Try Irish Whiskey, bourbons, Scotch whisky, rye whiskey and Japanese whisky with hand selected cigars!
Cigars can be paired with most spirits. Bourbon, Scotch whisky, cognac and rum will be some of your best choices. An Old Fashioned cocktail featuring rye whiskey or a smokey scotch whisky is my go to favorite. But of course Irish whiskey is always my preference, if you made me choose I’d go with the list below. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Port is slowly becoming my favorite companion, but coffee and beer cask finishes can work well too. But regardless of the cask choice, the flavor, intensity and balance of each product needs to be considered. A cask-strength whisk(e)y, highly peated Scotch whisky or perfectly balanced Japanese dram needs consideration. Some will pair easily with any cigar and some won’t work well at all.
A light cigar will pair best with a mild, subtle blend, like Lambay Whiskey’s Single Malt or Malt. Medium bodied smokes pair well with mild Bourbons, Rye whiskeys and Speyside single malts like Glenfarclas 15. Full flavour and intensely layered cigars will work best with single pot stills or single malts, sherry-aged vintages and aged expressions that have an abundance of depth, like the Redbreast 27 year old.
If you like bourbon, and notes of vanilla and caramel are often overpowering, don’t go sweet, try a cigars that has deep woody tones or undertones of leather as they work best. Typically, aged cigars bring forth sweet caramel notes which would work well with many bourbons. Seek a translatable intensity and flavor profile in both products.
with the light, mild Romeo Y Julieta 1875. The cigar’s flavor, in this case, will be overwhelmed by this dram. Power must meet power.
Caldwell The King is Dead & Rebel Yell
You need to smoke a couple of these cigars to get solid tasting pattern. Then you can decided which whiskey to pick, by relaying on your experience, I knew after the first few sips and puffs. Rebel Yell is one of America’s most popular bourbons, and this one of the most unknown, due to the rarity the of whiskey it made it such a pleasure to find this cigar as the perfect fit.
Rebel Yell Cognac is a perfect matchup for The King is Dead. The whiskye has a deep fruity flavour that is layered with influnces from a mixed mash bill and looks for support from the cigars. A fruity but dry whiskey that bursts with rich lickings of oak and a lingering sweetness slides subtly along with the smoke. It pairs magnificently with the flavor profile of All Out Kings. Rich with notes of nuts, wood, and sweet milk chocolate undertones with are rich with earthy complexitys. This cigar is medium to full body and full flavor. The King Is Dead is available in 6 vitolas in 24 count boxes.
A.J. Fernandez San Lotano Habano & Midleton Very Rare 2020
Midleton Very Rare is a yearly release of Irish whiskey almost as sought after as Pappy Van Winkle is by the bourbon bastards. What is interesting about this whiskey is the blended balance of similarity to the cigar of this delicate Irish whiskey,
It is incredibly smooth at first, then begins up complex notes of vanilla, sweetness, and an abundance of different spices. It has Initial top notes of cane sugar and vanilla intertwined with pepper and nutmeg spices, complimented by sweet orchard fruits and white chocolate fudge all layered over polished antique wood notes, showcasing an intriguing balance between spirit and wood thanks to the complex interaction from the many years spent in the finest oak casks.
At first, the San Lotano complements the chocolate notes, that feed the vanilla sweetness of the whiskey. But it is the end of the cigar’s first influence, where an abundance of spices comes into play, that made me relax and let this dream pairing become the dream pairing I’d imagined.
Montecristo White Series & Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Family Reserve
This pairing is based upon one research: smooth. Long hailed as such, the Montecristo White is a golden Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, and aged Dominican filler and binder. It’s smooth as a liars tongue and creamy as an Ice-cream Sunday in the sun with heavy hints of Vanilla, nuts, sweet coffee, and cedar.
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old has got a lot of complexity for a bourbon, when everone knows, Irish whiskey is the best. The wheated-recipe and specially selected barrels, are stored in the heart of the Van Winkle’s aging warehouses, this bourbon remained undisturbed for 15 years to age in deep-charred heavy oak untouched by human hands, unhurried by time. Its age gives it a smoothness that may not be common to other whiskeys, but is a trait that has become un-expectation.
Bushmills 21 Year & La Gloria Cubana Serie D N°5
Best suited to more delicate whisky expressions that are playful and perhaps a little young. Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 21 year old is a perfect companion. Aged for a minimum of 19 years in former Oloroso Sherry and bourbon seasoned casks, then married into Madeira casks for a further 2 years of maturation.
Bushmills 21 Year was awarded ‘Best Irish Single Malt 2013’ and a rare 96 points from Whisky Advocate, it has huge depth of dried fruit flavors with spicy, aromatic maltiness, subtle nutty raisin notes, and a rich finish that seemingly never ends.
A beautifully balanced Cuban cigar had to be chosen adn the La Gloria Cubana Serie D N°5 may be the perfect combination. This was a Spanish exclusive, but it’s not too hard to find through the right retailers. With distinctive aromas of coffee beans, pine nuts, and cinnamon spice, it is a distinctive and aromatic cigar.
Connemara 12 Year Old & Romeo y Julieta 1875 Deluxe No. 1
The Romeo refuses to be overshadowed by Connemara’s peaty delights, but instead adds layers of intense leather and complements sweet spice with its nougat notes. The draw is lush, the burn, dead even. A tasty and balanced cigar. Nutty wood overtones of the cigar smoke mingle with the sweet smokey apple of this delicious peated Irish Whiskey.
There are also layers of vanilla bean and peppercorns before a hint of peat graces the nose. A nutty tone hits the palate first with some soft fruit with the peat popping up half way through. It is more of a kiss of peat; unlike many peated whiskey’s on the market that can just be all about the peat. The Connemara is a sublime example of a blend of peat and fruit.
Bowmore 18 Year Reserva Single Malt & Romeo y Julieta Exhibición No 4
Named after William Shakespeare’s tragic lovers, the origins of Romeo y Julieta as a Habano date back to 1875. The brand of Churchills rose to international fame during the early years of the 20th Century under the direction of Don ‘Pepin’ Rodríguez, a talented promoter, who was amongst the first to recognise the power of the cigar band. During his hey day no less than 20,000 different bands were used in production.
The finest, hand-selected oak casks and allowed to mature at its own weirdly scotish pace, this is one of the most remarkable, balanced single malt scotch whiskies I have tried. One of the rarest whiskies Bowmore has produced it pairs beautifully with cigars. Let the soft fruit and chocolate meld with the balanced and light smokiness of this dense copper-like, metallic smoke, draw until the first few puffs make you want more whiskey. Cinnamon, Citrus Zest, and Mild Chocolate
Every Whiskey Tells a Story, What Will Yours Be?
Sláinte from The Whiskey Trail – #EatDrinkExplore – By Paul Kavanagh
Leave a Reply