Rocky Patel Premium Cigars was founded in 1996 by Rakesh 'Rocky' Patel, a former entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles, California. After discovering a passion for cigars in the early 1990s, Patel left his law career to learn cigar-making, traveling to Honduras and Nicaragua to study tobacco cultivation and blending. He launched his first brand, Indian Tabac, in 1996, and rebranded the company under his own name in 2003. The company is headquartered in Naples, Florida.
Rocky Patel cigars are manufactured at several factories in Honduras and Nicaragua, including the company's own TaviCusa factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, which Patel built in 2013. The brand's portfolio is extensive, with popular lines including the Rocky Patel Vintage series (1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, and 2006 vintages, each named for the year the wrapper leaf was harvested), the Decade, Fifteenth Anniversary, Twentieth Anniversary, and the premium ALR (Aged, Limited, Rare) series. Rocky Patel also produces the affordable Factory Selects and the value-priced Juniors line.
The Vintage 1990 and Vintage 1992 are among the brand's most recognized and highly rated offerings, both receiving multiple 90+ scores from Cigar Aficionado. The brand has earned several #2 Cigar of the Year rankings from Cigar Aficionado. Rocky Patel cigars use tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, and Connecticut, with a focus on aged wrapper leaves that contribute to the Vintage series' distinctive character.
Rocky Patel has expanded beyond cigars into the lifestyle space, operating the BURN by Rocky Patel lounge chain, with locations in several U.S. cities including Naples, Atlanta, and Indianapolis. The company produces an estimated 15-20 million cigars annually and distributes to over 80 countries worldwide. Rocky Patel remains one of the most commercially successful cigar brands launched in the modern era.