Travel Humidors

January is the heart of winter. In much of North America, snow blankets the ground, you have to chip the ice off of your car, and heating bills go up. It's cold, it's dark, and it just might be time to head down to Florida or some other warm climate. Whether you can escape the cold weather or not, though, a good cigar will chase away the winter blues in the midst of a blizzard.

The cold weather can make smoking outside much less enjoyable than other times of the year. Nevertheless, as long as you can dress for the occasion, the low temperatures can't diminish the fine experience you get from enjoying a Casa Magna or Cohiba Black. Just make sure that your smokes are properly stored in your humidor to counter the effects of the cold, dry weather. Outdoor smoking during the winter is also when your fine torch cigar lighter will earn its keep. Use a quality torch lighter with a steady flame and it's going to withstand just about any outdoor breeze.

Although you can easily enjoy the cigar smoking experience in the outdoors, it's always better to savor a fine smoke in the comfort of your den. Inhale the fine smoke and meditate on the complexities of cigars while escaping the icy winds of winter. Enjoy a good smoke on a daily basis like that and you won't even need to travel south for the winter.

Find everything from high-rated cigars to quality discount smokes at Thompson Cigars today.

Just because you carefully store your cigars in a beautiful humidor at your home doesn't mean that you can't bring smokes with you when traveling. Although you can't and shouldn't bring your prized humidor, definitely bring some smokes. Be prepared by carrying at least a few cigars for different occasions and bring enough to last for the duration of the trip. If the trip is a long one and you enjoy smokes on a daily basis, this won't be feasible but always bring enough before needing to buy more at your destination. 

To transport your cigars, you also need a proper carrying case. Although it might be tempting to simply put a few cellophane-wrapped cigars into your coat pocket, this is never a good idea. There's no guarantee that those smokes won't get squashed, bent, or ruined during travel. To keep them from being damaged, use something like a Xicar Envoy or a Cigar Mechanics Travel Case. Both of these and other quality cases for cigars will adequately protect and store your smokes. Such quality cases are also important for transporting cigars that don't happen to be wrapped in cellophane. These "naked" smokes are more susceptible to damage and deserve extra-special care.

Find cases for cigars and all of your smoke needs at Thompson Cigars today.

In the not too distant past, hand-wrapped cigars were delivered in their boxes or in bundles and that was about it for packaging. Decorative and sturdy cigar boxes kept them safe enough during travel so there wasn't much need to package them in a different manner. After buying a box of cigars, aficionados transferred them to their humidors and aged them until smoking. However, someone eventually did improve upon the cigar-packaging process. It wasn't a huge deal but many cigar companies saw it as a way of providing an extra bit of protection for their product. This innovation was the cellophane wrapper and it has become a common aspect of many cigar brands.

The cellophane wrapper protects the cigar during handling by distributors and in cigar shops. It's really a nice way of ensuring that you and you alone touch the cigar once it has left the factory. Although the wrapper itself won't hurt the cigar, it's not meant to be used during storage or any aging process. Take the wrapper off before storing it to make sure that it receives the proper amount of moisture. Otherwise, the wrapper will keep your smoke a little too safe and secure and it will probably dry out. 

Find the best in smokes and smoke-related accessories at the Thompson online cigar store today!   

Smoking cigars is an endeavor that is best done on its own time. Some tightly rolled cigars take longer to smoke than others and most cigars are going to last for at least 40 minutes. Of course it all depends on how fast you smoke them but racing to finish a cigar is a sad fate for any hand-rolled smoke. It defeats the purpose of sitting back and enjoying the cigar in the first place so you are just better off waiting for a time to properly and thoroughly enjoy a quality smoke.

Nevertheless, some aficionados can barely find the time to enjoy cigars in this manner. Work, travel, and other duties make it difficult to even find just one extra hour a month that can be dedicated to smoking cigars. Such cigar loving jet-setters have to make do with the time they have but they shouldn't need to give up cigar smoking. There is an easy solution to such time constraints and it's called the "cigarillo". These are basically miniature cigars that are suitable for a quick smoke. Like other cigars, they should be stored in a humidor but you don't need a good, solid hour to smoke them. Their size means that you can enjoy them for half the time or less without feeling like you need to smoke them as fast as possible.

Find several brands of quality smokes at Thompson Cigars today.

Mark from Biloxi, Mississippi reviewed the THOMPSON LA MONEDA 2-FER MADURO TORPEDO

This cigar is my all time Thompson favorite. For the price, nothing comes close to this product, anywhere. I travel frequently to many carribean islands, Costa Rica, and Aruba. Cuban cigars are available to me there and I still prefer my LaMoneda

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Easy To Light, Good Draw, Great Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Well Constructed
Best Uses: Everyday, Gifts
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

The La Moneda has filler tobacco from the famed '97 crop – it doesn't get any better. Then the Dominican manufacturer, has aged this most select filler an extra six months longer than usual before it is used to make one of the smoothest hand rolled cigars we've come across in a long time. Add a sale price that is truly a sale, and you have an irresistible deal. Unfortunately, the supply is limited, so we urge you to act quickly to get your supply before they're all gone. Check out these special prices.

The holidays are coming and they bring with them the usual task of buying gifts for family, friends, and business associates. It's always tough to find the right gifts for everybody. Even if you had the time to go shopping and pick out the best presents, there are still those special people who are always so difficult to shop for. Although it would be easy to just forgo giving anything to such individuals, it's better to give a shot at finding something for them before giving up. It's the right thing to do and one, surefire way to pick out a suitable gift is by taking their lifestyle into account.

For example, if one of these people happens to be a cigar aficionado and does a lot of traveling, there truly is a perfect gift for this person. Get them the Perdomo Patriarch Set and you might be giving them one of the best presents they have ever received. This beautiful travel humidor will keep their cigars safe and secure and comes with three Perdomo Patriarch smokes. It also comes with a cigar cutter and a single flame torch lighter. Once they finish those first three cigars, they can use it to carry up to ten smokes.

Find this great gift item and much more for the aficionado at your favorite online cigar store.

With Father’s Day right around the corner, you better start
thinking what you’re going to get Dad. You can get him another tie that he may never wear, OR you can get him something that he might actually enjoy. Right now, on thompsoncigar.com, you can get free shipping on ANY item in our Gifts category! This special offer only last until June 12, 2011 at 11:59pm so you better get started.

In the Gifts category, you’ll find all kinds of gifts that Dad would absolutely love. If he needs a new place to store his cigars, get him a humidor. We have the classical looking Bally Humidor that holds up to 100 cigars – perfect for keeping cigars at their optimum freshness. Or you can get him the Venetian Cherry 125-count Humidor; the gold accents on its shiny, cherry finish make it a great addition to any room in the house. Dad will love it!

We also have a several cigar samplers in there that he is sure to enjoy. We have the Oliva Nub 460 sampler, which consists of 10 cigars – they're short cigars with a big ring-gauge so you get the full flavor of a full size cigar, but you don’t have to commit an hour to smoke it. We also have the ever so popular Gold Standard III Sampler – in this, you get a variety of top notch brands like Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, among other 90-rated cigars. If Dad likes the bolder smokes, get him the Nicaraguan Ninety Rated Sampler. It’s an excellent selection of full-bodied cigars – makes for a nice evening smoke. Or we have the Best Cigar Sampler: self explanatory. It consists of 16 cigars like Gurkha, Rocky Patel, CAO, Perdomo – all the heavy hitters in the industry.


If Dad is already stocked up on smokes, get him some of the right tools to enhance his smoking experience.  Right now, the Vertigo Bullet Dual Torch Lighter is on sale for only $19.95. It’s got a cigar punch built right into it! We also have the Colibri Firebird Cutter – cuts the cigars clean every time for a perfect draw. If Dad likes to smoke during his outdoor activities this would be a perfect gift for him – an Andre Garcia 3-cigar case; sleek AND practical. If your Dad travels a lot, then get him this Travel Aluminum Case. It holds five cigars securely, and is sturdy enough to get Dad’s cigars from point A to point B safe and fresh. And remember, ALL of these items are SHIPPED FREE until June 12, 2011 @ 11:59pm. Don’t miss out!

rookie from Phoenix reviewed the CAP BOHIO

A hat you can wear every day.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Comfortable, Quality Construction, Stylish
Best Uses: Daily Use, Travel
Describe Yourself: Modern

What an amazing value! First there is the humidor, a repository for your prized smokes. With features including aromatic Spanish cedar lining, solid cedar dividers, and a state-of-the-art humidification system to keep your supply of puros at their optimum smoking condition. Speaking of the cigars, there is a 25-count supply of our renowned Don Lugo imported handmades, the very ones that have provided decades of smoking pleasure for our customers. Not to be forgotten is a Bohio Cigar cap. This is a combination that, if purchased separately, would easily retail for $79. A fantastic gift for new cigar enthusiasts, even if that happens to be yourself.

Jon from Oregon reviewed the CAP BOHIO

Great product

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Accurate, Comfortable, Quality Construction, Stylish
Best Uses: Daily Use, Travel
Describe Yourself: High End Shopper, Practical, Stylish

What an amazing value! First there is the humidor, a repository for your prized smokes. With features including aromatic Spanish cedar lining, solid cedar dividers, and a state-of-the-art humidification system to keep your supply of puros at their optimum smoking condition. Speaking of the cigars, there is a 25-count supply of our renowned Don Lugo imported handmades, the very ones that have provided decades of smoking pleasure for our customers. Not to be forgotten is a Bohio Cigar cap. This is a combination that, if purchased separately, would easily retail for $79. A fantastic gift for new cigar enthusiasts, even if that happens to be yourself.

Uncle Cliff from Fort Wayne, IN reviewed the CAP BOHIO

The Hat was an added bonus for my purchase. I am very brand loyal, and I'm always happy to be a billboard for things I like and believe in.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Accurate, Comfortable, Quality Construction, Stylish
Best Uses: Daily Use, Travel
Describe Yourself: Athletic, Modern, Practical

What an amazing value! First there is the humidor, a repository for your prized smokes. With features including aromatic Spanish cedar lining, solid cedar dividers, and a state-of-the-art humidification system to keep your supply of puros at their optimum smoking condition. Speaking of the cigars, there is a 25-count supply of our renowned Don Lugo imported handmades, the very ones that have provided decades of smoking pleasure for our customers. Not to be forgotten is a Bohio Cigar cap. This is a combination that, if purchased separately, would easily retail for $79. A fantastic gift for new cigar enthusiasts, even if that happens to be yourself.

Tom from St. Charles, MO reviewed the TASTE OF CAO ASSORTED SAMPLER

Cigars are my weekend or special occasion pleasure. I stock a variety of brands and always include CAO cigars in my humidor. CAO's are high quality, consistent smokes. I rate complex flavor as the deciding factor on purchasing smokes. CAO delivers flavor, quality, and price that keeps me coming back.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Easy To Light, Good Draw, Great Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Well Constructed

Easily one of the most recognized companies in the business, C.A.O. is known for their highly rated, exciting and exotic tobacco blends and dynamic modern design. Nobody else tastes or looks like they do! With our Taste of C.A.O. Sampler, we’re offering you a chance to travel the wide and varied world of C.A.O. You’ll get 9 total cigars, two C.A.O. Box Press Tubo, two C.A.O. Candela, two C.A.O. Gold Maduro, two 90-rated C.A.O. Criollo, and one 91-rated C.A.O. Italia. We acknowledge that this extraordinary sampler may present you with a small problem but, sorry, we can’t help you decide which one of these wonderful cigars to smoke first. We’ve already hooked you up with the cigars and an incredible price… you’re on your own making smoking decisions!

hallrl96218 from Afghanistan reviewed the TASTE OF CAO ASSORTED SAMPLER

All of th CAOs were good, I shared them with some of my smoking friends here in Afghanistan and we all liked them, in fact it's hard to decide which one is best. There's a good variety in the pack from medium to bold. If you ship them overseas I wwould let them rest in the humidor for several days before smoking.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Easy To Light, Good Draw, Great Flavor, Undamaged Wrapper, Well Constructed
Best Uses: Events, Everyday, Special Occasions
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Easily one of the most recognized companies in the business, C.A.O. is known for their highly rated, exciting and exotic tobacco blends and dynamic modern design. Nobody else tastes or looks like they do! With our Taste of C.A.O. Sampler, we’re offering you a chance to travel the wide and varied world of C.A.O. You’ll get 9 total cigars, two C.A.O. Box Press Tubo, two C.A.O. Candela, two C.A.O. Gold Maduro, two 90-rated C.A.O. Criollo, and one 91-rated C.A.O. Italia. We acknowledge that this extraordinary sampler may present you with a small problem but, sorry, we can’t help you decide which one of these wonderful cigars to smoke first. We’ve already hooked you up with the cigars and an incredible price… you’re on your own making smoking decisions!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Davidoff cigar accessories are not the cheapest on the market. If you're looking to save some cash, there are plenty of other great buys available on Thompson cigar.

But here's the thing. You won't find anything of higher quality, or made of finer materials, or with greater care.

Take the Davidoff travel humidor, for example. The small travel humidor holds between four and six cigars, and is currently on sale for a little over $800. If all you're looking for is something to keep your cigars safe when you travel, you can certainly find cheaper cigar humidors.

But for many of us, it's more than the bottom line that matters. It's the handmade object crafted from the finest materials. It's the look that stands out from the crowd and is guaranteed to impress whenever anyone sees it. It's the functionality that will keep your cigars fresh under harsh conditions.

In short, Davidoff cigar accessories are designed to be the best. And if you are someone who demands the best of everything and won't rest until you find it, well, we make it easy here at Thompson cigar. The best travel humidor is the one that is pictured to your right, and getting one is as easy as clicking the "add to cart" button.

Our New Year's Eve celebrations now have become casual affairs, where everyone winds up at someone's house for a post-dinner drink and a smoke. New Year's Day is similarly casual, with everyone seemingly either hosting an open house or traveling between others.

I like that for the same reason I like fine cigars -- it inevitably leads to a lot of sitting around and telling stories. New Year's is extra special because it's an excuse to look back at 2010 with nostalgia, a final day of remembering the past before the new year starts with a vengeance.

We are hosting an open house this year (with two small children, that's a lot easier than getting in and out of the car seats), and frankly that's how I like it. All my cigar humidors will be loaded, and the cigar accessories ready to be used on the deck no matter how cold it is. We'll spend the day with good friends, lots of hot appetizers, premium cigars and a lot of conversation. And at some point over the 24 hours, we'll rehash 2010 and get ready for what 2011 may bring.

On behalf of Thompson Cigar, I hope your New Year is a healthy and happy one as well. Here's hoping you have a great end to the current year, and a perfect start to the next one.

If you have quality cigars, you also want to make sure they are cared for properly. The Hemingway Executive Traveler Sampler takes both needs into account, combining 10 premium cigars with a travel case to put them in.

Each sampler comes with 10 Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars: two Hemingway Classic cigars, two Hemingway Best Seller cigars, three Hemingway Signature cigars and three Hemingway Short Story cigars. That's 10 excellent sticks from Arturo Fuente, enough for several smoking sessions with friends and family.

Obviously you don't need me to go on too long about Arturo Fuente cigars and how good they are, because I've done it dozens of times here already, but especially when you're looking at options for gifts or special occasions it's critical to look at reliability. You know exactly what you're getting with a Fuente cigar, something excellent and hand-made that will be a pleasure to smoke. This is no exception.

Of course, unless you are lucky enough to live close to all your friends and family, odds are good that you have to travel to get to see them. That's where the travel case comes in. More than a simple holder, this is an aluminum travel humidor that will keep each cigar fresh until you're ready to light up.

Particularly around the holidays, this is a combination that is tough to beat. And at just around $80, it's a great price as well. And doesn't a good deal always make premium cigars taste even better?

I know I've made no secret that I'm growing to really like smaller cigars. That's because they fit into to my work life (and the short breaks that I can take) better than a fuller cigar that takes a long time to truly enjoy. If I can find a small cigar that I really like, I tend to buy a bunch and keep them in my office or in a travel cigar case for the car so I'll always have them handy.

If you're like that as well, or if you know someone who is, check out the Shorty 8 Brand Torpedo Sampler. You get a pair each of eight excellent Felipe Gregorio smokes at a bargain price.

Shorter cigars are becoming easier to find, but it's been my experience that the quality is more uneven. I have higher standards for flavor for these, because the whole point of them is to get the maximum pleasure in the shortest amount of time. While I'm willing to give a longer cigar a little time to open up and reach its full potential, I'm disappointed when that happens with something I am specifically smoking because I demand instant satisfaction.

These don't disappoint. They get right after you with their premium filler, and the wrappers also pack a lot of punch in a small package. That's why I couldn't wait to try these ... with the care in which these hand-made cigars are crafted, it was pretty obvious these were going to be big sellers, and they are a must-have for anyone who enjoys smaller cigars and is looking to add some variety to their cigar humidor.

On my wife's side of the family, we do a holiday gift exchange. You draw a couple of names from the hat (or, rather, my sister-in-law draws them for you), and there's a $20 spending limit.

I drew my wife's cousin as one of my recipients. He's a 20-something cigar smoker with a wife and baby who travels a lot for his job. So I decided to go just a smidge over the limit (don't tell!) and get him a Xikar Havana Collection 5 count case.

Here's my rationale. He doesn't get to smoke much at home, since they live in a smaller townhouse and his wife is worried about smoking around the baby. Travel is brutal, and he often says that he hates being away during a time where it seems like his daughter is doing something new every day. If he's going to be away from his family to help support them, he should at least be able to smoke some quality cigars while he's away.

I'll fill it with a quintet of cigars from my humidor. We'll count those as free, since I've already paid for them and did not buy them as part of the present. It's perhaps the one gift I'll give that I'm 100% sure will be appreciated.

I find myself acquiring more and more flavored cigars, even though I don't typically smoke them. Well-meaning friends and relatives pick them up for me on their travels, or I get them as gifts during the holiday season. Of course, I'm grateful for any cigars or cigar accessories (hint, hint), and I do find that I know more people these days who prefer flavored cigars so I have been keeping them in my humidor.

One recent bit of housekeeping I did as a result was to move all of my flavored cigars to their own humidor. Part of that was just an accounting trick -- that way I know where they are -- and part of it was a just-in-case fear that if I did not, the flavors would mix in with my regular cigars and I'd find my Padron 1964 Aniversario cigars smelling and tasting like vanilla.

I should say, for the record, that I have not actually noticed that happening. I don't tend to age my cigars -- they don't stay in my humidor for years or anything -- and I am definitely a smoker more than I am a collector. If you rotate your cigars in and out frequently, this may not be an issue for you.

But because the flavored cigars are the ones that tend to stay around my humidor the longest, I invested in a Zebra 50 Count Humidor. It was worth the peace of mind not to have to wonder whether I detected a hint of flavor in a premium cigar that was meant to stand well enough on its own.

There's a long connection between cigars and music. In particular, however, it's hard to beat the ties between a fine smoke and some good live jazz.

In fact, while it's becoming more rare to find a music venue that allows smoking, I seem to find them most often when there are jazz acts playing. A lot of times, that's a special event rather than a nightly thing, but there's nothing better than an Arturo Fuente cigar and a great live jazz band -- and for my money, the smokier the bar, the better. It adds to the ambiance, and the sense that I've traveled back in time to the 1930s.

Of course, these days I'm mostly limited to hanging out in my house, playing a CD, drinking some bourbon and smoking something from my humidor. It might not be quite the same as seeing a great improvisation set live, but I can close my eyes, take a puff, and be instantly relaxed no matter how stressful the day was. That's a pretty awesome combination, and one I try to experience whenever I can.

I'm not usually a cigarillo smoker, but there are times when I want a smoke but am in too much of a hurry or too distracted for a bigger cigar. In those cases, what I'm looking for is something that gives me the same pleasure I get when smoking one of the finer cigars from my humidor, but in a smaller package that I can rush through without feeling guilty.

One of those situations is at the airport, and no doubt this December after I've dropped my family off at the terminal and am heading into the Economy Lot to part the car, I'll be puffing on an Arturo Fuente Exquisito.

I like the Arturo Fuente Exquisitos because I have no doubts whatsoever about the quality. It's made from the same tobacco as the Hemingways, which I enjoy very much, but in a smaller package that I can finish on my way back to the airport. The quality helps make the agony that is holiday travel a lot more bearable, and I can usually finish it between the car and the terminal. Sometimes even more than one, depending on how far away I have to park.