[Rocky Patel interview] Inside the world of the cigar

It was in the shade of the olive trees of the hinterland behind Nice that Mr Kolja Kukuk answered a few questions that allow us to tell you about the world of the cigar. European sales and marketing director at Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Kolja shares the story of a lifelong interest with us.

Based in Florida, the cigar factory is run by Rakesh “Rocky” Patel. As in every good story, it was his enthusiasm for the subject that led the former lawyer to invest in cigar manufacturing in the mid-1990s. The brand is now among the largest cigar producers.

Smoking > Who are you? // Introduce yourself to our readers.

Kolja Kukuk > “I live in Germany, the country where I grew up. I left for France to begin my higher education, then went to the United States, to New York, to Australia, to Ecuador and of course back to Germany.
I live in Germany, but I also work in Europe, in the United States, in Honduras and in Nicaragua.”

Smoking > How did you discover the world of the cigar?

KK > “It was my father who gave me my very first cigar when I passed my exams at seventeen. I remember it as if it were yesterday: it was a Cuban Cohiba Siglo VI. My interest then grew slowly and made me the cigar enthusiast I am today.”

Smoking > What does your work involve?

KK > “I am marketing and sales director for the European cigar market for the well-known Rocky Patel.
I travel across Europe. When I am not working with the importers who place their orders, I organise cigar events, workshop visits and business trips for our partners.
My duties are very varied, but my main task is to meet the people who take an interest in our field.”

Smoking > How many people work for Rocky Patel?

KK > “It depends. In the Americas 2,400 people work for us, counting our production workshops in Honduras and Nicaragua. In the United States, we are a team of 80.
This year, the work of our large company has allowed us to produce more than 20 million cigars spread over close to 280 references.”

Smoking > How is cigar production organised?

KK > “The tobacco we use comes from Cameroon, Costa Rica, Peru, Indonesia (Sumatra), Ecuador, Panama, Brazil, the United States and the Dominican Republic, which gives us a very wide selection of different tobaccos.
All the tobacco we use ferments for five years before being used to produce cigars.
The cigars are shipped directly from Honduras, from our international warehouse, to the importers in the countries we work with.
Delivery times depend on the cigars: if they have already been made, delivery can take three days; if they have not, it can take up to three months, depending on the reference.”

Smoking > Which cigar model is your favourite?

KK > “I am particularly fond of the “Rocky Patel’s Lancero 20th Anniversary”; I like long, thin cigars. That is a personal preference, but generally the sizes that sell best are robustos, coronas and Toros.”

Smoking > In your view, which accessory does a cigar smoker need?

KK > “For a traveller like me, the most important accessory is the “jetflame lighter” (cigar lighter), without any doubt. As I travel a great deal, I also use a “softflame lighter” (soft flame lighter), but to be completely honest, I prefer cigar lighters.
The “jetflame lighter” really is essential; the only thing is that when you smoke a lot of cigars it is often empty and you have to refill it regularly. For air safety reasons it is not possible to travel with a cigar lighter, and only soft flame lighters are allowed. Thanks to the “jetflame lighter”, when I get off the plane I simply connect my accessory to a soft flame lighter and I have a cigar lighter.
I also have plenty of other quality accessories. For example, I am very fond of the Xikar cigar cutter: it is very effective and its design is decidedly contemporary and elegant. Beyond these products, there are few that I consider good ones.”

Smoking > Which cigar humidor do you own?

KK > “I have an air-conditioned room and a basement fitted with humidity and temperature controls for my cigars. I also own four cigar cabinets kept in my office, which I use regularly. Lastly, I am lucky enough to have a friend from Greece who makes table humidors for me; they are in my conference room.”

Smoking > What anecdote or quotation would you like to share with us?

KK > “I have so many stories about Rocky Patel that I would not know which one to choose.”
[Editor’s note: rather than tell us a story about Rocky Patel, Kolja Kukuk preferred to explain the reasons behind his career choice.]
“It was above all my interest in the world of the cigar that pushed me in this direction, as it did for everyone I meet in this field. The cigar world is made up first and foremost of committed people who, through their work, can live out that commitment fully.
What is very welcome in the cigar world is that you can sit at the same table as a small craft baker and a millionaire, and share a cigar without social status being an issue.”
[Editor’s note: with this remark, Kolja Kukuk describes moments in which, as he sees it, preconceptions and differences fade. He even tells us that it is not unusual to see two sales representatives from competing companies take advantage of a truce to share a cigar.]

“I will conclude by saying that it is the fondness for the products that manages to bring such different individuals together around a table. Is that not the most important thing to know about the cigar?”