Rocky Patel Vintage 20th Anniversary Toro

Starting out as an entertainment lawyer and slowly making the transition into cigar maker, Rocky Patel has a well-earned reputation for uncompromising quality. He has received so many stellar ratings and awards from industry groups and publications, he's in a class by himself. Every cigar he makes undergoes rigorous quality control measures to ensure that only the best cigars from the rolling table make it to a consumer's hand. No wonder his sticks are some of the most sought after in the world! In 2003, his Indian Tabac Cigar Company formally transitioned into Rocky Patel Premium Cigars. The Vintage Series was the first line to come out of the new branding and the Rocky Patel Vintage 20th Anniversary Toro you have in your shipment today was created to commemorate that special year. Handmade in Nicaragua under the watchful eye of Rocky Patel, this smoke starts with a bevy of Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers, and is then enrobed by a Brazilian binder and finished with a handsome Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Medium to full in body, expect rich and smooth notes of espresso bean, earth, black tobacco, and dark cocoa with a dash of a spice on the finish. Pair this limited edition smoke with a Chimay Première Trappist Ale.

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.