November Cigar of the Month: Thank you!!! And we have a winner (or two)! (But you're going to have to work for it.)

And the winner of the Norteno cigars is...

First let me say, I was thinking the other, um, minute? That maybe I should shut the eff up because I was bitching in the last post about not being able to attend a few cigar events because I had to work. In honor of the season, I fully acknowledge that of course I am thankful I have an awesomely cool job and my students, for the most part, are fantasticly, or at least fantasticishly, awesomesauce.

Get it? Oh, I am dying of laughter! [source]

And then I decided I should not listen to myself complaining about bitching because:

1. I like the sound of my own voice (even the ones in my head)
2. Any sane person is going to have the sad if their partner-in-crime, er, cigars gets to cigar without their partner.*

The position has been filled!
Thanks, Valentino! Best. Partner. Ever. (Too mushy for the blog?)

I know you slogged through all that in order to get what you came for:**

The winner of the Nortenos is...

By the way, sorry I made you wait a few extra days. Since I missed five days of school recently because of the saddest of sadnesses, I've been trying the play catch-up and failing miserably. And then there was some badass food to be eaten. And then there's this deadline to revise a manuscript to perfection*** before sending it out, time crunched because of that lost week. And then the Christmas shopping that must be done and wrapped two weeks before Christmas... Zoiks.

So I'm a few days late. Since it's my thing and this is my blog, I can't even get in trouble.****

Evil laugh, of course! [source]

Also, by the way, thank you all so much for participating in the giveaway.  This was our most successful to date by a kazillion percent, so we are very very grateful that you shared your awesomeness with us.

Thanks for reading our blog! It really is a labor of love.*****

So without further...

Oh. Hold on. While we're talking about random things, I have to beg you to follow our friend Will the Travelling Owl on Facebook.****** If you like what we're giving away here, you'll totally dig what we have coming up at the beginning of the year over there!! Plus, he's pretty fun and has a ton of adventures, some of which we talked about here!

Okay, for realz this time. Except I'm stalling. I want to send you all something, but I suspect Valentino will be super pissed if he comes home to find the cupboard (humidor) bare.

So I'm choosing two of you. And he can't stop me because he isn't here. Insert that evil laugh here, too.

The winners are:

Denee Salazar and  JCarrier02 <<~~I'm assuming that's not his/her real name!!

Hahahaah. [source]

What's the December Cigar of the Month?

We're glad you asked!! A collection of cigars plus some swag from the amazing folks at Alec Bradley. Go here for contest details!!

Upon his return, Valentino will take a much better photo.
But yeah, you get this!!

*For heaven's sake, like I tell my students, although they don't believe me, I'm not a monster!!

**I was going to make a funny--very funny (in my head)--joke about it being similar to suffering through a fabulous dinner while on a date in order to have delicious sex with that devastatingly attractive and funny companion. But I didn't want to offend anyone. So there you go!

***Some might call this writing, but I call it revising with style.

****Because Valentino is away and doesn't know I haven't done it yet.  What? Oh.

*****Why am I so sappy today? Grrr. Buck up, soldier!

******No, it is not weird that we just called a stuffed owl our friend.  Check out the Facebook page and you'll see why it's not crazy at all!!

The One that Got Away--It's Box-worthy!*

The other night, under pressure of deadline and associated crazy, I sent Valentino away. He wound up at Habanos, which is great because that's where he headed in the first place, with pland to meet up with a bunch of super cool folks.

As my state reached pinnacle crazy, he packed up a few cigars, kissed me goodbye, and fled.  Usually I'll ask what tubular treasures he's taking with him, but I didn't. My brain, she is a weeeee bit fried. Twenty six measly letters into many, many combinations of words and sentences and paragraphs and then all of a sudden, he was home.**

So while I spent hours finagling a book proposal into some semblance of order, he enjoyed this:

Damn, he's a good picture-taker.

Once again My Father Cigar has made a spectacular impression and I'm just sorry I missed it.
Once he found out the details of the Flor de las Antillas, a sun-grown wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder, we said, "Ahhh. Of course." We've discovered over many many many cigars that he does tend to favor the leaves of Nicaragua.

According to Cigar Aficionado, the company released the Flor de Las Antillas brand in May 2012. "The standout of the four-size brand is the Toro, which has a gentle, rounded box press and a beautiful and evenly colored wrapper. The smokes are delicious from the first puff, with notes of nutmeg, white pepper and just enough strength without being overpowering. They are hard to put down. They are classics, 96-point smokes on our 100-point scale."

[source]

The Flor de las Antillas, the "first entirely box-pressed line from My Father Cigars, means 'Flower of the Antilles'; the Flor de las Antillas represents Cuba, the largest island in the Greater Antilles islands, and home to the Garcia family's rich cigar making heritage. Traditionally focused on more full-bodied cigars, Flor de las Antillas ventures into the company's untapped niche of a true medium-bodied experience." [source] 

The company states on their website, "The Garcia family has decided to put that name on this amazing and unique creation, combining a great cigar with a design that includes accents from the original art created in the early 1900s, packed in a box of 20 cigars. It is a 3/4 to Full-Bodied cigar Box-Pressed of a sun grown wrapper harvested in Las Marias farm, located in the region of Namaja­ in Estela­, Nicaragua, owned and operated by the Garcia Family. This cigar is blended with several Cuban tobacco seeds, making it smooth and creamy. It starts with the signature My Father spice and has a rich cocoa flavor. It produces a beautiful white ash giving it a great finish."

Valentino noted that the cigar started with a blast of spiciness and hint of pepper but it ebbed quickly and headed into a sweeter mild-medium smoke with hints of wood and leather behind it all. We're going to have to take his word for it, since I wasn't there. Oh, and he knows what he's talking about, so there's that...

::Happy dance:: We're getting a box of these! [source]

We can't quite remember where we got the magical Flor de Las Antillas toro (6 x 52)***; it surfaced as he mucked around in one of the humidors.**** But we certainly know where the next one is coming from--and the one after that. Seems there was a groupon for an online cigar shop we've purchased from in the past. Using that, a box of these delights is on its way to us shortly.

I can't decide if I want to end this by saying he should go out on his own and discover more awesome cigars or if I should be totally selfish and demand to second hand smoke them all. Guess the deadlines will have the final say.


*

[source]

**I have absolutely no recollection of what this sparkle was going to be.

***It also comes in Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52), Robusto (5 x 50), and Toro Gordo (6 1/2 x 56).

****We just remembered from whence it came! A cigar dinner last fall at Cosantino's in Providence, sponsored by Habanos!