Rocky Patel Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes Toro

The Tabaquero is the cigar Rocky Patel built with Hamlet Paredes, a Cuban-trained roller and former Habanos ambassador who joined the company after Rocky met him at a rolling demonstration. It's an unusual blend: a dark Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a double binder of San Andrés and Brazilian Mata Fina, with Nicaraguan filler, hand-rolled at the TaviCusa factory in Estelí. This is the 6 x 52 Toro.

What it tastes like

The San Andrés wrapper and dual dark binder push a rich, earthy profile: dark chocolate and espresso up front, deep earth, a firm pepper, and cedar underneath. It lands at medium-full — flavorful and a little spicy, with a smooth construction and a long, dark finish. The Brazilian Mata Fina in the binder adds a distinctive sweetness you don't get in most Patel blends.

Who it's for

A cigar for someone who enjoys a darker, earthier smoke and likes the story of a Cuban-trained tabaquero behind it. Pair it with espresso, an aged rum, or a stout. To understand the wrapper that defines it, read Maduro vs Connecticut, and Cuban vs Nicaraguan frames the New World craft.

Track it in the Casa DNC app and rate it against another San Andrés-wrapped Rocky, the Sixty.