Feature Story: Spotlight on Rocky Patel Premium Cigars at the 2018 IPCPR

Going back four or five years ago, you could expect a slew of new cigars from Rocky Patel Premium Cigars at IPCPR. The past two or three years has seen the number of new releases decrease. While three new lines may seem a lot less than it used to be, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars’ still had quite a busy trade show with a very active booth. What I particularly liked about the 2018 Rocky Patel Premium Cigars’ rollout at IPCPR was it was a nice mix of things. There were three new lines, including one limited edition, the continued expansion of the Hamlet line, the return of a classic line in Olde World Reserve, and a beautiful packaging change to one of Rocky Patel’s Fifteenth Anniversary lines.

The Rocky Patel ALR is a new small batch line. ALR stands for Aged, Limited, Rare. Back in 2015, there was a blend that Rocky Patel was working on at the Tavicusa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. He opted to do a small production run of 100,000 and felt it was a blend suited to aging the fully rolled cigars over time. This year, the blend comes to market as the ALR.

ALR’s blend features a Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. It’s available in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), and Sixty (6 x 60). Each is presented in 20-count boxes with a total of 1,500 boxes per size being released.

Speaking of the Tavicusa factory, it will now have its own brand in the Rocky Patel portfolio. This brand is being launched to pay homage to the tenth anniversary of Rocky Patel’s boutique factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. This release was a surprise to many because Rocky Patel Premium Cigars had made many announcements prior to IPCPR, but had not mentioned this.

Tavicusa consists of a San Andres Maduro wrapper over tobaccos from the Condega, Jalapa, and Estelí regions of Nicaragua. The cigar is available in three sizes: Robusto (5 1/2 x 50); Toro (6 1/2 x 52), and Sixty (6 x 60).

There’s a new cigar under Hamlet Paredes’ Hamlet line called Hamlet Liberation. It’s the third project for Paredes under the Hamlet line since he joined Rocky Patel Premium Cigars after working many years in Cuba as a master roller and brand ambassador.

The Hamlet Liberation features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. It is being released in one size – a 6 1/2 x 55 Figurado featuring one-inch rough cut shaggy footer and a tapered head. It will be packaged in ten-count boxes.

The Hamlet 25th, the second blend under the Hamlet line, is getting a line extension in the form of a Salomon. This is quite a big Salomon, measuring 7 5/8 x 58. The Hamlet 25th Year features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Pennsylvania broadleaf binder, and filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. The Salomon is the first line extension to Hamlet 25th, and fourth vitola overall.

After being taken out of national distribution in 2012, the Olde World Reserve line is returning as a regular production line in the Rocky Patel Premium Cigars portfolio. Both the Olde World Reserve Corojo and Maduro lines return.

The Olde World Reserve Corojo will be the cigar that will continue to be produced as the original. It will feature the original blend which includes a Honduran Corojo wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Production remains at the El Paraiso factory in Honduras as before. As for the Olde World Reserve Maduro, that cigar will be produced at TaviCusa in Estelí, Nicaragua. This cigar features a Costa Rican Maduro wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers.

Both blends are returning in three box-pressed sizes: Robusto (5 1/4 x 54), Toro (6 1/2 x 52), and Sixty (6 x 60). In addition, both blends get packaging updates.

Finally, eight years after it made its debut, the Rocky Patel Fifteenth Anniversary also gets a packaging update. In terms of packaging, in general, this author thinks that Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has been releasing some of the industry’s most aesthetically pleasing packaging out there.

ALR, Tavicusa, and Liberation by Hamlet were launched at a release party held at the BURN by Rocky Patel lounge in Naples, Florida. They are shipping to retailers nationwide shortly thereafter.

Tavicusa was launched (along with ALR and Liberation by Hamlet) on August 22 at a Release Party hosted by BURN by Rocky Patel in Naples, Florida. Those Nicaraguan brands will arrive on tobacconist shelves shortly.