There’s no shortage of stories and inspirations that come with new cigar releases. Some are subtle and simple, some more elaborate and almost extravagant. For Hal Rubin, owner of Empire Cigars in Raleigh, N.C., the inspiration is very simple. “Having tasted a prototype during a recent STUDIO TOBAC (World) Tour event, I requested that Oliva produce that same cigar for distribution at my store,” said Rubin. ”Given that Oliva had promised to make me a exclusive cigar since I entered the business six years ago, I was thrilled to hear that this blend would be the one that they decided on. Thus the name of the brand, ‘The Promise.’” Rubin told halfwheel that in 2013, he took delivery of a single 6 x 44 lonsdale vitola, with 2,000 cigars produced and split between 250–count chests and 25 count bundles. While he hasn’t announced a date yet, he is planning on adding a second vitola before the end of 2014, and has the intention of adding a new size every year for the foreseeable future. While The Promise is currently only available at Empire Cigars, Rubin is looking at making it available to other retailers at some point in the future. The specific cigars ...
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