Posts: 3,279
Threads: 231
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
8
Hey guys, just got my new Wine Enthusiast yesterday and came across an interesting article discussing cigar and spirit pairings.
First off, they suggest mild cigars pair well with lighter spirits such as rum, gin, tequila, beer and white wines.
Medium cigars pair with whiskies, bourbons, blended-scotch, and red wines like zinfandels.
Full bodied cigars pair well with cognacs, single malts, and desert wines such as ports. They seem to think full bodied cigars need to be balanced out more than paired with.
They also went on to make a few specific suggestions such as:
Ashton 8-9-8 natural with Neeisson Rhum
Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Torpedo with Dow's 1997 Vintage Porto
Trinidad Robusto ECSU with Talisker 25 Yr. Old/Isle of Skye single malt
Not sure what I think of ther suggestions but I look forward to your opinions. What exact pairings do you like to see for specific cigars?
Posts: 2,280
Threads: 119
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
11
Posts: 2,968
Threads: 131
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation:
3
I think that maching body weight as a generization is OK. To say that a full-bodied cigar goes well with a full-bodied drink, and a mild-bodied cigar with a mild-bodied drink. As fuller bodied cigar with take away the finish of a lighter spirit and a full bodied spirit will overpower a lighter cigar. I heard it discribed as more of way to prevent mistakes than a way to indentify a perfect pairing.
Posts: 19,851
Threads: 1,833
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
50
quite frankly I think cigars need true spirits. Wine and beer are OK, but do not truley compliment each other. They may get along but the total is maybe equal to the sum of the parts.
Now, pair cigars with spirits... Rum, Scotch, B&B, Brandies, etc. Here the total can be far greater than the sum of the parts with the only down side being when one finished before the other.
Great stuff, thanks (again) Mac.
As for your question... Some of my favorite pairings....
Ashton VSG with some of the more fruity anejo rums
most cubans and porto
Single Malts and Opus/Litto and other strong oily cigars
On those rare occasions, cordials and a smaller cigar. Or with a lancero.
Mid-afternoon cigars go great with black coffee. Little or no sugar (unless it's espresso, then a small spot of sugar with a twist of lemon (sambuca can be substituted for the sugar)
Posts: 5,310
Threads: 183
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
2
I've found that good bourbon, aged rum, or single malt Scotch go well with just about ANY cigar. 
Some pairings are better than others, but the only truly bad pairing I've had was hard cider and a CAO Italia. They did terrible, terrible things to each other!
NANPâ¢
[cigar]
NANP™
Posts: 2,965
Threads: 93
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
0
best pairing i ever tried (a bit out of left field, but it really blew my mind)...
forbidden X smoked with a floris apple beer (belgian).
i know it sounds a little weird, but the sharp sweet/sour apple taste plays off the leather flavors in the cigar. if you can get a hold of those two things, you won't be sorry. as a general rule, i hate fruit in my beer. but those crazy belgians pull it off sometimes.
Posts: 19,851
Threads: 1,833
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
50
Bungalowbill Wrote:best pairing i ever tried (a bit out of left field, but it really blew my mind)...
forbidden X smoked with a floris apple beer (belgian).
i know it sounds a little weird, but the sharp sweet/sour apple taste plays off the leather flavors in the cigar. if you can get a hold of those two things, you won't be sorry. as a general rule, i hate fruit in my beer. but those crazy belgians pull it off sometimes. That they do BB, that they do.
Posts: 2,597
Threads: 74
Joined: Oct 2007
Reputation:
8
For the longest time the ritual has been a nice ribeye followed by a stogie for desert and a dirty Kettle One martini. I really enjoyed this combo and sometimes followed it with Drambuie.
I went and got a bottle of V.S.O.P., my first experiment with cognac, and would like to add a single malt to the rotation. How much should I spend in a decent bottle and not to break the bank?
For beer I'm a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale fan.
Not really an expert on pairings or spirits in general as beer is the staple of choice.
Posts: 19,851
Threads: 1,833
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
50
i would advise starting simple with a bottle of dalmores cigar malt. For around $40 (or under) you cant go wrong. Try it with a tablespoon of decent (not tap) water. The water "opens" up the nose
Posts: 5,310
Threads: 183
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
2
[user=53]Bungalowbill[/user] wrote:
Quote:. . . as a general rule, i hate fruit in my beer. but those crazy belgians pull it off sometimes.
I'm a fan of Lambic Framboise, a Belgian raspberry beer that's just, well, yummy. I haven't tried it with cigars, but I suspect it'd go well with something strong, like a maddie Chisel or Edge.
Sorta like MaduroDave's (I think it was) cranberry juice and maduro pairing. That one was surprisingly good.
NANPâ¢
[cigar]
NANP™
|
