Rick Rodriguez spent his career blending for other people, and now he has put his own name on a cigar built like a chef builds a plate.
The West Tampa Chef Rick is a limited edition toro from West Tampa Tobacco Co., the Florida brand founded by longtime blender Rick Rodriguez. It is a 6 by 52 with a Habano 2000 wrapper, an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed binder, and all-Nicaraguan filler, rolled at Tabacalera Pages de Nicaragua S.A. and priced at $12.99. As the third and final release in the food-themed Cook Book Series, it caps a trilogy inspired by West Tampa's own kitchens, capped at just 1,000 boxes.
- One size only, a 6 by 52 toro, at $12.99 a stick.
- Habano 2000 wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, Nicaraguan filler.
- Rolled at Tabacalera Pages de Nicaragua S.A.
- Limited to 1,000 boxes of 50, so 50,000 cigars total.
- The third and final cigar in the Cook Book Series.
Here is what is in the blend, what to expect on the palate, how the Cook Book Series wraps up, and whether it earns a spot in your rotation.
THE BLEND
Chef Rick comes one way, a 6 by 52 toro. No box-press options, no sampler of sizes, just the single vitola.
The wrapper is a Habano 2000 leaf. West Tampa has not said what country grew it, so we will leave that blank rather than guess.
Under the wrapper sits an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed binder. The filler is all Nicaraguan, drawn from four regions: Condega, Estelí, Jalapa, and Ometepe.
It rolls at Tabacalera Pages de Nicaragua S.A., a younger factory Rodriguez chose on purpose. The price lands at $12.99, and it ships in 50-count boxes.
Only 1,000 of those boxes exist. That is 50,000 cigars, then the kitchen closes. Plenty to find one, not enough to sit on forever.
WHAT IS ON THE PLATE
Rodriguez has said blending feels a lot like cooking, and the name leans all the way into that. He is the chef, the leaf is the pantry.
A Habano 2000 wrapper over Nicaraguan filler usually points toward the fuller, richer end of the shelf. Think earth and cedar, a little pepper, a little sweetness on the back.
The Ecuadorian Sumatra binder is there to tie it together and keep the burn honest. Nothing exotic, just a blend put together by someone who has done this a very long time.
You do not need a tasting vocabulary to enjoy it. Light it, sit with it, and let it cook.
THE COOK BOOK, CLOSED OUT
The Cook Book Series was always a love letter to West Tampa food. It started with Boliche Blvd., named for a local strip known for Cuban boliche.
Then came Devil Crab, another nod to the neighborhood table. Chef Rick is the third plate, and it closes the set.
For this one, Rodriguez teamed with Raymond Pages Raffo at Tabacalera Pages, a small, up-and-coming factory. He wanted a new room to cook in for the send-off.
West Tampa Tobacco Co. itself is young, founded in 2022 by Rodriguez and Gus Martinez. Chef Rick is a veteran's name on a new company's cigar.
"A great culinary chef requires technical mastery, immense passion and creativity."RICK RODRIGUEZ, WEST TAMPA TOBACCO CO.
THE BLIND LABEL TAKE
Here is the honest read. This is not a $30 unicorn you will never see. It is a $13 toro from a maker who knows his way around a blend.
Yes, it is limited, and 50,000 cigars go faster than you think when a name like Rodriguez is on the band. But you do not have to camp out or pay a flipper to try one.
If you liked Boliche Blvd. or Devil Crab, this is the obvious close to the story. If you have never smoked the series, this is a fine place to start and finish at once.
Grab a couple, smoke one now, rest one for a few months. A limited run rewards patience, not panic.
