A Los Angeles attorney was at the Grand Havana Room enjoying a cigar, finally getting some peace and quiet, when he was approached by a young man in need of financing for a cigar venture. The two had a productive discussion, and the Indian Tabac cigar brand was launched. As luck would have it, this brand would suck the attorney in away from his at-times glamorous practice representing Hollywood stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gene Hackman. It would become so all-consuming that he’d leave his career entirely and become a full time cigar maker.
By 2010, it was time for a celebration, and Rocky Patel issued his 15th Anniversary cigar to commemorate 15 years in business. The Indian Tabac brand name had fallen away years ago in favor of his own, but the man behind the tobacco was much the same, if a little older and wiser.
Patel calls the Rocky Patel Fifteenth Anniversary cigar “a Decade on steroids”. For those familiar with the Decade, it’s one of Patel’s highest rated sticks and definitely one of the cigars on which his recent reputation was built. The 15th Anniversary, however, has perhaps since eclipsed it, pulling in award after award. With a 93 rating, Cigar Aficionado has ranked this cigar at #6 in 2011, #19 in 2010, #18 in 2013, and #20 in 2018. It’s a blend that has stood the test of time and is still maintaining premium quality after all these years.
The outside features a high priming Ecuador Habano wrapper. Inside, you’ll find a Nicaraguan filler blend from a farm in Estelí that that Patel says produces some of his richest and spiciest tobaccos. The Fifteenth Anniversary cigars were initially made in the Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Rollers there make cigars using traditional Cuban methods: entubado rolling (individual rolling prior to including in a bound bunch), using two binder leaves, and finishing with a triple cap.
What the hell is the damn smoke like already? Ah yes, we almost forgot! This is a medium to full body smoke with classic flavors of coffee bean, cocoa, and earth. It’s also box pressed so you can enjoy a nice draw and even flavor profile as you go along.
