Ray Lewis Cigar From Rocky Patel

Source from:  Cigar Aficionado 08/19/2015

He was the bane of offensive coordinators and the leader of one of the best defensive squads ever to walk the gridiron, and in about two months he is going to have his own cigar.

Ray Lewis Legends 52 by Rocky Patel is a one-size brand named after the former linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. Lewis, who spent his college years at the University of Miami playing for the Hurricanes, was a first-round draft pick in 1996 who spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Ravens. He is a 10-time, all-pro linebacker (tied with Lawrence Taylor) and he's considered one of the best to ever play his position. He won NFL defensive player of the year two times, and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXV when his team dominated the New York Giants 34-7.

For a man who was known for crushing physical performances on the field, football fans might be surprised to hear that the Ray Lewis Legends 52 cigar is not that strong. "Believe it or not, he likes mild- to medium-bodied cigars," Rocky Patel told Cigar Aficionado in an interview.

The cigar, built to be medium in body, is made with Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers, two binders (one of them Brazilian, the other from Mexico) and an Ecuador Habano wrapper. The smoke comes in one size, a toro measuring 6 1/2 inches by 52 ring gauge, and will retail for around $12.50 per cigar. It is packed in boxes of 10.

The cigar may not be a peppery powerhouse, but Lewis, who retired in 2013 after winning his second Super Bowl, is not going soft. "When you hug him," said Patel, "it's like hugging a stone wall."

Patel and Lewis met via Gary Sheffield, a cigar-loving former Major League Baseball star. (Patel makes the Gary Sheffield HR 500 for Sheffield.) The two sports stars will be going on the road together to promote their brands.

The Ray Lewis cigar will make its debut on October 31 at The Humidor in Baltimore. Enditem