Nate McIntyre, the Eastern U.S. sales manager for Cubanacan Cigars, has announced that he will be branching out with his own cigar line later this year, an annual limited edition called Percy Ray Cigars that pays tribute to his grandfather.

McIntyre made the announcement via his personal Facebook page on Wednesday morning.

While many of the details about the cigar are still being finalized, including the blend, artwork, and release date, McIntyre told halfwheel that the cigar will be a 6 x 50 released to the southeastern part of the U.S., “with a very few exceptions,” he noted, adding that a list of retailers will be made available once the cigars ship.

He declined to describe the blend or the flavor profile he’s going for, but confirmed that the cigars will come in 10-count boxes, with 800 boxes being produced by Cubanacan’s factory in Nicaragua.

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As for the name of the line, it honors his grandfather, Percy Ray McIntyre.

I cannot tell you just how much he has contributed to my life, in that I have always known him to be one of the most understanding, accepting, loving men I’ve ever known,” McIntyre said. He founded Ray McIntyre & Sons Farms in Florence, Ala., working in that profession until he was sidelined by a broken neck about two years ago, though the farm remains active, growing cotton, corn, wheat, and soybeans. Now 87 years old, the younger McIntyre said that his grandfather’s knuckles are black from decades of long, hard work, but “he has not a regret in the world…he has been married to my grandmother now for over 65 years, and there is not enough good that can be said about him…my goal with this brand was to simply say thank you and give him the honor to which he is due, and perhaps inspire other people to celebrate the same people in their lives.

McIntyre said his grandfather isn’t a cigar smoker due to his religious beliefs, but that didn’t interfere with him being happy for his grandson’s success in the tobacco business.

While McIntyre will be the co-owner and director of Percy Ray Cigars, he will retain his current duties with Cubanacan, which he joined in 2014.

(Featured image via Instagram.)

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.