Buzzwords like “aged,” “limited” and “rare” are thrown around quite a bit, especially in the cigar world, but Rocky Patel gives these words new meaning in his new A.L.R. brand. The cigars are limited, as they’re produced in small quantities; rare because Patel doesn’t release as many of these cigars into the market as he does other brands; and finally, aged, the most crucial and defining claim of these smokes.

According to Patel, each A.L.R. Second Edition cigar is aged for two years after it’s rolled before going to market. While the component tobaccos are already aged, Patel claims that these cigars get a two-year resting period for maturation and added levels of complexity. This probably contributes to the cost. Few Rocky Patel cigars are this expensive.

Astute smokers will recall the First Edition, which came out in 2018. The Second Edition here is a completely new blend consisting of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on Patel’s farms in Estelí and Condega. Patel started growing tobacco a few years ago and now his tobaccos are starting to appear in his cigars, giving the portfolio an entirely new facet.

This box-pressed Toro has all the sweet, satisfying qualities of malted chocolate and vanilla bean, balanced by an uplifting hint of fresh, shredded coconut. Only 2,000 boxes of this size were created, but Patel will be releasing these smokes in batches as they come of age in his Nicaraguan factory.