Monthly Archives: January 2013

My Father Event Thursday at Ol’ Times Cigar Shop

Come try the number one cigar in the world this week. Ol’ Times Cigar Shop in Casselberry will be hosting a My Father Event. They are the makers of The Flor de Antillas cigar… the reigning #1 smoke of 2012 according to Cigar Aficionado. The Toro size is on backorder but all other sizes should be available. Check below for all the details and click here to read my review of this cigar. Ol’ Times puts on a great spread of food and drinks. Definitely stop by if you can!my father cigars

 

January 24th 5-9PM

Ol’ Times Cigars

860 Highway 436

Casselberry FL

www.oltimescigars.com


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Keep your cigars safe..with the Cigar Caddy!

I have always wanted a safe way to bring my cigars with me on the road. There are a lot of times when I pack up 5+ cigars, so I’m ready for a possible cigar time with friends. I did a lot of research and the Cigar Caddy had great reviews. I was actually planning on making the purchase soon, but was pleasantly surprised when I recieved one for Christmas.cigar caddy

This is a super well made travel case…that is airtight, crushproof, floats, and waterproof to 100 feet.  I received the 15 capacity Cigar Caddy 3540 in the flat black exterior color. They have other versions with cigar capacities of 2-40. There are also a few other colors (Including the always popular Camo). The 15 capacity is priced very reasonably at around $23.cigar caddyThe inside is pretty simple but exactly what I wanted. There is foam lining on the top and bottom, along with a few loose pieces to place between your cigars. cigar caddy

My Cigar Caddy has a round built-in humidifier on top, but I dont think I will really use it. I prefer to throw in a disposable Humipack (You can see them under “Products I own or recommend”). This caddy has already been put to good use and I have been very happy with how it has performed. It’s been on the boat, golf course, and will make its way to all cigar friendly events.

The official site for the Cigar Caddy is www.cigarcaddy.com

In conclusion…Jk highly recommends!  I used to use one of my small wood humidors for traveling, but I knew it wasn’t the ideal way to protect my smokes. If you find yourself transporting your favorite smokes on a regular basis then get yourself a Cigar Caddy.  You will not be disappointed.

This product is located for sale on Amazon. Go to my homepage and check for it under “Products I own or recommend”. 

 

 


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It’s good to be #1… CA’s Cigar of the Year is the “Flor de las Antillas Toro”

It’s no surprise to me that the My Father Company (Garcia family) has produced the #1 cigar of 2012. This company has consistently created some of the best high quality cigars over the past few years. I fell in love with the original “My Father” blend and have been continually impressed with their other smokes (Listed in my Top 10).

flor de las antillas cigar

www.myfathercigars.com

I first heard about the Flor de las Antillas last year, but did not get a lot of good feedback from people who tried it. Therefore, I allowed this cigar to become one that I always passed on the shelf. I was tempted serval times but for whatever reason I didn’t grab one to try. When Cigar Aficionado named this smoke #1 last friday…I ran as quickly as possible to my local store and purchased the five remaining Toros. flor de las antillas

I was very happy to share this smoke with two fellow cigar fans…SmokeThoughts follower Greg and my father. We were all in for a real treat. This cigar has a great presence. The wrapper if elegant but also hearty. The band  has some classic artwork that plays to the balance of this smoke. The cigar is all nicaraguan and has some great taste..like many of the other smokes from the My Father Company (See my posts on the La Duena and My Father Le Bijou 1922).Flor de las antillas

I love the box pressed shape and size of this cigar. Its not often that I grab for the larger ring gauges (As my friend pointed out), but this is definitely one that I really enjoyed. The burn was super slow and even from start to finish. I still can not believe the price tag of around $7. If you have a chance to grab one of these then get them while they last. As soon as a cigar gets the #1 mark from Cigar Aficionando they become very hard to find. flor de las antillas

In conclusion….JK highly recommends.  It was hard to not be biased based on the CA ranking, but I did genuinely enjoy this smoke and received the same feedback from my fellow smokers. Grab one… if you can find them!

click here to see the full review and ranking by Cigar Aficionado

 


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The countdown to CA’s Top 25 cigars of 2012 has begun!

If you are new to the cigar world then you might not know about the cigar magazine “Cigar Aficionado”. In my opinion…This company has set the standard for the industry. Cigar AficionadoThe publication is a great resource for all things related to cigars and the high end  products associated with “The Cigar Lifestyle”. Most cigar retailers sell the current and past issues. Pick one up and I’m sure you will be very impressed with the content. You can also subscribe on their website to receive each issue by mail (click here to be linked to their site).cigar aficionado

Cigar Aficionado publishes a annual “Top 25 Cigars” that they announce at the beginning of each year. They judge each cigar based on a variety of criteria including: Construction, Taste, Draw, Appearance..and  Price. The countdown has begun today January 2nd. It will continue as listed below with the #1 cigar announcement coming friday the 4th! Feel free to click HERE to be linked to their site directly. I will be making several posts over the next few weeks while trying the different ranked cigars. Please send me your feedback and photos as you try them as well.

Wednesday, January 2: Cigars No. 10, 9, 8, 7 and 6
Thursday, January 3: Cigars No. 5, 4, 3 and 2
Friday, January 4: The Cigar of the Year
Monday, January 7: Cigars No. 11 through 25
Tuesday, January 8: Best Bargain Cigars

…..JK (Just Keep) Smoking!

 


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Winner of the 1st SmokeThoughts Cigar Giveaway Chosen!

Congratulations to “Rick Bennett”…..winner of the “Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva”! Thank you to all of the new SmokeThoughts followers that entered to win. I appreciate your support in 2012.  Happy New Year!  Keep checking back for more cigar blogs, events, and new giveaways to come…..la aroma de cuba mi amor reserva

click here to see more about this cigar

Remember….JK (Just Keep) Smoking!


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