In the cigar industry, Rocky Patel is among the top 5 manufacturers producing cigars. He has a renowned reputation for his attention to detail; utilizing strict quality control standards to ensure each and every single cigar offers perfect combustion, allowing for a clean and even burn each time his cigars are lit. In fact, one of Rocky's more recent blends, Decade, earned a 95 rating, one of the highest ever awarded by Cigar Aficionado. Due to his reputation for quality, his high ratings, and his overall knowledge in the cigar industry, Rocky Patel continues to lead the industry with his ever so popular blends.

Created to honor the 10th ongoing year of Indian Tabac, ITC 10th Anniversary showcases a seamless, slightly oily Habano wrapper. The fillers are Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and offer a medium-bodied, complex bouquet of flavors including cedar mixed with hearty notes of earth and pepper. The blend is a Nicaraguan puro, as all of the tobaccos used to assemble this fantastic cigar are strictly grown in Nicaragua, which is a real treat. ITC 10th Anniversary also offers a long, sweet finish while maintaining a smooth character, as it produces white clouds of creamy smoke with a sweet, cedar-like aroma. Make no mistake, ITC 10th Anniversary is a medium-bodied prize packed full of flavor and is truly, a delight to enjoy.

Q: What is an infused cigar?

A: There are many different types of cigars on the market, but none are quite as unique as a properly infused cigar. Cigars maintain their flavor and aroma from the combination of filler tobaccos and wrapper leaves used in each blend. Some factors that determine a cigar's flavor include the type of tobacco utilized, their country of origin, and their age. However, it is possible to create a cigar that emits flavors and aromas not naturally found in the physical tobacco making up each cigar. The process for creating these types of cigars is known as "infusing."

Infusing a cigar is not an incredibly hard task but one that takes time and patience. The most common infused cigars incorporate a cognac or whiskey into the blend, like Erin Go Bragh. The most unique, however, are the Acid cigars produced by Drew Estate. These cigars are infused with hundreds of different herbs and botanicals through a highly secretive process, which less than a handful of individuals know about. Regardless, there are two basic methods used to infuse a cigar. The first method involves injecting oils, botanicals, or spirits of your choice into the tobacco. This method is not recommended since it involves a needle and an incredible amount of time spent slowly injecting the cigar, which may not only damage the stick but also cause an inconsistent flavor and balance. The second, recommended method simply involves leaving the cigars in a sealed container (preferably a humidor only used for infusing), with the ingredients you've chosen to use during the process. After about 2 to 4 weeks (depending on how potent you prefer your cigars to be) remove the cigars from their aging container and they should be ready to enjoy. It is best to use milder; Connecticut wrapped cigars for this process and to only infuse 20 to 30 cigars at a time.

Many are all too familiar with the Ashton name. The brand has produced countless blends, most of which have been advertised in leading publications such as Cigar Aficionado with many earning high ratings. Ashton cigars are enjoyed by the most discerning aficionados, offer a smooth character and tend to be mild to medium-bodied with perfect, seamless wrappers that are incredibly well constructed. Thus, enter La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial – a more potent blend under the Ashton umbrella, blended with the full-bodied enthusiast in mind.

Handcrafted by Don Pepin Garcia, La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial contains a robust blend of Cuban-seed, Nicaraguan tobaccos all cultivated in Ecuador. These incredibly smooth and tasty leaves are bound by an oily, seamless Cuban-seed wrapper, which adds a leathery characteristic to the blend. The blend is assembled by master torcedors and offers a medium to full body with many competing nuances of earth and cinnamon. La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial also emits a creamy smoke, releasing nuances of cedar and earth into the air. This blend is highly enjoyable and recommended by many enthusiasts; perfect after a hearty meal.

No. 2 (4.8" x 48) Easy draw with tons of different aromas. Burned perfectly even from start to finish and was incredibly complex. The smoke produced a ton of cedar-like nuances with a definitive cinnamon flavor in the aftertaste. Did not notice many sweet flavors. 90/100 [Buy Now]

No. 5 (5.5" x 52) Great size with a cool and even burn. Noticeably complex with cedar, earth, white pepper, and spicy notes intermingled throughout. Far from boring and produced a thick, creamy smoke. The wrapper was very oily and the aftertaste left a sweet flavor on the palate, with some hints of nutmeg. 90/100 [Buy Now]

No. 3 (6" x 50) Pepper fills the palate with the initial light, producing a robust experience from the start. The blend's medium-bodied character shifts halfway through to a more potent full-bodied flavor with spicy undertones that mask its cinnamon characteristics. Almost no sweet nuances were present, as the cigar burned slightly uneven. Complex, strong, and robust. 89/100
[Buy Now]

No. 1 (5.6" x 46) Offered many competing nuances between pepper, spice, and cinnamon. Noticeable sweetness left on the palate with an oily feel. Burned slightly hot to the touch and was very earthy. Robust. 89/100 [Buy Now]

No. 4 Torpedo (7" x 49) Robust from the start. Burned well but still maintained a tighter draw than expected. Earthy sensations were noticeable throughout with a unique sweet-pepper flavor left on the palate. Great aroma. 88/100 [Buy Now]

11/07/08: Join the CCOM guys as they discuss the Padilla catalog of brands. You'll learn more than you ever imagined about Padilla...and Juan. Don't say we didn't warn you! [Listen Now]

Avo 787 - A super premium, Dominican cigar that is not only one of the most limited cigars Avo has released, but may also be Avo’s best blend to date.

G.A.R. - A full-flavored, full-bodied cigar, G.A.R. is George Rico's initial blend! The flavors are quite complex providing a rich core of coffee-like nuances, perfectly blended with some peppery undertones.

Drew Estate Tabak Especial - Yet another great cigar produced by the makers of the Acid brand. Well balanced, perfectly blended and infused to perfection, this blend is a must try for all fans of Drew Estate.

La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial - A small batch blend assembled by master blenders, La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial offers a medium to full body with robust notes of earth and cinnamon.

Cigar.com (CC): You are a well-respected aficionado in the cigar industry, when did you first start smoking cigars?
Steve Saka (SS): It wasn't until I was enlisted in the United States Navy that I had my first hand-rolled cigar, courtesy of a Senior Chief Gunner who always seemed to have one sparked. From puff one, I knew his cigars were different from any machine-mades I previously tried; huge clouds of dense smoke with a flavor and aroma that just washed over all my senses.

CC: How was the industry different when you started smoking?

SS: It wasn't until the late eighties when I really started to pay any attention to the business side of the cigar industry. And I can unequivocally state everything was different. Most tobacco shops had very limited numbers of brands, most of which were Dominican. Very few people knew anything about the cigars in the marketplace, other than "this is the best," "this is mild" or "this is on sale." There were no publications about cigars. No events. No consumer groups. No Internet. No variety of smokes. No anything. It was a wasteland. Which for me was awful, because I had really fallen in love with cigars and wanted to know everything there was to be known about them, but finding info was nearly impossible. There were a couple of books on the market, but back in the pre-Amazon days it was like hunting a leopard to secure them.
CC: How did you make the transition from "cigars as a hobby" to "cigars as a living?"

SS: I like to think I played some small part in enhancing the cigar universe prior to and during the "boom," as a connoisseur. Because I was so infatuated with cigars, I began to seek out cigar makers and tobacco growers on my own just to pick their brains. I was actually using my vacation time to travel to the Caribbean and Central America to visit factories and fields, just to learn more on my own. Everyone really went out of their way to talk to me and answered all of my tireless questions. I made a lot of friends in the cigar biz a full decade before I ever entertained joining it. And a few enemies too... Luckily for me, one of the friends I made along the way had a retail business and it was entirely courtesy of him that I began drawing a paycheck in the industry back in 2000. In 2005, I transitioned to Drew Estate where I took over responsibilities as the company's President.

Cigar.com (CC): We have seen a shift at Drew Estate toward more conventional, non-flavored blends, specifically Liga Privada and Château Real. Can you discuss how these projects came to fruition?

SS: Drew Estate has always been known for its infused cigars and is regarded, by any fair judge, to be the epitome and epicenter of any and all premium quality, infused hand-made cigars. Not only are they the best at it, but also they really were the originator of the entire genre. This is quite an achievement, but most "serious" people in our industry had pigeon-holed Jonathan Drew as "the flavored cigar guy." I knew this was unjust for a few reasons: First, all of Jon's cigars were first rate - great construction, solid burn with perfect draws. Just accomplishing this alone is tough. In fact, there are many widely heralded cigar makers in our industry that, even after decades of experience, were not making cigars of equal quality to those coming from this young guy's factory. Secondly, I knew Jon personally and like myself, he is a total cigar junkie - enjoying everything from mild to wild. Lastly, I had smoked some traditional blends that Jon had been creating in small batches in his factory for his own personal consumption - some were so-so, but there were a couple that were simply delicious. Jon had skills but nobody, in my opinion, would give him a fair chance. Everyone just wanted him to make the next big selling infused cigar. So, from day one of my joining Drew Estate, part of the master plan was to add a variety of traditional cigars to the company's burgeoning portfolio, utilizing my experience to enhance Jonathan's efforts.

CC: You and Jonathan seem to have very different personalities. What is it like working together?

SS: Oil and water, Yankee and Sox's fans, vegans and Mortons...get the idea? You are right; we are totally different in so many ways. We are constantly going head to head on a myriad of issues, sometimes to the point that I just want to throw down and go gorilla. Trust me, he feels the same way. And don't forget Marvin Samel, the other principal owner. Outside the industry he isn't as well known since his focus has always been on the business and financial aspects of the company. Marvin has been here, from the start, as an integral part of the success of Drew Estate and some days he is no joy to work with either. Plain truth, all three of us are pains in the ass. But at the same time, we all have a deep appreciation and respect for each other. We know each other's skills and yes, weaknesses, but most importantly we mutually agree on three things: our unwavering desire to create and produce unique and exciting cigars for the marketplace, to continue to grow Drew Estate to the best of our abilities, and to share the company's success with those who contribute as wholeheartedly as we do.