Rocky Patel cigars are made by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, the company former Los Angeles entertainment lawyer Rocky Patel began as Indian Tabac Cigar Co. and renamed in 2003. Its cigars are rolled at the TaviCusa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and the El Paraiso factory in Danlí, Honduras. Strength varies by line; the blends cited here run medium to medium-full: Rocky Patel rates the Fifty-Five medium (Oxford’s product page calls it medium-full), Cigar Aficionado rates the Vintage 2003 Cameroon medium, and its 2022 Top 25 lists the Sixty as medium-full. One place to start is the Nicaraguan Rocky Patel Fifty-Five, a 55-ring-gauge cigar with typical notes of earth, espresso, spice and cedar. For contrast, try the Honduran-made Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon, whose 2003 Cameroon wrapper Cigar Aficionado described as sweet-and-sour in character.
Rocky Patel Cigars
Rocky Patel Premium Cigars is a premium cigar company founded by Rocky Patel—a former Los Angeles entertainment and product liability lawyer who was introduced to cigars through a friend and became a founding member of the Grand Havana Club. Originally launched as Indian Tabac Cigar Co. and rebranded in 2003, the company now produces cigars at its own TaviCusa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, with additional production in Honduras, offering an expansive portfolio including the flagship Vintage series (1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2006), the Fifteenth Anniversary, Twentieth Anniversary, Decade, The Edge, Sun Grown Maduro (Cigar Aficionado’s #2 Cigar of 2016, 95 points), Royale, Sixty (Cigar Aficionado’s #2 Cigar of 2022)—with strength that varies by blend.
Rocky Patel Cigars
Frequently asked questions about Rocky Patel Cigars
Who makes Rocky Patel cigars, and where are they made?
Rocky Patel cigars are made by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, founded by Rocky Patel, a former Los Angeles entertainment and product liability lawyer. His cigar company, Indian Tabac Cigar Co., debuted Honduran-rolled cigars in 1996 and changed its name to Rocky Patel Premium Cigars in 2003. The cigars are made at two company factories: TaviCusa in Esteli, Nicaragua, and El Paraiso in Danli, Honduras.
Are Rocky Patel cigars strong?
Strength varies by line. Rocky Patel rates the Fifty-Five medium in strength, while Oxford Cigar Company's product page describes it as medium-full. Cigar Aficionado rates the Vintage 2003 Cameroon medium, Cigar Insider rates the A.L.R. Second Edition medium, and Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 Cigars of 2022 lists the Sixty as medium-full. Choose by the individual blend rather than treating the whole brand as one strength.
Which Rocky Patel cigar should I try first, and how do the lines differ?
Rocky Patel Fifty-Five is one place to start: a Nicaraguan-made 55-ring-gauge cigar with typical notes of earth, espresso, spice and cedar. The Vintage 2003 Cameroon is made in Honduras around a 2003 Cameroon wrapper that Cigar Aficionado's tasting note called sweet-and-sour in character. The ALR Second Edition uses a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, and a 2019 Cigar Insider tasting note (published on Cigar Aficionado's site) noted malted chocolate, vanilla, coconut and wood. Tasting notes are typical, not guaranteed, and vary by size and age.
Where can I buy Rocky Patel cigars online?
Oxford Cigar Company carries a selection of Rocky Patel Cigars on its Rocky Patel Cigars category page: https://oxfordcigarcompany.com/rocky-patel-cigars/. Free US shipping on orders $50+.