Rocky Patel IPCPR 2015 Booth

Somewhere in herhe trade show dictionary will be the entry “bad idea” and underneath will be something along the lines of: trying to interview Rocky Patel, in the middle of his booth, in the middle of day one. It’s busy, and busy, and busy. There are a handful of people—Rocky included—who probably know every retailer at the show, something that only happens when you travel to as many stores as he does, and as such, there’s a lot of friends. That being said, Patel still took me around the booth personally, showing off not just the three noted additions, but also some other products as well.

Hamlet Culebra

Hamlet Tabaquero
I won’t repeat the story on how Hamlet Paredes and Patel met—you can read that here—but both the famed Cuban roller and his new line were in Patel’s booth. Paredes was actually rolling a massive culebra—which you can see above—as well as speaking to customers. Patel told halfwheel that he would begin events in the U.S. soon, but a specific schedule hasn’t been finalized.

Hamlet Tabaquero

As for the cigar, it uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, binders from Brazil and Mexico and Nicaraguan fillers. It’s being made at Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua. Five sizes are available on debut: Corona (5 1/2 x 42, $8), Salomon (7 1/2 x 58, $9.80), Robusto Grande (5 x 54, $8.80), Toro (6 x 52, $8.80) and Robusto (5 x 50, $8.60). Four of the sizes are sold in boxes of 20, while the Salomon will be in boxes of 10. Expect it to arrive in September.

Rocky Patel Laser Lighters 2015

Laser Lighters
There’s eight new designs for the lighter. Each retails for $58 and should be shipping in September.

Rocky Patel Limited 2015 Pipe Collection
Erik Nording and his creations were both in the Rocky Patel Premium Cigars Booths. I know little about pipes, but there are four different styles offered—ranging from $140-200—and all made by hand, meaning the are all unique. Retailers have been able to hand select the pipes they would like and they will begin shipping to stores now. I was told there were around 450 pipes made, two-thirds of which were already gone by the time I made it to the booth.

Rocky Patel Prohibition Lighter

Rocky Patel Prohibition Lighter
A dual-flame lighter for the line that was introduced last year will ship in September. Suggested retail price is $68.

Rocky Patel Royale Tubo
The Toro (6 x 50) is now sold in a tub. Pricing is $10.85 and it comes in boxes of 10. Expect this in September.

Rocky Patel Samplers

Samplers
Formally, they are called “gift packs,” but samples are appropriate. There are six new samplers, all with six cigars each:

  •  Honduran Sampler ($52.30)
    • Decade Robusto
    • Decade Cameroon Robusto
    • Super Ligero Robusto
    • Sun Grown Robusto
    • Sun Grown Maduro Robusto
    • Twentieth Anniversary Robusto
  • Nicaraguan Sampler ($78)
    • Bold Toro
    • Fifteenth Anniversary Toro
    • Nimmy-D Toro
    • Prohibition Broadleaf
    • Prohibition Mexican
    • Royale Toro
    • XIKAR Cutter
  • Best of the Best ($69)
    • Burn Special Reserve Toro
    • Fifteenth Anniversary Toro
    • Fifty Toro
    • Thunder Toro
    • XEN Toro
    • Lighter
  • Tubo Sampler ($62)
    • 1990 Vintage Tubo
    • 1999 Vintage Connecticut Tubo
    • Decade Tubo
    • Fifteenth Anniversary Tubo
    • Royal Tubo
    • Sun Grown Tubo
  • Vintage Sampler ($55)
    • 1990 Vintage Robusto
    • 1992 Vintage Robusto
    • 1999 Vintage Connecticut Robusto
  • Java Collection Sampler ($55)
    • Java Latte Robusto
    • Java Maduro Robusto
    • Java Minto Robusto
All are slated to begin shipping in October.

Rocky Patel Sun Grown Maduro

Rocky Patel Sun Grown Maduro
The second of the three major additions hails from TAVICUSA. He has repeatedly described the Sun Grown Maduro as full, stronger than both of the company’s other new lines. It uses a broadleaf wrapper over dual binders and Nicaraguan fillers.

There are five sizes offered at the start: Robusto (5 x 50, $8.60), Lancero (7 1/2 x 38, $8.60), Petite Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52, $8.80), Toro (6 x 52, $8.80) and Sixty (6 x 60, $10.40). It’s expected to ship in August.

Rocky Patel Twentieth

Rocky Patel Twentieth Anniversary
It’s been 20 years since Rocky Patel launched the Indian Tabac brand and now is celebrating two decades in the cigar business. It’s a new regular production cigar made by Plasencia in Honduras using a Honduran wrapper and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua.

Rocky Patel Twentieth Anniversary is scheduled to ship in September in five sizes: Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50, $9.65), Robusto, Toro (6 x 52, $11.20), Sixty (6 x 52, $12.80) and Lancero (7 1/2 x 38, $9.65)

Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.