Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this video, Reinhard reviews the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve! Watch to learn all about its tasting notes and value for money with our detailed review.
Check out the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve & Read The Review:
bespokeunit.com/articles/cigars/rocky-patel-grand-reserve
Learn about the Bespoke Unit Cigar Formula:
bespokeunit.com/cigars/formula
Video Summary:
00:00 Introduction
The review will be taken according to the Bespoke Unit Cigar Formula, a quantifiable review matrix that you can use at home.
00:19 Cigar Overview
Reinhard was fortunate to be part of the Mountain of Fire release event in the Austrian Alps. However, he won't let that experience affect his judgement of the cigar! The exact blend has not been disclosed but all is known is that the tobacco was aged for a minimum of two years before being rolled in the Esteli factory of Tavicusa. Reinhard will be reviewing a 6 x 60 toro for this review.
02:47 Look & Feel & Prelight
The cigar is pristine in its appearance with a mahogany-coloured wrapper with minimal veins and a glossy, oily sheen. There are few soft spots and the cigar feels perfectly constructed. The aromas off the wrapper reveal toasted Graham cracks and a funky wet wood sensation as well as a sweet raisin component. The pre-light draw is ideal with a complex sensation in its flavours. Expect notes of chocolate, burned caramel, and a sprinkle of raspberry.
04:13 Tasting Notes
The first third opens with bitter cocoa, espresso, and toffee with hints of burnt nuts and pepper spice. Meanwhile, the second third offers apricot jam, sour cherry, and bitter chocolate. You may detect some tea leaf as well as a mineral salty kick in the back or even forest honey. The final third is reminiscent of crême brulée and burnt sugar.
Its body edges on the medium-plus side and isn't overpowering. Its complexity keeps the palate engaged with a smooth mouthfeel that delivers a subtle kick thanks to the sprinkle of pepper. An astringent sensation keeps the saliva going while bringing back for more. The stimulation is superbly balanced and the residual scent in the room is reminiscent of dry wood, pink peppercorns, and charred oak.
07:07 Burn
The draw remains consistent while the burn line is thick and oily. It does require the occasional touch-up but nothing that will harm the smoking experience. The ash backbone can be a little flaky but this is not a problem.
07:39 Overall Experience
The cigar has a prominent band and the box is lavishly presented with artistically beautiful elegance. It's a versatile cigar that can be used for different occasions from the early afternoon to the late evening as it's not overpowering.
08:10 Pairings
Consider pairings like sacher cake, salted peanuts, or Turkish delight. As for beverages, the cigar would be an intriguing gamay pairing but you may also consider apricot juice, espresso, or even aged grappa.
Already tried the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve cigar or have any questions? Leave us a comment to let us know your thoughts!
CONNECT:
Web: BespokeUnit.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/BespokeUnit
Facebook: Facebook.com/BespokeUnit
Twitter: Twitter.com/BespokeUnit
Subscribe to Newsletter: BespokeUnit.com/newsletter
In this video, Reinhard reviews the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve! Watch to learn all about its tasting notes and value for money with our detailed review.
Check out the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve & Read The Review:
bespokeunit.com/articles/cigars/rocky-patel-grand-reserve
Learn about the Bespoke Unit Cigar Formula:
bespokeunit.com/cigars/formula
Video Summary:
00:00 Introduction
The review will be taken according to the Bespoke Unit Cigar Formula, a quantifiable review matrix that you can use at home.
00:19 Cigar Overview
Reinhard was fortunate to be part of the Mountain of Fire release event in the Austrian Alps. However, he won't let that experience affect his judgement of the cigar! The exact blend has not been disclosed but all is known is that the tobacco was aged for a minimum of two years before being rolled in the Esteli factory of Tavicusa. Reinhard will be reviewing a 6 x 60 toro for this review.
02:47 Look & Feel & Prelight
The cigar is pristine in its appearance with a mahogany-coloured wrapper with minimal veins and a glossy, oily sheen. There are few soft spots and the cigar feels perfectly constructed. The aromas off the wrapper reveal toasted Graham cracks and a funky wet wood sensation as well as a sweet raisin component. The pre-light draw is ideal with a complex sensation in its flavours. Expect notes of chocolate, burned caramel, and a sprinkle of raspberry.
04:13 Tasting Notes
The first third opens with bitter cocoa, espresso, and toffee with hints of burnt nuts and pepper spice. Meanwhile, the second third offers apricot jam, sour cherry, and bitter chocolate. You may detect some tea leaf as well as a mineral salty kick in the back or even forest honey. The final third is reminiscent of crême brulée and burnt sugar.
Its body edges on the medium-plus side and isn't overpowering. Its complexity keeps the palate engaged with a smooth mouthfeel that delivers a subtle kick thanks to the sprinkle of pepper. An astringent sensation keeps the saliva going while bringing back for more. The stimulation is superbly balanced and the residual scent in the room is reminiscent of dry wood, pink peppercorns, and charred oak.
07:07 Burn
The draw remains consistent while the burn line is thick and oily. It does require the occasional touch-up but nothing that will harm the smoking experience. The ash backbone can be a little flaky but this is not a problem.
07:39 Overall Experience
The cigar has a prominent band and the box is lavishly presented with artistically beautiful elegance. It's a versatile cigar that can be used for different occasions from the early afternoon to the late evening as it's not overpowering.
08:10 Pairings
Consider pairings like sacher cake, salted peanuts, or Turkish delight. As for beverages, the cigar would be an intriguing gamay pairing but you may also consider apricot juice, espresso, or even aged grappa.
Already tried the Rocky Patel Grand Reserve cigar or have any questions? Leave us a comment to let us know your thoughts!
CONNECT:
Web: BespokeUnit.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/BespokeUnit
Facebook: Facebook.com/BespokeUnit
Twitter: Twitter.com/BespokeUnit
Subscribe to Newsletter: BespokeUnit.com/newsletter










![What Leather Are Beckett Simonon Shoes Made Of?
In this video, we explore what Beckett Simonon shoes are made of and the benefits of the leathers used by the brands. Watch this video to learn all about its materials!
Buy Now: http://www.beckettsimonon.com/?utm_source=refersion&utm_campaign=affiliate&rfsn=1643623.d5f0e6
Get 20% off your order with code BU20!
Read The Review:
https://bespokeunit.com/shoes/shoemakers/beckett-simonon/
This Videos Wardrobe:
Shirt: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1128484&u=1010333&m=59274&urllink=&afftrack=
Suit: https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=84gKhJ8XAxE&mid=41221&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indochino.com%2F
Cufflinks: Vintage
Tie: https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=84gKhJ8XAxE&mid=41518&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hawesandcurtis.com%2F
Suit: https://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=931486&u=1010333&m=68570
Video Summary:
00:00 Introduction
In this video, CP has a pair of Valencia wholecut shoes with the brand’s own cedar shoe trees [right] and the Yates full brogue [left]
00:26 Old Tannery
Until relatively recently, Beckett Simonon shoes were made from vegetable-tanned Argentinean calfskin. Today, this is still true for all the soles and heel stacks. Furthermore, some suede shoes may use this material and there are boots that use Argentinian pull-up leather.
00:41 Italian Gold Standard Leather
However, the vast majority of the uppers now use Italian Gold Standard leather sourced from the Conceria Mastrotto.
Now known as the Mastrotto group, it was founded by Arciso Mastrotto in 1958. It has since been taken over by his sons Santo and Bruno.
Beckett Simonon takes its responsibility very seriously and seeks to be as transparent and as traceable as possible. Consequently, its founders Andrès Niño and Nicholas Hurtado are always seeking to improve its practices.
Therefore, they looked towards the Leather Working Group to guide them towards a new tannery.
The Leather Working Group was formed in 2005 by NGOs, suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and other leading industry experts and supports the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.
It assesses the environmental compliance of leather manufacturers and awards them scores out of 100 points according to the following criteria:
- Traceability of the hides
- Environmental policies and procedures
- Energy consumption
- Water usage
- Air and noise emissions
- Waste management
- Worker safety
Indeed, the Mastrotto tannery has been awarded a Gold standard, which means that it has earned 85 points or more.
The tannery can be found in Arzignano in the province of Vicenza. Although it values the traditions of its trade, it has also heavily invested in new technologies to improve its workers’ welfare.
It uses a water-based tanning process and has built its own water treatment plant to reduce pollution. Furthermore, the heat produced from tanning process is converted into energy to help power the facility.
02:25 Beckett Simonon & Chromium
It turns out there we have been oversimplifying the issue for quite some time. When the toxicity of Chromium was revealed, vegetable tanning was quickly heralded as the only environmentally-friendly method.
Nevertheless, there are two types of Chromium. Chromium 6 is toxic – both for the tanners and the people who wear the shoes. It causes respiratory problems as well as neurological side effects and skin burns.
However, chromium 3 is an essential element in humans and quite healthy. Indeed, we benefit from a daily intake of between 50 to 200 micrograms per day in the food that we eat.
Vegetable-tanning has its limitations and chrome is an important ingredient for producing certain results such as white leather.
Therefore, Beckett Simonon needed to find a tannery that could use it responsibly for their sneakers in particular. This is another reason why Beckett Simonon work for the Mastrotto tannery, which uses chromium 3 for certain hides.
03:30 Vegan Alternatives
The problem is that most vegan leathers are derived from petroleum. Although it doesn’t directly involve harming animals, using it creates far more pollution.
Cruelty-free doesn’t necessarily mean ecologically sound. Indeed, synthetic materials have a significant impact on the environment.
Beckett Simonon is reaching other alternatives such as leather made from food waste and fungi, called mycelium. However, they may use plastic coatings and those that are more environmentally friendly aren’t yet scalable enough for a small brand like Beckett Simonon to use.
Currently, leather is more durable, more affordable, and offers the best possible environmentally-friendly material.
Have any questions about Beckett Simonon? Leave us a comment to let us know your thoughts!
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Subscribe to Newsletter: https://BespokeUnit.com/newsletter/ What Leather Are Beckett Simonon Shoes Made Of?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cEopIU3htp0/mqdefault.jpg)