The Tobacco Fields

Chapter 2

FIELDS

FROM THE GROUND UP.

Prior to each growing season, before our precious new plants take root, the soil is tested for five key elements. Sufficient levels of Boron, Magnesium, Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphate are measured and mixed into the soil. The trademark of such highly nutritious soil is a beautifully dark, almost black color. Once the field is properly assessed, each tobacco plant is transplanted individually to ensure maximum quality.

PARTS OF A CIGAR

WRAPPER, BINDER, & FILLER

Tobacco plants are grown to provide the building blocks of every cigar. Once harvested, each leaf will be classified as a wrapper, binder or filler. These classifications pertain to the different layers that create a cigar. Filler tobacco is located in the center of the cigar and is responsible for the cigar’s taste. Binder tobacco wraps around the filler tobacco, holding the cigar together. A wrapper leaf is the outermost layer of a cigar, giving the cigar its color and feel.

SUN GROWN VS SHADE GROWN

SUN GROWN

Tobacco plants can be either Sun Grown or Shade Grown. Sun grown tobacco will only reach 5 ½ feet in height and its leaves will be used for the wrapper, binder, and filler.

Sun Grown

Shade Grown

SHADE GROWN

Shade-grown tobacco will be grown under cheesecloth, blocking out up to 65% of the sun’s UV rays. These plants will grow up to 9 feet, and unlike Sun Grown, Shade Grown leaves will generally be used only for the wrapper.

THE HARVEST

REAPING THE BENEFITS

After 100 days, the plants are harvested from bottom to top in sections. These sections are classified as Seco the bottom of the plant, Viso the middle, and Ligero the top of the plant. These three sections are further subdivided by layer into smaller groups called primings. Each leaf of the plant can supply a slightly different flavor. By dividing the plant further into primings, Rocky Patel has greater control in pinpointing the exact flavor he wants from each of his plants.

FIELDS Trivia

Q. How tall can Shade Grown Tobacco grow to?

End of Chapter 2 - Continue on to:

  • Chapter 3

    Curing Barns

    Curing Barns

    Nicaragura Cigar Curing Barn

    HUNG TO DRY

    After 100 days of toiling in the hot sun, how do we treat our plants? We hang them.

    The harvested tobacco is brought from the fields to the curing barns. At the curing barn, plants are subjected to a drastic increase in humidity and...

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  • ENTERING

    THE FACTORY

    THE FACTORY

    WELCOME TO THE ROCKY PATEL FACTORY

    From the coveted fields to our signature curing barns and facilities, to our bustling factories, our tobacco moves from one premium establishment to another – because everything we do is premium. Anything less wouldn't be worthy of the label.

  • Chapter 4

    Sorting & Fermentation

    Sorting & Fermentation

    Cigar Pilons Fermentation

    REHYDRATED. REVITALIZED. INFORMATION

    Our cigars are premium inside and out. But it’s not just the quality that makes it premium; it’s the delicate nature in which each individual tobacco leaf is sorted. After curing and prior to fermentation, every single leaf must be classified as either: wrapper, binder, or filler...

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  • Chapter 5

    Rolling Room

    The Rolling Room

    ROLLING THE CIGAR

    Once the tobacco is up to our standards it’s finally time to start rolling. Rolling a cigar is the process of constructing the filler, binder, and wrapper into a single form...

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  • Chapter 6

    Quality Control Room

    Quality Control Room

    METICULOUSLY JUDGED

    Once rolled, each cigar goes through a series of quality control steps. Every cigar is carefully examined to guarantee that only excellence gets our stamp of approval...

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  • Chapter 7

    Aging Room

    Aging Room

    LETTING SIT

    After quality control, the cigars are sent to an aging room for a minimum of 90 days. This final aging period allows for the different layers of tobacco within the cigar to fuse together...

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  • Chapter 8

    Judging Aesthetics

    Quality Control on Aesthetics

    "AESTHETICS"

    After the aging room, each cigar goes through yet another round of quality control. We sacrifice nothing when it comes to flavor. We don’t cut corners and we don’t compromise. We make every effort, no matter how tedious, to clean up any and all rough edges...

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  • Chapter 9

    Boxed Pressed

    Boxed Pressed

    SHAPING UP

    After the second quality control, a cigar may journey down a number of different roads. The first choice of which is if the cigar is box-pressed or not. Box-pressed cigars are a specialty that...

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  • Chapter 10

    Banding & Boxing

    Banding & Boxing

    A SIGNATURE LOOK

    Whether box-pressed or left round, our cigars are then branded with our label. Carefully, decisively and proudly we band each of our cigars. The band is not just a label to queue what tastes will be revealed within the cigar, it is a testament to the labor and craftsmanship that went into every individual leaf...

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PARTING WORDS

We put a lot of love into our cigars. When we brand and box them with the Rocky Patel logo, it’s not just for the purpose of sale. It’s an opportunity to pay homage to a living legend. And it’s our chance to say, “goodbye, good luck, and make us proud.”

Rocky Patel Logo