Rocky Patel To Release The Edge 20th Anniversary This Month
They had no bands. They had an unusual name. And they came in roughly-hewn, 100-count crates that looked as though the wood was reclaimed from an old barn. This was Rocky Patel’s vision when he created The Edge, and now, nearly two decades later, the wallet-friendly cigars in rustic packaging have become a mainstay in Patel’s portfolio. He acknowledges the brand’s success with the Rocky Patel Edge 20th Anniversary, a three-size celebratory line set to launch this month.
“When I came out with The Edge, people laughed at me,” Patel told Cigar Aficionado in an interview. “A 100-count tray? A cigar with no band? They said it would never sell.”
But sell it did, and The Edge quickly gained a serious following, especially with its wallet-friendly suggested retail price (at the time) of just $5. The brand greatly expanded, with new sizes and new blends along the way. While they don’t come in 100-count crates anymore (and have gotten a little more expensive), Edges today are offered in seven different lines and now have foot bands, which Patel added in 2006 to avoid customer confusion.
The blend on this anniversary edition is completely new and consists of an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper that Patel says is more than 10 years old. Underneath, a Honduran broadleaf binder holds together filler tobacco from Honduras and Panama. It’s offered in three sizes: Robusto, measuring 5 1/2 inches by 50 ring gauge; Toro at 6 by 52 and a 6-by-60 aptly called Sixty. They have suggested retail prices ranging from $11 to $13.50 and come in 20-count boxes.
In terms of packaging, which is one of Edge’s key elements, the Rocky Patel 20th Anniversary is a bit of a departure, as the boxes here aren’t rustic, but far more refined with finished surfaces and beveled edges. True to its origins, The Edge 20th Anniversary is made in Honduras by the Plasencias.
The brand didn’t hit the market until 2004, but Patel began working on the blend in 2002, so he decided to mark the 20th anniversary based on The Edge’s inception rather than the commercial release date.
Patel expects the cigars, which will be in regular production, to ship to retailers by the end of the month.
For a rating on the Rocky Patel Edge 20th Anniversary, see a future issue of Cigar Insider.
