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| THE INDIANS THAT STARTED IT ALL |
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Page 1 of 2  Tasting and grading the almost-forgotten Indian Tabac lineLos Angeles, May 9 – Rocky Patel was a Beverly Hills lawyer when he decided to get into the cigar business as the Cigar Boom of the 1990s picked up steam. In 1996, he was attended cigar events in Southern California and quietly passing out his new cigar with a brightly-colored band that pictured two Indians in full headdress looking at each other. The cigar was called Indian Tabac. Patel persevered through the Cigar Boom, promoting his Indian Classic, Indian Cameroon Legend and other lines tirelessly. His business exploded, however, in 2003, with the introduction of his “Vintage” lines, now known as the Indian Vintage 1990 and 1992. He followed up with the wildly popular “The Edge” in 2004 and after changing the company name to Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, he’s an important player in the American cigar market. There are now three Vintage lines, two Edge lines, the Rocky Patel Decade, Sun Grown and Olde World Reserve brands, not to mention up to 10 other lines made with the Rocky Patel name and distributed by third parties such as Cigars International and Famous Smoke Shop. But the Indian Tabac brand is not dead, or even resting. It’s quite alive and we checked out the current line-up of blends, which are certainly lower in profile than the Rocky Patel series, but not in quality! Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend – Cameroon wrapper: [Honduras: available in 3 sizes] This blend was introduced in 2000 and is offered with a choice of a genuine Cameroon or a Brazilian maduro wrapper. Given the brand name, the Cameroon-wrapped edition was of the most interest. There is a toasty aroma to start and a full-bodied presence in the mouth that’s quite smooth. The flavor has a caramelized bent and while rich, is rather light and clean, a perfect exposition of how a cigar can have a full body, but a fairly mild taste. The flavor has a welcome tang to it but is gentle on the palate with an impressive smoothness and mellow finish. Well blended, it is quite consistent from start to finish. It’s also a nice value, with retail prices ranging from $5.20 to $6.40 per cigar, exclusive of local sales and tobacco taxes. This one’s a winner. Overall grade: A: Exceptional. Indian Tabac Classic Corojo: [Honduras: available in 4 sizes] Here is the original cigar introduced by Rocky Patel from 1995, but re-blended for a richer flavor in 2003. It’s full-bodied now, with a spicy aroma. |
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Did you know?
“"Belinda" which means "very pretty" in Spanish, is made in Honduras (hand-made) and Cuba (machine-made).
