Rocky Patel Year of the Horse 7″ x 48

The Rocky Patel Year of the Horse is a San Andrés-wrapped box-pressed churchill from Rocky Patel, handmade in Nicaragua. Rocky Patel worked as a Hollywood entertainment lawyer before he turned to making cigars.

It blends a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler at a medium to full body, leading with cocoa, espresso, black pepper, and a sweet, almost-syrupy dark earth. At 7 by 48, the box press gives it crisp edges and a slow, even burn.

The San Andres valley sits inland from the Gulf coast of Veracruz on volcanic soil, which is where the earthy, faintly mineral edge underneath the cocoa comes from.

Pairs well with bourbon, espresso, or porter.