In 1961, Rakesh Patel was born in India. That’s a long way from just being able to get a hand on a good selection of decent western cigars, and even further from taking part in the cigar business itself, but we’ll be darned if little Rakesh didn’t grow up to be big Rocky and come to take over anyway.
Unlikely stories are an American favorite, right?
Well, this one is plenty unlikely.
First, he had to get the U.S., which he did. After that, he had to manage to become a success. In his case, his chosen profession was to be a lawyer. He must have been a decent one, because he ended up with A-list clientele like Gene Hackman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And while on set meeting these macho men, he would be in a swirl of cigar smoke – some of the best around. He got hooked, and soon picked up the habit himself. He would head down to the Grand Havana Room from time to time and enjoy a stogie.
One day, while he was puffing away, he was approached by Paul Zanghi to finance a new cigar brand called “Indian Tabac.” Rocky was in. But just putting up some money wasn’t enough. The cigars were calling to his soul, and he needed to learn the business more deeply. He visited fields, farms, and factories, learning tobacco and cigars from the ground up. A few years later, Indian Tabac transformed into Rocky Patel, slowly gaining steam and producing high quality blends that discriminating aficionados would come to enjoy.
But it all began in 1961, and so this cigar was created to celebrate the man behind the smoke.
The Rocky Patel 1961 features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a well-chosen blend of tobaccos inside. The smoke is medium bodied, offering flavors of cedar, sweet bread, and light spice. It a fine cigar in its own right, and a great way to commemorate the humble beginnings of a baby named Rakesh who would ultimately be responsible for some very fine stogies.
Please browse our selection of Rocky Patel 1961 cigars at your leisure.