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Rakesh "Rocky" Patel introduced the Indan Tabac blend in the mid 1990s. Patel was a Hollywood attorney who represented several movie actors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gene Hackman. Patel was exposed to cigar smoking by spending time with the actors between takes. This lead to an interest in the industry. He subsequently sold his attorney practice [1] and spent five years in Honduras working and learning the cigar trade. This time included field and barn work. In 2002, the company changed its name from Indian Tabac to Rocky Patel Premium Cigars. In 2003, Rocky Patel launched the Vintage 1990 and Vintage 1992 cigars. The Vintage Series received "Best of the Best" accolades from the Robb Report. The Vintage 1990 Robusto was rated 92 by Cigar Aficionado, and the Vintage 1992 Torpedo was subsequently rated 90. As of 2006, Rocky Patel Premium Cigar Company's annual sales exceeded $25 million. The company manufactured 16 million cigars in 2007. In 2008 the Rocky Patel Decade cigar achieved a classic 95 rating in Cigar Aficionado. The Decade marked the 10th year of their business. |