until dismissed. I can't stand when a cigar has huge stems and this LB1 had none of them. Nice.
Taste 7.5/10
1/3 - Kicking things off is brown soil, mineral water, bark, and some bright bitters. Not a great start in my book. Past the shag I pick up juicy leather and a hint of green olives (I'm more of a black olive guy). Towards the end of the 1st third the leather and natural tobacco become a tad richer in flavor.
2/3 - Hitting the 2nd and fresh baked bread appears along with sand flavored cotton candy. Normally I get most of the tasting notes from the retro. Oddly enough, the retro doesn't add a whole lot here. With or without a heavy retro the flavors are the same. Seems to be this is a palate driven flavor profile. Light+ has moved to medium body.
3/3 - Things haven't changed much by the end and it has been pretty consistent throughout. As to be expected though, the final third has bolder notes of the previous thirds. I did pick up an addition of smoked oranges.
Overall 8.4/10
While the shaggy foot adds a cool factor that the other vitolas don't, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the robusto or toro. Performance was fine, but there was an overall dirt/sand flavor that was just too prominent for me. If you haven't tried the LB1 I would still recommend picking one up. Not the best from the RP portfolio, but certainly not the worst either.
**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1
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