It’s a sad day for fans of the line that launched Rocky Patel into cigar world prominence as the company recently decided to discontinue its Indian Tabac line.

A spokesman for Rocky Patel Premium Cigars confirmed the news to halfwheel, saying that the decision was finalized in recent weeks and that there are no remaining boxes in the company’s warehouse. Online retailer Cigars International sent out an email to customers on Thursday announcing that it had acquired the remaining stock, though the cigars can also be found at other retailers.

Indian Tabac Cigar Co. was launched in 1995, the creation of Patel and business partner Phil Zanghi, and the cigars followed the following year. In addition to being the line that put Patel on the map as a cigar man, it also spurred on the big-ring gauge movement in cigars, as the 6 x 58 Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Gorilla was one of the biggest cigars on the market in the early 2000s.

The line begin to diminish in prominence around 2003 as Patel focused on the new line of cigars that bore his name, but the Indian Tabac brand didn’t disappear completely. It still graced the company until March 2006, when Patel changed the name from Indian Tabac Cigar Co. to Rocky Patel Premium Cigars. Despite a focus on cigars with Patel’s name, Indian Tabac still found a home in plenty of retailers, catalogs and online merchants as it was known for delivering a good smoke at a reasonable price.

During its time, the Indian Tabac brand had several lines, including the Classic, Maduro, Super Fuerte, Cameroon Legend and Ltd. Reserve.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.