Rocky Patel Hamlet 25th Year Robusto

Born and raised in Cuba, Hamlet Paredes for years was arguably one of Cuba’s best cigar rollers. In fact, he was so good that the company he worked for, Habanos, used to dispatch him to various tobacconists worldwide to create custom shapes and sizes. In fact, he was known for rolling “free hand” cigars where there were no molds or presses; trust us when we say that is no easy feat. In 2015, Hamlet and his family emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. when restrictions were finally eased after over 50 years. Soon after, he joined the Rocky Patel family and started creating his own cigars at Rocky Patel’s facilities, just like the one you have in your shipment today. To celebrate his 25 year career in the cigar business, he decided to make a special masterpiece, the Hamlet 25th Year. Handmade in Nicaragua, this smoke comes dressed in a rich Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that hugs a Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder and a bevy of Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. With each puff you’ll find notes of cedar, coffee and spice. Try it with a Glenfiddich 15 Year.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.