Last fall, as I was ordering cigars from Up Down Cigar of Chicago, Phil Ledbetter, the store’s manager, informed me that in addition to what...Read More

There is something refreshing when a cigar maker just comes out and calls a cigar what it is, as Rocky Patel did last year with...Read More

When cigar blends are being developed—much like many other man-made creations—sometimes they get names, sometimes they get codes, sometimes it’s just “that new blend we’re...Read More

If you visit Cuba for any length of time for the purposes of cigar smoking and enjoyment, it does not take long to hear someone...Read More

Say the name Hamlet, and most people probably think of Shakespeare. But say it to someone in the cigar industry, and it likely calls to...Read More

It’s made at Rocky’s factory.  No, you mean Plasencia’s factory. For many years, the more knowledgeable cigar smokers would enjoy correcting people about that fact. Yes,...Read More

During this year’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, the Rocky Patel debuted the first in a new line dubbed ALR, which stands for Aged, Limited &...Read More

There are a variety of collections of exclusive sizes from various brands, but none has been built in quite the same way that Tom Sullivan...Read More

While I remember each of my four visits to Cuba fairly well, I can’t recall when I first heard the name Hamlet Paredes, though I...Read More

At the 2017 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, Rocky Patel Cigars showed off a cigar that featured two firsts for the company. That cigar is...Read More

There are two types of cigars: those that sell and those that don’t. While the consumers that read this site are probably not regular customers...Read More