Happy Friday Cigar Pals - I'm coming at you today with a cool article about differentiating your marketing tactics in an industry of very similar products. Specifically, stepping up your game at a trade show!
Trade shows are an amazing way for cigar companies to strut their stuff, pimp out new sticks, and impress the cigar lovers of the world. This is especially important for boutique brands of cigars that are trying to get their feet wet in the expansive world of smoking premium tobacco.Â
Foundry is a cigar company known for it's creative marketing and superior branding. I've smoked Foundry cigars, and they are very good blends! But the most impressive aspect of their company is their ability to captivate through innovative marketing tactics.
At a recent trade show, Foundry set up a few VERY unique booths that stepped up the game of trade show presentation. Take a minute, click on the link, and see just how cool their set up was!
We see a lot of cigar fans come through our shop, and many of them are constantly on the move - traveling for business, taking vacations, and even a handful of truck drivers!Â
Not surprisingly, almost all of them love to pack their sticks away in a travel case and bring them along for the ride as they travel around. However, it can be tough to stake out places to smoke your cigars when you're in an unfamiliar city, and more often than not it is a huge pain.
Thankfully, Cigar Aficionado has recently developed an app for iOS and Android that does the work for you. Using the Where to Smoke Now app, cigar enthusiasts can see cigar clubs, bars and lounges near their current location that will be happy to house them for a smoke or two (or three!).
If you are one of these traveling vagabonds who could use this nifty tool, make sure to snag it from the app store. You won't regret it! :)
Cigar fans! Here is an interesting article about the potential influx of Cuban cigars in the U.S.
While there are no doubts about the high quality of Cuban sticks, the mysterious allure of their availability (or lack there of) in past years has created extreme hype.Â
Don't get me wrong - We are just as excited to order some of these beauties, and are even more excited to listen to our valued patrons compare and contrast the quality of Cubans to other premium cigars!
Either way, good things are on the horizon here at Cigar Source and The Club, and we are jazzed to welcome some new cigars to our humidor.
We are very excited to be hosting this new event over the course of the 2014 NFL Season, and would love to have as many people as possible join us in our football celebrations.
Complete with complimentary food, beverages, man cave seating, HD TVs, and FREE cigars, this is not something you'll want to miss.
Check out our event page on Facebook for details ->Â http://tinyurl.com/op94lov
Friday is often the busiest day at Cigar Source and The Club. Our club is packed with members enjoying a relaxing afternoon, including some heated rounds of Dominos!
Building a Bridge to the Cigar World - The Perfect Beginner's Cigar
"What’s the point of smoking a cigar if I can only manage to smoke half of it?"
"If I smoke a cigar, then I will still be tasting it three days later!"
"There are too many cigars to choose from, and they’re expensive… What if I don’t find one I like?"
Why are the above quotes crossed out? Well, for one, I never get a chance to use the strike-through text feature. But more importantly, these are all common concerns that people have when faced with the option of smoking cigars. And you know what? They are all fair concerns!
Some cigars are way too heavy to smoke all the way through, many cigars leave a terrible taste in your mouth, and it can be difficult to find a cigar that you like. Fortunately, today we’ll be building a bridge between you and the mystical world of cigar smoking - by way of the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 cigar.
You might think that people come into Cigar Source with a wealth of knowledge regarding our product. The funny thing is, many people that come into our store don’t know left from right when it comes to cigars. It can be an intimidating place for these people, considering we have a humidor packed with limitless brands of cigars. These customers are the most fun to help! Introducing new faces to the cigar world is a blast, and over time, we’ve picked out a couple cigars that seem to work well for newcomers.
One such cigar is the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut. The cigar features a lightly shaded Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobacco. Of course, this information means nothing to a new smoker.
The important aspects of the Vintage 1999 are its taste and how it smokes. It is a light cigar with a mild flavor, offering a very smooth smoke all the way through. Regarding its taste, the 1999 boasts a toasty, almost buttery flavor that evens out into a creamy blend during the second half of the cigar. Post-smoke, the aftertaste will be mild and will not last very long (certainly not three days!!).
All around, the Vintage 1999 Connecticut by Rocky Patel is a very safe choice for a new smoker, but is very popular among even the most experienced of smokers. If you’re ever looking to gift someone a cigar, this is almost certainly your best bet. Fairly priced, this stick is a winner for sure, and definitely one of our consistent best-sellers.Â
The Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut - Our featured cigar of the week!
The II-XXVI 2014… The second release of a great cigar, released to commemorate the birthday of company president Rocky Patel.
This cigar is medium/full-bodied, and quite strong. Containing notes of cocoa, espresso, earth and white pepper, this cigar is the newest edition to the Cigar Source humidor.
The II-XXVI is our featured cigar of the week. Stop on in and pick one up!
If you are a Cigar Source regular, follow our social media outlets, find yourself on our email mailing list, or even if you've just stopped into the store a couple of times, you've probably heard mention of our monthly events. Perhaps your interest was peaked and you're considering attending an event? Great!
I am here today to give you a lowdown on what goes into a Cigar Source event. If you don't feel like reading the entire blog post, then at least read the following - Cigar Source events are a great way to get out and experience something new for a couple of hours. Our events usually take place from 5-8PM, and tend to feature one of our many cigar brands. On many occasions, we'll have reps from our companies on site to inform you about the featured product of the night. The events are a great opportunity to socialize with members and patrons alike, enjoy a few complimentary beverages, and enjoy the friendly culture of the cigar world over a featured cigar or two.
 Still reading? Fantastic... Then let me expand on the above summary. My goal is to give readers a description of a typical event so they know what to expect when purchasing a ticket.
Events are planned out well in advance, so we can make sure all arrangements are made, from considerations regarding the weather to giving our cigar reps plenty of time to prepare for the event themselves. We send email notice, and will promote all events on our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.). We also provide fliers in the store with all necessary event information on them.
Tickets generally arrange from $10-20, depending on the event, and will typically include a free cigar that we feature during the evening of the event. Purchasing a ticket also allows for full access to our cigar club for the evening, and complimentary beer/wine/sodas/etc. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Cigar Source, and will be available at the door during the event.
Upon arriving to the event, you'll be greeted by the Cigar Source team. We'll take your ticket, and will send you to our cigar rep so you can pick out your free cigar (if we're offering). The rep will also inform you of our deals and steals for the night. Generally, we'll offer extra cigars or fun "swag" items based on how many cigars you purchase that evening. You can hit some really sweet deal if you decide to purchase from us during events!
If you prefer just to enjoy the atmosphere, then you can head into the club, grab a drink, and enjoy the event with the other guests. You'll find many of our club members at the event, as well as many of our regulars. The events always offer a very friendly atmosphere, and you are sure to feel welcome. The TVs are usually on, and many guests will play dominos or bust out a deck of cards. As they are cigar events, mostly everyone in attendance will be smoking a cigar. If you find the smoky atmosphere too much, we do set up tents outside with tables and chairs (pending that we have good weather).
You are welcome to stay as little or as long as you like, but I can assure you the events are a great time! As someone who works every event, I have a blast each time and love how great the energy is. The events are a great opportunity to enjoy a couple cigars, have a couple drinks, and mingle with friendly new faces. If you haven't come to an event yet, I implore you to AT LEAST stop by for one - it will be worth a couple hours of your time.
Feeling pumped and ready to check us out??? Never fear! We have an event this coming Thursday, July 17th, featuring our Illusione Cigar line. The event runs from 5-8PM, and tickets are $12.95. Here is a link to the event:
Good Afternoon cigar smokers of Des Moines! Today I would like to target my post towards those people out there who may not be as well versed in smoking cigars as others.
I can recall when I first started working at Cigar Source... I knew NOTHING about cigars - aside from small tidbits of information friends would tell me (which all turned out to be untrue hehe). However, even after a few months, I have gained a wealth of knowledge that I would like to pass on to those who would like to learn more about the cigar world. Let's start with these - 5 things that every cigar smoker should have!
TIME
Okay, I realize that this sounds silly, but it's actually very important. Cigars are not cheap cigarettes that you buy every other day for five dollars a pack. Cigars are filled with the world's best tobacco, which has been aged meticulously for years, and they are often hand-rolled by only the most skilled of workers. Properly enjoying some cigars from beginning to end takes 45 minutes to and hour, depending on the stick.
And when you're paying, on average, $8 to $10 for a quality cigar, it's not worth it unless you can relax, enjoy the whole cigar, and focus on what makes it a quality smoke.
Try this - Next time you feel like smoking a cigar, invite a couple of your friends who may also be interested and make an occasion out of it. Catch the game, play a quick nine at the course, or have a BBQ. This will provide you and your buddies plenty of uninterrupted time to enjoy your cigars.
CIGAR
"If I'm interesting in smoking a cigar, I'll need to obtain a cigar? DUH!"
As fun as pointing out the obvious can be, this is worth touching on. Do not go to a gas station and pick up a pack of Black & Milds, light one up, and claim to be smoking a cigar. If you're interested in breaking into the wonderful and rewarding world of cigar smoking, do this instead - take the time to go to a shop that specializes in selling cigars (like Cigar Source!).
Spending even five minutes in a cigar shop can provide sage-like guidance towards purchasing your first cigar. A good tobacconist will know several go-to cigars for new smokers based on their tastes, and will make sure you don't spend more money than you want/need to.Â
Going to the same shop is important, because if you spend enough time there, the tobacconist will recognize your palate and be able to make educated recommendations in the interest of diversifying your cigar selection. Make sure to go to shops that will actually take interest in you and take the time to help you 1-on-1. This will help you feel comfortable in an environment you're not yet comfortable with.
CUTTER
Most cigars you come across will need to be cut. What does this mean? Cutting the cigar involves snipping off a small portion of bundled tobacco leaves on the end of the cigar, leaving the smoker with a passage to draw smoke through. Cutting the cigar can be tricky, as cutting off too much of the stick will cause the wrapper to unravel. A solid general rule is to cut no more than a dime's width off the end.
There are many different styles of cutters - V cutters, punch cutters, etc. Your tobacconist can explain these to you, but just know that different types of cutters affect how the smoke is drawn through the cigar. The type of cutter you'll ultimately decide on is based entirely on personal preference, and won't be noticeable until smoking quite a few cigars.
A good cutter to start off with will simply make a straight cut across the tip of the cigar, and you can buy them for as low as $5-10.Â
LIGHTER
You need a cutter for one end, and a lighter for the other! There are indeed special lighters meant for cigars. Most cigar lighters run on butane fuel, which is different from, say, a Bic lighter. The lighter fluid from a Bic will affect the taste of your cigar, whereas a butane lighter will be much less likely to do so.Â
Cigars are also tough to light and take a few seconds of sustained torch flame. A cigar lighter will often have one or two torches that will spark constantly, and are often windproof. The power of these lighters allow the smoker to create a nice, even burn around the end of the cigar.
I will be honest - a good cigar lighter can be pricy, but is worth every penny. If you're strapped for cash because you decided to spend your money on a huge cigar selection (perhaps!), matches actually work very well for lighting cigars.
HUMIDOR
If you have the time, the cigars, the cutter and the lighter, you are set to go! If you have all of these things and find yourself smoking a few times a week, it's time to start thinking about a humidor.
What is a humidor? It is simply a box that you store your cigars in, and is kept to a specific humidity to keep your cigars as fresh as when you bought them.
Once you start finding multiple cigars that you enjoy, you may start collecting multiple types so you can smoke a certain stick when you're in the mood or for a certain occasion. However, you cannot just leave cigar lying around, because they will dry out and the quality will decrease exponentially.
If you purchase a cigar that you plan to smoke in just a few days, you should be fine without a humidor. But when you're smoking several and store them for more than a week at a time, you'll want to visit your tobacconist and have them pick one out for you based on the cigars you smoke, how many you need to store, and what humidity requirements will be necessary.
Thank you for reading through this post! I hope it was helpful for you newbies out there, and that it will make you feel comfortable when shopping for cigars. Remember, the key is finding a shop that will take the time to help you 1-on-1 and actually take an interest in your cigar journey. I may be biased, but I do recommend Cigar Source for this because quality service is embedded in the values of the business, and is never to be sacrificed.
The My Father La Antiguedad - A Review of Our Newest Cigar
Happy Tuesday smokers! It’s another beautiful morning here in Des Moines, and I have sat down with a coffee to embark on another day of fun (err… I mean work!) at Cigar Source. Joining me is our newest addition to the My Father cigar family - The La Antiguedad. It is a wonderful morning cigar, and will make a great specimen for my very first review! With that, let us begin…
The La Antiguedad is Jose “Pepin” Garcia and Jaime Garcia’s second developed project, following the highly successful Flor de las Antillas. The La Antiguedad has a similar appearance to the Antillas in fact, but they are very different cigars. Featuring a Nicaraguan filler and Ecuadorian wrapper, this cigar undergoes a curing process lasting no less than three and a half years. Pre-light, the La Antiguedad smells of coffee and fine leather, and a cold draw offers a taste of cocoa and earthiness.
The Burn:
Unsurprisingly, like most My Father cigars, the La Anitguedad burns smooth all the way through and requires few (if any) relights. The cigar is a distinct medium to full-bodied burn throughout, and holds together very well.
The Taste:
The lush flavor of this cigar is by far the most exciting part, and changes slightly as you reach each third of the stick. The first third greets the palate with a strong spice, accompanied by notes of black pepper (which I greatly enjoy in a full-bodied cigar), but is then quickly met with hints of coffee and hazelnut. This sounds like a strange combination of flavors, but is actually quite appealing. The pepper and spice sift out during the second third, and a bold blend of coffee and earthiness takes over. I believe I can taste a bit of cinnamon as well. The final third of the La Antiguedad combines the flavors of the first and second third, but in a well-balanced blend that offers a very smooth taste. Black pepper and spice make a strong return at the very end to send you off with a hearty finish.
Final Thoughts:
If you are in the mood for a full-bodied cigar and a strong, playful blend of flavors, this would be a solid addition to your humidor. I really enjoyed how the unique tastes pack their own punch, but combine at the end to form a smooth, even blend. This cigar would be paired very nicely with a morning coffee or espresso. If this sounds like a stick for you, stop into Cigar Source and pick one up! You will not be disappointed. :)
Cigars & The World Cup: Cigar-Friendly Places in Des Moines for Your World Cup Enjoyment
As we all know, the 2014 World Cup is already in full swing, and there is nothing better than grabbing a few friends and hitting the town to catch a match over a few tasty beverages.
Throw a few Cigar Source stogies in there, and you have yourself a fun-filled afternoon of Futbol action. Whether your cheering wildly or doing a lot of trash talking, you’ll want to stake out a solid venue to enjoy the experience.
Not surprisingly, there aren’t very many places in Des Moines where you can drink, smoke cigars and watch the World Cup all at the same time. Fortunately, your friendly neighborhood Tobacconist is here with three choice spots where you CAN do all of these things at once. With that, let us embark…
1.) MICKEY’S IRISH PUB
206Â 3rd St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Mickey’s is first on our list, boasting the Irish pub atmosphere as well as a large outdoor patio that includes a full-service bar and plenty of seating. There are plenty of TVs showcasing the World Cup, and you are more than welcome to light up a few cigars while enjoying the matches.
2.) TONIC BAR
5535 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266
For our West Glen crowd, Tonic is the go-to spot. Tonic is a beautiful, two-story bar that features an equally enjoyable patio for your cigar and World Cup enjoyment. If you are already a Cigar Source fan, you’ll be pleased to know that Tonic carries many of our cigars in their own humidor, so you can pick one up while you’re there!
3.) DUCKTAIL LOUNGE
1809Â 86th St, Clive, IA 50325
If you live closer to Johnston and Urbandale, head on out to Ducktail on 86th! Ducktail is a cozy lounge that offers a large martini list, as well as a cigar-friendly patio. The ambience is great and well worth a visit.
So pack up your jerseys, flags and boom sticks, and head on out to any of these fine establishments for premium World Cup action, a few brews and your favorite cigar. You will not be disappointed, and you will probably find me enjoying the same pleasures!
