rocky patel

Luxist Interview: Rocky Patel Discusses His Latest Cigars

On his recent trip to New York, I was able to catch up with Rocky Patel. He discusses his three newest cigars, including the recently released Patel Brothers stick (which is an enjoyable smoke). He still has a three more cigars up his sleeve for 2010, including a 15th anniversary cigar and a special edition stick. The anniversary cigar hits the streets in June, with the other two cigars being released over the summer. Watch the video for the full story from Rocky Patel himself.

Gallery: Rocky Patel Comes to Mahattan

Disclosure: I interviewed Rocky Patel while attending a cigar dinner as an unpaid guest of De La Concha. Even if I had not invited, I would have shown up at a minimum to interview Rocky without participating in the dinner.
[Photos by Steve Zak]

Tags: cigar, cigar lounge, cigars, interview, rocky patel

Ten Champagne and Cigar Pairings for the Holiday Season

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Wine

Nothing compares to the perfect pairing of champagne and a cigar. Too often, cigars wind up with dark liquors, their natural partners. Rum, port, scotch and cognac are the norm for an after-dinner smoke -- not champagne. With the holiday season coming, of course, the preferred beverage will likely bubble, so finding the right cigars for the top libation will be crucial.

Fortunately, Vin Lee, CEO of the Beverly Hills Cigar Club, has agreed to help us out. As you prepare for the new year, take a look at the cigar and champagne pairings that he recommends, with both ubiquitous and rare products on the list. Lee says, "In this day and age, not everyone can afford a $50 cigar and a $300 bottle of champagne," said Lee. "Complementing a wonderful glass of champagne with a great cigar for the holidays is something everyone should be able to enjoy."

BHCC's 2010 Top 10 Champagne and Cigar Pairings are:

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Cigar Companies Bringing Back Salomon

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Cigar manufacturers are taking another look at the Salomon cigar style. It's a classic, according to Cigar Aficionado's Gregory Mottola, that many seem to have forgotten for a while. Rocky Patel, La Aurora and La Flor Dominicana are bringing back Salomon, and customers are voting for the size with their dollars. On that small island south of Florida, Habanos S.A. has added a new Salomon to its product line.

For those of you who are new to cigars, you probably haven't seen a Salomon. It's a fairly large cigar that's tapered at both ends, and it is often finished with a nipple foot. Don't confuse it with the smaller perfecto or larger diadema. Apparently, this isn't an easy size to produce, calling for a considerable amount of rolling skill and twice the time of a "normal" stick.

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Tags: cigar, cigars, habanos, la aurora, LaAurora, rocky patel, RockyPatel, salomon, tobacco, tobacco industry, tobacco use, TobaccoIndustry, TobaccoUse

Cigars, Golf and Happy Hour in Pennsylvania

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

What are you doing on April 24? If you're a golfer, you're about to get a new answer to that question. That's the first day of the Famous 2009 Golf Tour, sponsored by Famous Smoke Shop and ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley. So, clean your clubs and get ready to head out to the Riverview Golf & Country Club in Easton, PA in a few weeks.

The golf tour itself stretches all the way to the Championship Round on October 9, so if you have a decent swing, you could spend close to six months chasing a little white ball around a carefully manicured lawn.

"Each match will be a two-man 'Best Ball Scramble,'" according to Famous Smoke Shop store manager, Tim Carr. "If a player doesn't have a partner, we will assign them one. Players' handicaps will also be used as a guide for creating the foursomes and pairing-up singles, but not for scoring of the rounds, which will be based on a points system," he added.

If, like me, you don't play golf, Famous Smoke Shop has a few other events planned for the summer, so you'll have no shortage of reasons to light up a cigar (as if you need one).

Golf Round 1, April 25: Classic Car Show
Golf Round 2, May 29: Motorcycle Show
Golf Round 3, June 27: Cigar Expo 2009
Golf Round 4, July 25: Classic Car Show
Golf Round 5, August 29: Motorcycle Show
Golf Round 6, September 19: TBD

The events will be held at the Famous Smoke Shop store in Easton, PA.

If you're planning to enter the tournament, the cost is $89.99 per round, and there are pro-rated discounts available for volume. A Happy Hour follows each event, where food and drinks will be served ... with featured cigars from event sponsors Drew Estate (ACID), CAO, Camacho, Cusano, Rocky Patel and Los Blancos.

Tags: camacho, cao, cigar, cigars, country club, country clubs, CountryClub, CountryClubs, easton, easton pennsylvania, eastonpennsylvania, golf, golf tour, golf tournament, golf tours, golfer, golfing, GolfTour, GolfTournament, GolfTours, lehigh, lehigh-valley, pennsylvania, rocky patel, RockyPatel

New Rocky Patel Cigar Lounge to Open in Scottsdale

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

If you live in Scottsdale, AZ, you're about to have a new place to smoke. Pat Mitchel, owner of 21 Degrees Cigar & Accessories, is expanding his store with a Rocky Patel-sponsored lounge. Smoking bans have made lounges more important than ever to the success of the cigar trade, as customers are running out of places to smoke.

The engagement of sponsors is starting to gather momentum, particularly given tough market conditions in which every brand needs to find every advantage available. Sources say that Cigar Inn, in New York, entertained offers from several manufacturers before finally giving the sponsorship opportunity to magazine Cigar Aficionado.

Mitchell's sponsor, Rocky Patel, is excited to be participating in its first lounge, saying "Scottsdale is a good location, with good clientele."

The store pulls its name from the temperature, 21 degrees Celsius (just off 70 degrees Fahrenheit) at which humidors are kept.

Gallery: Rocky Patel Cigar Lounge, 21 Degrees Cigars

Vault door at the Rocky Patel cigar lounge

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Tags: cigar, cigar accessories, cigar aficionado, cigar lounge, CigarAccessories, CigarAficionado, CigarLounge, cigars, humidor, humidors, lounge, lounges, rocky patel, RockyPatel, smoking, smoking ban, smoking bans, SmokingBan, SmokingBans

Cigar Expo 2009 Tickets on Sale

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Tickets for Cigar Expo 2009 are now on sale. The event takes place on Saturday, June 27 – starting at 2 PM. If you pony up for a VIP ticket, you'll also get to attend a dinner with the cigar manufacturers the night before. So, if you're in Easton, PA and have $150 to burn ($225 for the VIP level), this is an event to check out.

Famous Smoke Shop, the operation behind the festivities, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year – as guests are likely to notice. "We're going to give this year's attendees the royal treatment," said Famous Smoke Shop Retail Store manager, Tim Carr ... and he gives some pretty compelling examples. "Not only will every guest receive at least 50 cigars, but we'll have plenty of entertainment, waitress service, a cigar menu, fantastic food, and some amazing raffle prizes."

The list of vendors participating this year is long and distinguished, including Altadis, Avo, CAO, Camacho, Davidoff, Joya De Nicaragua, Rocky Patel and General Cigar – along with many others. There's a good chance you'll find something you'll like.

Tags: altadis, camacho, camacho select, camachoselect, CAO, cigar, cigar accessories, cigar dinner, cigar shop, CigarAccessories, CigarDinner, cigars, CigarShop, davidoff, easton, pennsylvania, rocky patel, RockyPatel, tobacco

Rocky Patel Junior Sun Growns and Vintage Series

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Lately I've become very interested in smaller cigars. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't always have the attention span or the stomach for a long strong cigar. For short cigar lovers like me, Rocky Patel is now making the Sun Grown and Vintage 1990 and 1992 in 4x38 size. The Sun Grown is a medium to full bodied cigar with a five-year-old Ecuadorian sun grown sumatra wrapper. The 1990 vintage is a mild to medium bodied with a 12-year-old Honduran Broadleaf wrapper and a five year filler and binder. The 1992 vintage is a medium to full bodied cigar with a ten-year-old Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper along with the 5 year old filler and binder. The cigars come in tins of five.

[via Smoke Magazine]

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Tags: cigars, indian tabac, rocky patel, RockyPatel, short cigars, smokes, tobacco