An Evening over cigars with Rocky Patel

“A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke”…..Rudyard Kipling

The above lines might be interpreted by some as a bit of a sexist remark but they do convey the almost reverential passion that cigar aficionados seem to have for cigars…….and that kind of passion was displayed on a cold winter evening on the terrace of Oberoi, New Delhi by a gentleman named Rocky Patel.

Now who on earth is Rocky Patel you might well ask. Well, that could be considered to be a rather sacrilegious question in the world of cigars where he is ostensibly considered to be quite a rock star, being the creator of one of the hottest selling cigar brands – the “Rocky Patel”. But this is India which is a nascent market for cigars and that is why a motley collection of food bloggers, journalists, etc. were invited over to get an insight into what cigars are all about and what Rocky Patel means to cigars.

Ushered onto the terrace after more than a bit of delay (thanks to quite a few “hanger ons” who simply refused to leave from a tete-a-tete with Rocky Patel scheduled separately and prior to ours), we were plied with snacks and whisky by the excellent waiting staff of Oberoi. We were also presented with two of his cigar brands described thus :

• Rocky Patel Decade Cameroon : A cigar that starts off with a sweet hickory notes entwined with soft soft spice accompanied by delicious notes of caramel. Flavours of coffee and roasted nuts build as you smoke it. As the cigar progresses, coffee and roasted nuts enter the equation before a clean and flavourful finish.
• Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 : A medium bodied cigar leaning more towards the milder side with a nutty, caramel essence – twice placed in the Top 25 Cigars of the world by Cigar Aficionado.

While I used to be a regular smoker, I have to confess that it was almost always cigarettes for me (barring an occasional dalliance with Cohibas – that too, more the cigarillos than the cigars). Having said that, considering the basic purpose of this gathering, I lit up a Vintage 1990…..and was delightfully surprised ! So smooth ! And yes, the description did not lie – I did get a distinct nutty, caramel essence. Somehow, I feel it would go very well with a Highland Park 18 years single malt – got to try this pairing out some day !

Incidentally, I indulged in a bit of a strict “no no” as far as cigar smoking goes by deliberately inhaling a bit just to test out the claim of the cigar being on the milder side (I know, I know ! What is supposed to be mild is the flavour but still !) ….wonder of wonders – it did not make me gag and choke!

Towards the latter part of the evening, Rocky was presented with a mike and talked a bit about himself and more about cigars about which he waxed eloquent.

Rocky was born in India and studied in Doon School before he crossed the shores to the US and eventually became a lawyer. It was while he was practicing as a Hollywood attorney representing  actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gene Hackman that he was exposed to cigar smoking by spending time with these actors between takes. This built up his interest in cigars eventually leading to him selling off his legal practice and shifting to Honduras for six years or so working and learning the cigar trade. This was in spite of major dissuasion from friends and family –probably, he took his namesake (Rocky Balboa from the movie) to heart when Rocky Balboa said – “I guess what I’m trying to say is , If I can change and you can change, everybody can change”. 🙂

In Rocky’s opinion, Cuban cigars are overrated and his cigars, manufactured in plantations in Honduras and Nicaragua, are made to more exacting standards. For instance, he restricts the manufacture of his cigars to about 250 a day as compared to 800 or so typically manufactured per day in Cuba which enables him to ensure the strictest quality control and inspection of each and every cigar manufactured. This obsession for quality has resulted in his cigars constantly achieving high ratings from critics and journals and being recognized with numerous awards such as the Ambassador Award from Cigar Journal, Best Brand Honduras, Best Cigar Honduras, etc.

Currently, Rocky Patel cigars are available in India in various five star hotels and are distributed by “Cigar Conexion” which is head quartered in Bangalore. Rocky’s goal is to have many more outlets in 5 star hotels in the country and he may even consider setting up a factory in Gujarat or Andhra Pradesh. This is in keeping with his belief that the tribe of cigar smokers will increase over time in India.

Cigar lovers in India must be looking forward to that !