At the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, Rocky Patel showed off Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes. If the name sounds familiar, it is because it belongs to renowned Cuban roller Hamlet Paredes, who has been known for his custom rolls Cuban cigars. However, Paredes was also the in-store roller at two different factories in Cuba: Briones Montoto, the old Romeo y Julieta factory, and more recently the La Casa del Habano at the old Partagás factory. In addition, he has traveled to various countries around the world showing off his rolling skills and visiting shops while pushing the Habanos S.A. brand. In January 2015, Robert Fox of the U.K. retailer J.J. Fox and a friend of Rocky Patel contacted him to tell him that Paredes was looking to move his family to the U.S., and asked Patel to help him get settled in the country. “As soon as he was in Canada, he called me,” said Patel to halfwheel. “I got a home in Naples for he and his family to live in. He started working at BURN (by Rocky Patel, a cigar bar.) After a while we allowed him to settle down and then he was working in the humidor in BURN for three to ...
↧