Tuesday 16 September 2014

Pairing Cigars to Drinks: Top Pairings

Pairing cigars with drinks have been a topic of debate among cigar smokers and connoisseurs since decades and continues till date. So, how do you know which drink to pair with your cigar of choice? Is there an equation for a perfect pairing?

Honestly, there is no equation to perfect cigar and drink pairing. Neither is there a bible to get your dilemma sorted. Cigar and drink pairings is a mystery that remains unsolved till date and even the most seasoned experts and long time connoisseurs of cigars and wines find themselves at loss when it comes to pairing cigars with drinks.


Cigar and Drink Pairing – It’s in the TongueTaste is the role player when it comes to pairing a drink with your cigar. There can be multiple kinds of drinks that can pair with a cigar and the combination choices may differ from person to person. So combinations are more of a personal choice which is probably why cigar and drink pairings remains a mystery.


Common Pairings

Tastes for wines and cigars develop over time and the same goes for pairing cigars with drinks. The more tastes you experience, the more refined your choices become. However, the rule book says that pairs should always be made by matching the body type of cigars. No cigar should overpower a drink and vice versa.

For instance, a light-bodied cigar will pair well with blended scotches, young red wines and some white wines too. A medium-bodied cigar can best be accompanied with Speysides, Lowland whiskeys, rums, ports, Irish whiskeys, bourbons, and ryes. A full-bodied cigar however best complements heavy Highland single malts and Peaty Islay.

While pairing cigars with alcoholic drinks is common, cigars can be paired with non-alcoholic drinks such as coffee and mocktails as well for instance cappuccino, coffee with Irish cream, Sangria (alcohol-free), etc. However, most cigar connoisseurs believe that alcoholic drinks best complement the smoke of Partagas cigars.

Insignia, a popular lifestyle boutique lists top 10 cigar and spirit combinations suggested by Maurizio Zatti, a cigar concierge for Cigars at No. Ten. The purpose of highlighting the combinations is because these combinations are actually great and should be tried by every cigar connoisseur.
  • Partagas lusitania Gran Reserva ‘cosecha 2007’ & Remy Martin xo
  • Montecristo no. 2 Grand Reserva ‘cosecha 2006′ & Ron Zacapa Centenario xo
  • Cohiba Behike 56 & Johnnie Walker Blue Label
  • Romeo y Julietta Churchill Reserva ‘cosecha 2008’&  Jack Daniels Single Barrel
  • Montecristo 520 & Macallan ‘Triple cask matured’ 21 yo
  • Hoyo de Monterray Grand Epicure L.E. 2013 & Tattinger Brut Reserve
  • Romeo y Julietta de Luxe L.E. 2013 & Havana Club 15 yo Gran Reserva
  • Bolivar Petit Bellicosos L.E. 2009 & Lagavulin 16 yo
  • Cohiba Piramides Extra & Hibiki Single Malt
  • H. Uppman Robusto L.E. 2012 & Hibiki Suntory 17 yo
Which are your favorite cigar and drink combinations? Share your opinions and experiences with us; we’d love to hear from you as well.

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