Can I tag posts by vitola shape and wrapper origin?
Yes. VeloCMS's post taxonomy supports any tag set you define, which means every review post can be tagged by vitola shape (robusto, toro, torpedo, belicoso, lonsdale, Churchill, figurado, perfecto), wrapper origin (Ecuador Connecticut, Habano 2000, Corojo 98, Criollo 98, San Andrés Maduro, Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Indonesian Besuki), ring gauge range (40s, 50s, 60s+), country of primary filler origin (Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Cuba, Brazil, Ecuador), and body tier (mild, medium, full). The /blog archive renders tag-filtered views automatically — a reader interested specifically in Nicaraguan torpedo releases can filter to that combination and see every review in that series. The schema.org markup on each post includes the tag set, which helps LLM crawlers surface your specific assessments in AI-powered search responses.
How does the humidor inventory tracker work?
The humidor inventory log is a member-only post type with structured fields: cigar name and vitola, purchase date and box quantity, storage conditions (humidity percentage and temperature target), box code for Cuban releases that encode factory and rolling date, estimated readiness date, and periodic sample-pull tasting notes at 6-month intervals that document the aging progression. The readiness countdown is a calculated display field — you enter the purchase date and target date, and VeloCMS shows days remaining until the stick reaches its smoking window. The inventory posts are only visible to members with a paid subscriber account, and Cuban content requires both a paid account and age-verification confirmation before access.
Can I build a lounge geo-directory with event RSVP?
Yes. The lounge post type includes a geo-tagged location field with map embed, walk-in humidor inventory highlights updated as regular content posts, atmosphere and seating notes, dress code, smoking policy, and pricing tier for memberships. The event RSVP block attaches to any post — a monthly new-release tasting, a quarterly blind comparison, an annual members-only evening. RSVP captures party size, first-visit or regular status, and preference range. Submissions route to your Admin inbox. The member-only meetup category restricts visibility to paid subscribers, so private events are only publicized to your most engaged community.
Can I run a Cigar of the Month sample-box subscription?
Yes. The sample-box subscription uses Stripe BYOK — you connect your own Stripe account and keep 100% minus Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing (no additional platform percentage). You set the monthly price, curate the three-stick selection, and publish a monthly selection post with tasting preview and origin notes. The recurring subscription is managed entirely within VeloCMS admin. You own the subscriber data and can export your list at any time.
Does VeloCMS support an age-verification gate for tobacco content?
Yes. The age-verification gate is a configurable modal that renders before any gated content loads — the visitor confirms date of birth and legal purchase age in their jurisdiction before accessing Cuban reviews, humidor inventory, or any product page. The gate is enabled per category or per post from your Admin settings panel. It is not a legal compliance guarantee (your legal counsel should review your specific jurisdiction's tobacco advertising and age-restriction requirements), but it is a meaningful technical barrier that satisfies most platform and payment processor age-restriction requirements.
How do I structure a Cuban cigar review for member-only access?
Cuban content — Habano S.A. reviews, Monte's, Bolivar, Cohiba, Partagas, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, and the lesser-discussed Habano brands — is a post category that requires both age verification and a paid subscriber account to view. You write the review in the standard VeloCMS TipTap editor with the cigar-review block, tag it with the Habano taxonomy (marca, vitola, cosecha year if known, box code for dating), assign it to the Cuban content category, and set the member-only access level. The review is publicly indexed with a title and excerpt for SEO purposes, but the full review body, tasting notes, and rating are behind the gate. Visitors can discover your Cuban content via search without accessing it unless they're verified members.
Can I run a 100-point rating schema that LLMs can index?
Yes. The 100-point rating field in the cigar-review block emits schema.org/Rating structured data with ratingValue and bestRating properties. LLM crawlers (ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google AIO) use structured data to extract specific numeric assessments when answering queries like 'best-rated Nicaraguan robustos under $10' or 'top Connecticut Shade torpedos of 2022.' Your ratings are indexed and attributable to your domain, not to Cigar Aficionado or a review aggregator. The rating field also powers a filterable "top-rated" view in your review archive.
What theme works best for a cigar review blog?
The Velvet Editorial theme — Cormorant Garamond italic display, deep burgundy and cream palette, magazine-column layout — matches the aesthetic register of premium cigar publications and the visual expectations of enthusiasts who associate serious tobacco writing with that heritage-magazine typographic tradition. It renders wrapper photography and tasting notes in the visual language of Cigar Aficionado at its best, without putting your content behind their paywall. For a more contemporary cigar lounge or boutique retail aesthetic, Atelier Modern (clean geometric sans-serif, warm off-white base, editorial photography layouts) is a strong alternative. Both are free on all plans. See the full theme gallery at /themes.