PCA 2022: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc.

I tell pretty much everyone that Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc. has the best booth, particularly for large companies. It’s a massive space that is filled primarily with different types of seating areas for both meetings and also just for people to sit down. There’s a series of display cases—each focused on a single brand—that serve as columns throughout the booth space. There’s also a featured area for special products and accessories, a literal bar, a bar-like area that serves as a place to pick up sales pamphlets or drop order forms off at and there’s also a stage for musicians. That’s the concept, it’s hardly changed over the years and it remains the most efficient use of space I’ve seen.

But Rocky Patel doesn’t just rest on its laurels and so if you look closely enough, you’ll find some small tweaks here and there. One that emerged a few years was a literal spotlight that shines down on a specific area of the booth.

This year, the thing that stood out to me was the in-house media team that was in the booth and producing lots of content for the company’s social media team.

Rocky Patel DBS

No, it’s not a reference to an Aston Martin. DBS stands for double broadleaf selection, a reference to two different types of broadleaf being used in the blend, though not for the wrapper, which is a Mexican San Andrés varietal.

• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Broadleaf)
• Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua (Broadleaf)

• Rocky Patel DBS Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $20 (Box of 20, $400)
• Rocky Patel DBS Toro (6 1/2 x 52) — $21 (Box of 20, $420)
• Rocky Patel DBS Sixty (6 x 60) — $23 (Box of 20, $460)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: October 2022

Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary

The original version of The Edge debuted in 2004, though the company began working on the cigar in 2002, which is where the 20th-anniversary moniker comes from. This cigar is highlighted by a 10-year-old Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, which the company says was used on the original versions of The Edge. Notably, this version comes in traditional packaging, whereas The Edge is best known for coming in crates of 100 cigars that feature bands on the foot of the cigars.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Binder: Honduras (Habano)
• Filler: Honduras & Panama

• Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)
• Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary Toro (6 x 52) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)
• Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary Sixty (6 x 60) — $13.50 (Box of 20, $270)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: September 2022

Rocky Patel Juneteenth Foundation

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc. has one of the most consistent approaches to new products at the trade show. With very little exception, there will be three new lines, a couple lines will get some new sizes and there will be new accessories. This line—which is the third new one for this year’s trade show—is so new that it didn’t even make it onto the pricelist.

It’s being created to benefit The Juneteenth Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity that seeks to not only celebrate the newly-created federal holiday of Juneteenth but also help Black Americans in other ways through events, scholarships and other programs. For those unfamiliar, Juneteenth is a reference to June 19, 1865, a day when a U.S. Army general proclaimed to slaves in south Texas that they were free. The day is celebrated as the time in which the last slaves were informed of their freedom, albeit, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill making June 19th a federal holiday.

Rocky Patel, the person, is involved with The Juneteenth Foundation and some of the proceeds of this cigar will be donated to The Juneteenth Foundation. These cigars are rolled at the Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. factory in Nicaragua.

• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Honduras & Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Rocky Patel Juneteenth Foundation Robusto — $12 (Box of 20, $240)
• Rocky Patel Juneteenth Foundation Toro — $13 (Box of 20, $260)
• Rocky Patel Juneteenth Foundation Sixty — $14 (Box of 20, $280)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: TBD

Rocky Patel A.L.R. Second Edition Limited Edition Humidor

This release got a literal spotlight to shine on it and it’s worth it. This is a massive humidor that will make a statement wherever it goes. Each humidor is individually numbered, limited to just 75 pieces.

Inside the humidor are 100 A.L.R. Second Edition Fifty-Five cigars, 6 1/2 x 55 toro-esque cigars in a vitola that the company uses for its Rocky Patel Fifty-Five line, meaning they are tapered on both ends. This size is exclusive to the humidor. I was told that by the end of the trade show, less than 10 humidors remained unsold.

• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí & Jalapa)

• Rocky Patel A.L.R. Second Edition Fifty-Five (6 1/2 x 55) — $50 (Humidor of 100, $5,000)

Production: 75 Humidors of 100 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)

Release Date: Q4 2022

Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro Tubo

This is actually a new size for the Number 6 line. There’s an existing Toro size, but it measures 6 1/2 x 52. These are 6 x 50 toros and come in tubos.

• Wrapper: Honduras (Corojo)
• Binder: Honduras (Jamastran)
• Filler: Honduras (Jamastran) & Nicaragua (Jalapa)

• Rocky Patel Number 6 Toro Tubo (6 x 50) — $12.40 (Box of 10, $124)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: October 2022

Rocky Patel White Label Gift Set

The regular production Rocky Patel White Label Robusto (5 x 50) is offered in a special gift set that comes with a rose gold version of the company’s Envoy lighter.

• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Valley), Nicaragua & Undisclosed

MSRP: $440 (20 Cigars + Envoy lighter)

Rocky Patel White Label Humidor

If the A.L.R. Humidor is too rich for your wallet or too large for your room, the White Label Humidor might be what you are looking for. It’s a large desktop humidor, though about half the size of the A.L.R. humidor.

Inside are 100 White Label Fifty-Five cigars, 6 1/2 x 55 toro-esque cigars in a vitola that the company uses for its Rocky Patel Fifty-Five line, meaning they are tapered on both ends. This size is exclusive to the humidor.

• Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Valley), Nicaragua & Undisclosed

• Rocky Patel White Label Fifty-Five (6 1/2 x 55) — $25 (Humidor of 100, $2,500)

Production: 200 Humidors of 100 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: Q4 2022

Rocky Patel Artisan Lighter

There are three different versions of this lighter, all quite colorful. Similar to the new Executive lighter, the lighter has both a torch and soft flame, but on its lowest setting, only the soft flame will ignite.

MSRP: $50

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Q4 2022

Rocky Patel Executive Lighter (2022)

I, admittedly, got a bit lost due to the plethora of new accessories Rocky Patel had on hand. There are two new lighters that have both a torch and soft flame, this is one of them. You can see the rose gold/white version in the left side of the image above.

It’s a basic-looking lighter offered in three color options (gold/black, rose gold/white, silver/blue) and has a flip top lid. On its lowest setting only the soft flame will activate, once turned up, both flames can be activated. In case you haven’t picked up on it, this is basically a defeat device for TSA checkpoints.

MSRP: $68

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Q4 2022

Not pictured.

Rocky Patel Genesis Lighter

There are three versions of this triple-flame lighter. I’m not really sure if I saw these to be quite honest.

MSRP: $50

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Q4 2022

Rocky Patel Premium Leather Case

This is a three-cigar case made entirely of leather. It reminds me a bit of the Brizard & Co. cases, but it’s made of leather and comes in at a much lower price. This brown is the only color option available.

MSRP: $95

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: October 2022

Rocky Patel Statesman Lighter

There are four different versions (blue/silver, brown/silver, white leather/rose gold, red/yellow gold) of the Statesman lighter for 2022. This is a triple-flame lighter that features a pull-down ignition and a flip-top lid.

MSRP: $50

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Q4 2022

Rocky Patel Squeeze Lighter

So I saw this lighter, which is activated by squeezing the sides. That said, these aren’t the price list, so I’m not sure if the company was taking orders on these.

Rocky Patel Tabletop Quad Lighter

This is a new tabletop lighter that will eventually have four flames, though the prototype at the trade show had just three. This reminds me a bit of the Dunhill Turbo lighter, but it’s a lot larger. I don’t see this on the pricelist either.

Rocky Patel Trident Cutter

These cutters pack a straight cutter, v-cutter and punch cutter into a single body. Given the name and design, I was curious if these were made by Visol Products, which makes a cutter called Trident by Caseti that also has three different cuts in one body. I was told that it’s not and there’s some evidence of that as this cutter seems to be a bit different. It’s offered in three finishes (blue/silver, white/rose gold, bronze/black).

MSRP: $99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Q4 2022

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.