{{short description|American company}} {{Advert|date=April 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} The '''Rocky Patel Premium Cigar Company''' is a manufacturer of cigars, founded by Rakesh "Rocky" Patel and based in Bonita Springs, Florida.
==History== The company was founded in 1995 as Indian Tabac Cigar Co. by Hollywood attorney Rakesh "Rocky" Patel, who became interested in cigars when spending time with actors between takes, and sold his legal practice to start the business.<ref name=lifestyle>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cigarjournal.com/its-a-lifestyle-rocky-patel-premium-cigars/|title=It's A Lifestyle: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars |last=Ganley|first=Colin C.|website=Cigar Journal|date=April 15, 2014 |access-date=July 11, 2018}}</ref><ref name=discontinues>{{cite web| last = Lagreid| first = Patrick| title = Rocky Patel Discontinues Indian Tabac| url = https://halfwheel.com/rocky-patel-discontinues-indian-tabac| date = January 23, 2015| accessdate = November 15, 2020| archive-date = June 29, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180629213111/https://halfwheel.com/rocky-patel-discontinues-indian-tabac| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bashandburn.com/rocky-patel-bio/ |title=Rocky Patel Premium Cigars: Rocky Patel, Nish Patel, Nimish Desai |website=Bash and Burn |access-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119130544/https://www.bashandburn.com/rocky-patel-bio/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was named under license for the Indian Motorcycle<ref name=Interview>{{cite web | last = Savona | first = David | title = Rocky II | url = http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/Cigar_Stars_Profile/0,2547,206,00.html| magazine=Cigar Aficionado |date=May 1, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050528224135/http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/Cigar_Stars_Profile/0,2547,206,00.html |archive-date=May 28, 2005 }}</ref> and began in California in partnership with Phillip Zanghi III, who ran the company's growing and manufacturing operations in Honduras. The company later moved to Naples, Florida,<ref name = Goodbye>{{cite web | last = Benda | first = Isabella | title = Goodbye Hollywood | website = Aon.at | url = http://members.aon.at/falstaff/englisch/bf199.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531201832/http://members.aon.at/falstaff/englisch/bf199.htm |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> and was renamed to Rocky Patel Premium Cigars in 2006. The Indian Tabac brand was discontinued in 2014.<ref name = discontinues/>
Initially run entirely by Rocky Patel, since 2013 the company has been co-managed by his brother Nish Patel, who heads sales and major client relations, and his cousin Nimish Desai, who is head of production.<ref name=lifestyle/> {{As of|2015}}, it was based in Bonita Springs.<ref name=Wash>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Neibauer |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2015/08/return-of-the-smokefilled-room-massive-cigar.html |title=Return of the smoke-filled room? Massive cigar lounge pitched for Chinatown |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=August 13, 2015 |accessdate=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=August 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816010254/http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2015/08/return-of-the-smokefilled-room-massive-cigar.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the early 2000s, the Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Gorilla was one of the largest cigars available, and its size was emulated by other producers.<ref name=discontinues/> In 2008 the Rocky Patel Decade cigar, produced to mark the tenth year of the business, achieved a classic 95 rating in ''Cigar Aficionado''.<ref name=lifestyle/>
In 2010, Patel opened a cigar and drinking lounge in Naples called Burn by Rocky Patel; in 2018 and 2019, other lounges opened in Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and Atlanta.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.burnbyrockypatel.com/|title=An Evolution In Lounges|website=Burn|access-date=November 15, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101140817/https://www.burnbyrockypatel.com/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Gregory |last=Mottola |url=https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/burn-by-rocky-patel-is-coming-to-steel-city-19003 |title=Burn By Rocky Patel is Coming to Steel City |magazine=Cigar Aficionado |date=September 8, 2016 |accessdate=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117035051/https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/burn-by-rocky-patel-is-coming-to-steel-city-19003 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Rossilynne |last=Culgan |url=https://archive.theincline.com/2018/04/12/theres-no-smoking-inside-burn-by-rocky-patel-until-hvac-is-fixed/ |title=There's no smoking inside Burn by Rocky Patel until its HVAC is fixed |newspaper=The Incline |date=April 12, 2018 |accessdate=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925024137/https://archive.theincline.com/2018/04/12/theres-no-smoking-inside-burn-by-rocky-patel-until-hvac-is-fixed/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Charlie |last=Minato |url=https://halfwheel.com/burn-by-rocky-patel-oklahoma-city-opening-thursday/268045/ |title=BURN by Rocky Patel Oklahoma City Opening Thursday |website=Halfwheel |date=June 18, 2018 |accessdate=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920172705/https://halfwheel.com/burn-by-rocky-patel-oklahoma-city-opening-thursday/268045/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://eu.indystar.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2019/12/11/new-cigar-bar-burn-rocky-patel-set-open-downtown-indianapolis/4401283002/|title=Opulent cigar bar Burn by Rocky Patel opens Downtown in part of former Nordstrom|newspaper=Indianapolis Star|date=December 11, 2019|accessdate=November 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Yvonne |last=Zusel |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/atlanta-restaurants/cigar-bar-burn-rocky-patel-opening-this-weekend-the-battery/AEZFSCyaKzAxaxISG3v7GJ/ |title=Cigar bar Burn by Rocky Patel opening this weekend at The Battery |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=May 8, 2019 |accessdate=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=May 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508224130/https://www.ajc.com/blog/atlanta-restaurants/cigar-bar-burn-rocky-patel-opening-this-weekend-the-battery/AEZFSCyaKzAxaxISG3v7GJ/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020 the Naples lounge hosted one of the preliminaries for the Cigar Smoking World Championships.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gulfshorelife.com/events/cigar-smoking-world-championship-at-burn/|title=Cigar Smoking World Championship at Burn|newspaper=Gulfshore Life|date=March 2020|accessdate=November 14, 2020|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814144937/https://www.gulfshorelife.com/events/cigar-smoking-world-championship-at-burn/|url-status=live}}</ref>
From 2020 to 2024 Rocky Patel was the official cigar of the Cigar Smoking World Championships.
==Production== The cigars were initially all produced from tobacco grown in El Paraíso, Honduras, leased from Nestor Plasencia;<ref name=lifestyle/><ref name=Interview/> Patel later expanded production to Nicaragua, where he began growing in Estelí with Amilcar Perez Castro and the company built a factory.<ref name=lifestyle/>
==See also== *List of cigar brands
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.rockypatel.com/ Rocky Patel Premium Cigar Company] *[http://www.smokemag.com/0906/qa.htm ''Smoke'' magazine] interview with Rocky Patel, Fall 2006
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Rocky Premium Cigars}} Category:Cigar brands Category:Companies based in Florida Category:American companies established in 1995