August saw the departure of renowned master roller, Hamlet Paredes, from Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc. As reported by halfwheel, Rocky Patel Executive VP, Nish Patel, confirmed the resignation adding that Mr. Paredes will be working as a consultant for Bond Roberts, the “Aged, Rare & Vintage Cigar Exchange” which hosts an online cigar auction platform for private and retail Cuban cigar sales. The platform is run by cigar retailer, James J. Fox of Dublin, Ireland and Australian-based retailer, Friends of Habanos.
Paredes began his career as a cigar roller for Cuba’s Partagás cigar factory. Later on, he became an ambassador for Habanos S.A. In this role he traveled the world doing in-store rolling demonstrations. After meeting him at a London rolling event, Rocky Patel offered Paredes a job that began in 2015.
Rocky Patel released several “Hamlet” selections during Paredes’s seven-year tenure with the company including Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes (now discontinued) and Hamlet 25th Year. Reviews of the Hamlet Liberation Toro and the Hamlet 2020 Toro can be found on the Cigar Advisor website. Rocky Patel Premium Cigars will maintain complete ownership of the Hamlet lines and the brand trademark. CA
Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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