So far, his trip has taken him to each of the lower 48 states. Given his extensive travels, Rocky's knowledge of cigar shops is certainly notable. When asked for an example of the kind of places he's enjoyed visiting, Rocky doesn't hesitate to spit out a list of some of his favorites. "I really liked Addison Cigar & Tobacco and Grapevine Cigars in the Dallas area, Stag Tobacco in Colorado Springs, and Edward's Tobacco in Denver," he offers. "Andrew Reddy has a great place called Club Havana in San Jose, California. Nabil Sabbah's Old Town Cigars in Wichita, Kansas, Cigar King and Iwan Ries in Illinois, and Ed Kyroska's Pipe Puffers in Indianapolis, are all great places. But there are a lot more; I could go on and on."

Rocky's approach to these visits says a lot about both him and Indian Tabac. He sees each visit to a new city as a unique chance to meet new and interesting people - people from all walks of life who happen to share his passion for premium cigars. Usually he'll visit a popular local tobacco retailer, hang out in the shop, and drift easily into conversations with the customers as they wander in and out. Of course, he has a full complement of Indian Tabac's cigars to share, and he often has one the company's top torcedors preparing plenty of freshly rolled cigars, so patrons not only experience the artful creation of a hand-rolled cigar, they can also take a great memento home.<0> Sometimes, however, these visits have turned into impromptu cigar parties, lasting well into the early morning hours and ending only after Rocky had shown his hosts that his culinary abilities match his cigar-production acumen. "I've had some cases where I've gone into a shop that I'd been told was very selective about their cigar inventory - that they won't take on a boutique brand like Indian Tabac - and the next thing you know, I'm over at the owner's house, cooking dinner for a group of ten while we're all enjoying a bunch of my cigars next to the pool."

David Kitchens of Gloucester Street Cigars in Boston is a big fan of both Rocky and Indian Tabac cigars. "When you meet Rocky, the one thing that comes across is that he's a really genuine guy. A lot of industry people and magazines keep referring to boutique cigar producers as 'Don Nobodies' in a pretty foolish way," he explains. "But you know something? All the top cigar companies started out at one time or another as 'Don Nobodies'."

When Kitchens first met Rocky, he took some of Indian's Super Fuertes and tore them apart right in front of Rocky for a thorough inspection, something that might unnerve any cigar maker. But Rocky had confidence in his product. Impressed by what he saw, Kitchens ordered 50 boxes.

"Rocky is a great guy who really loves his cigars, and he knows what he's doing," comments Kitchens. "We ordered a bunch of his cigars few years ago, and now his Boxer Natural is one of our top sellers. Some cigar people think boutiques are something inferior, but a lot of smokers are looking to companies like Indian to give them a unique, tasty alternative to some of the bigger brands."

With Rocky's charisma and personal approach being such a big hit with cigar folks, it's no wonder that his company is thriving. But there are several other reasons that contribute to its success. First, Indian Tabac was able to get its hands on a quality tobacco supply, thanks to Larzidabal and Plascencia. Then, the company hired some of the most experienced rollers in Honduras, ensuring that their cigars would meet the highest standards. Feeling there was little originality in the industry, Rocky decided to add a personal flare to the Indian Tabac label by designing some striking gold, yellow, and red foil labels and bands, along with unique boxes for his cigars. The company also uses an Indian chief logo reminiscent of the popular Indian Motorcycle logo from the '30s and '40s. The finished result is a stunningly well-made cigar with uniquely striking packaging, which is sure to catch the eye of anyone browsing for smokes at their local retailer.