Pairing Your Favorite Cigars with Your Favorite Alcoholic Drinks
If you are a cigar smoker, there is no better way to enjoy the experience than an excellent alcoholic drink. Cigars and alcohol go together like peanut butter and jelly; they just work well together. However, not all drinks pair well with cigars. In this blog post, we will discuss how different types of alcohol react to cigars so that you can find your perfect pairing!
Now on to the cigar and drink pairing.
A cigar and a beer
Pairing cigars with beer is a fun way to step outside your comfort zone while having a truly unique experience. For those who have never tried this combination before, it may sound odd at first, but once you try it, you’ll realize that some cigars go with beer perfectly.
Some of the best beer/cigar pairings are:
- ACID Maduro cigar and a red ale
- Aging Room Connecticut cigar and an Irish stout
- Dapper Cubo Sumatra cigar with an American pale lager.
One cigar that pairs well with beers is Alec Bradley American Sun Grown Blend cigars. These cigars use Nicaraguan tobacco for both the filler and sun-grown Habano wrappers. The outer leaf imparts a rich, spicy character over the smooth, balanced core flavor.
The wrapper is what sets this cigar apart from others in its class; it delivers light to medium-bodied smoke with peppery flavors that are easy on your palate but full of sophisticated tastes.
Pair an Alec Bradley with a beer such as a German pilsner or an American Pale Lager. This cigar is a medium-bodied and complex smoke with rich flavors that will pair well with lighter beers, like lagers, where its subtle spice can be enjoyed without being overpowered by the beer’s malt character.
A cigar and wine
Pairing cigars with wine is not just about pairing a random cigar with whatever bottle of wine you have lying around. There are specific rules that will help you create the ultimate pairings:
- The cigar must be milder than the wine.
- If you pair a stronger wine with a cigar, use an even more robust cigar (think 94+ rated).
- For white wines, choose cigars that are more earthy and nutty in flavor profiles.
- For red wines, choose cigars that are more chocolatey and oaky in flavor profiles.
- Avoid pairing a cigar with an overly tannic wine (think white wines).
A cigar and whiskey
Whisky and cigars are a classic pairing. The aroma of the smoke from a good cigar can really enhance the smell and flavor of the whiskey.
Great pairings of whiskey and cigars include a Manhattan or Old Fashioned with a mild cigar and whiskey sours with an aged cigar.
One of our favorite whiskey/cigar pairings is a Laphroaig 18 with a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990.
The woody, peaty flavor of the Laphroaig is cut by the sweetness and spice of the Macallan 18. Together they make for an incredible pairing that will please any cigar smoker or whisky drinker!
A Cigar and Single Malt Scotches
Pairing a cigar with single malt scotches is an art, and quality will vary by region. Single malts are often aged in specific barrels to gain their unique flavors; therefore, it’s best to pair them accordingly.
For example:
Bruichladdich Chinook Scotch Whiskey pairs well with Montecristo No 3 cigars because of its strong peaty taste that matches perfectly with spicy pepper notes found on the tobacco leaves used for this particular model from Cuba’s most famous producer of luxury handmade, handcrafted cigars made out of Cuban seed wrappers grown exclusively in San Juan y MartÃnez (San Jose de Los Llanos). The deep rich oak flavor complements both ingredients.
A cigar and rum
Since rum is produced from sugar cane, it has a similar taste to the tobacco in cigars. However, unlike cigars made from roasted and fermented tobacco leaves, rum releases an aroma of fruit that can be tasted even before lighting up.
One of our favorite cigar/rum pairings is a Romeo y Julieta 1875 with Matusalem 15 Year Aged Rum. The flavors are so complimentary that you can’t taste one without tasting the other! The sweetness of the rum cuts the peppery, woody flavor of the cigar.
The complexity and depth that a good cigar can bring to an aged rum will make for one memorable pairing!
Rum and cigars go well together!
Read more about cigar and rum pairings in our recent post.
A cigar with vodka
The first step to enjoying a cigar and vodka is to choose the right cigars. You want it to be mild so you can taste both the smokey flavor of the cigar along the distinct taste of vodka. Some of the best cigars to pair with vodka are:
- Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto – this cigar can be a little pricey for some, but the quality is worth it. It has a rich, full flavor and burns very evenly, drawing you in with every puff.
- Davidoff Grand Cru No 16 – this cigar also costs quite a bit more than most other cigars but is worth every penny. This cigar has an earthy, nutty flavor with a hint of spice.
- Padron 1964 Series – this is the most expensive cigar on our list, but it’s worth every penny. It has rich flavors and layers that will make any liquor taste better!
Now we get to the fun part: experimenting.
You can use our cigar/alcohol pairings above, or feel free to come up with your own. You can browse our online store to see if anything catches your attention.
If you need any help finding the perfect cigar or need a cigar lounge in Clarksville, TN, to experiment in, come visit us.
We can help you find the perfect pair for your taste: from a high-end scotch and full-bodied cigar or something lighter with an American Lager, we’ve got you covered.
