Comments on: Pairing whisky and cigars

By: Aidan

Aidan — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:56:11 +0000

The Balvenie + Cohiba…. worth a shot.

By: David B

David B — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:17:13 +0000

I must admit I’m a newbie to cigars but when it comes to whiskey I have great taste buds for it. Cigars in general for me taste absolutely great with a cigar. The better whiskers of course should only be sipped as should a good cigar. Smooth complements smooth. A good CAO cigar goes well with a fine whiskey; like a great bourbon as Woodford Reserve, or a lovely Glenlivet 18 yrs old at least, or the ever delicious Johnny Walker Blue or Gold Label. If you are a Canadian whiskey drinker I have to stick to the popular Crown Royal. Once upon a time I bartended in a very selective country club which offered very select membership and liquor list. Whether or not u prefer my choices I just want to say cigars are a great pleasure to smoke and great whiskey should not be ever watered down. Good smoking and sipping to you

By: David

David — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:21:18 +0000

Hi Tim,

Sorry about the blog. I took it off line and am working on putting it back up soon. In the meantime, let me share with you a few of what we’ve found to be excellent pairings:

Aberlour A’bunadh and CAO Maduro
Plenty of sweet cocoa and toffee. The sherry in the whisky brings out the flavor of the cigar.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old and Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo
The pair combines to soften each other. The peat becomes a bit less overpowering and the whisky’s sweetness comes out to enhance the nuttiness/earthiness of the cigar.

Balvenie 12 Year Old and Arturo Fuentes Cuban Corona
Spicy! Creamy, nutty mouthfeel.

Bowmore Darkest and Oliva V
Robusto Heavy nutty notes (pecan pie), caramel, earthy.

Bowmore Darkest and Padrón 1964 Anniversary
Sweet chocolate, spicy pepper. Outstanding.

If you try any of them, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the pairings.

David

By: Tim Bernard

Tim Bernard — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:36:20 +0000

I would love to read the blog about cigar-whisky pairings but the website is telling me I need to be invited. I can identify with trying different combinations of cigars/whiskys and not have them compliment each other. How can I get on the blog?

By: John Hansell

John Hansell — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:20:57 +0000

Dave, it sounds delicious. You have inspired me to smoke a cigar tonight.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:18:34 +0000

I actually found an exquisite pairing by mistake…It was an Aberlour 12 year on the rocks paired with a Rocky Patel Summer 2008 Collection cigar. I must say it was a match made in heaven. The sweet honey & citrus aromas from the cigar paired with the sweetness, richness and spice of the scotch was just perfect!. Very Smooth

By: David

David — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:04:38 +0000

Hi John,

I read with interest the recent discussion about cigar and whisky pairings. This is an area that has fascinated myself and a friend of mine for a number of years. While everyone had talked about how cigars and whisky are a natural combination, we had noticed over the years that this was not always the case. Some cigars go well or okay with some whiskies and some simply don’t go together at all and ruin the enjoyment of both. We were so intrigued by this conundrum that we started systematically testing different whisky and cigar pairings to identify those that worked and those that didn’t. After going through many cigars and many single malts (a time consuming and tough task, but someone had to do the ground work), we started compiling a list of what we considered great pairings. Word got out about our “research” and our whisky and cigar loving friends were constantly asking for recommendations and to go public with our list so we recently decided to start a blog devoted to the subject. For those who might be interested the site is located at http://whiskyandcigarpairings.blogspot.com

We hope it will generate interest and further discussion into the art of pairings and provide a forum to discuss issues related to the topic, a central place to share successful pairings, and a repository for all successful pairings. For anyone who has ever encountered a bad pairing, I think our blog will be a welcome source of pure pleasure. When the pairing is right, they are indeed matches made in heaven.

By: WHISKYhost

WHISKYhost — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:24:24 +0000

Thanks to everyone who followed the link above and sincere thanks to John for allowing a link in the comments thread.

The latest cigar & whisky pairing is up at the WHISKYhost blog:
http://whiskyhost.blogspot.com/2009/12/cigar-whisky-pairings-2.html

Happy drinking and smoking, people!
Jason

By: Joe G

Joe G — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:29:35 +0000

Oddly enough, I have Cigar Aficianado’s Big Smoke to thank for my new found love of Single Malt Scotch. As a long time cigar smoker, I used to turn to liqueurs as an accompaniment to my cigars. At the Big Smoke in Las Vegas in 2007, attendees were able to sample some top notch Scotch whiskey. Net result for me is that I now have a few fingers of this noble liquid when I enjoy my cigars.
I do pair them according to the flavor of the cigar and my moods. Richly flavored smokes call for a peatier flavored drink, while those with milder flavors need a lighter taste. Regardless of my given choice, it is a pleasure to explore this pairing of drink and smoke. I wish everyone joy in their own experience!

By: Charles Gilliam

Charles Gilliam — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:19:51 +0000

I frequently drink The Dalmore 12 year old with a La Flor Dominicana-Double Ligero. However, the real deal is The Dalmore Stillman’s Dram 28 Year Old with a Litto Gomez Diez Oriental. I’ve had the Cigar Malt but it really isn’t in the same league as the others I have listed here (IMHO).

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:10:41 +0000

I do pair whiskey and cigars! I don’t put a whole lot of effort into getting the perfect pairing but usually if I’m drinking a high rye bourbon, I’ll go with a mild bodied cigar and vice versa. I do mix things up and go with my pipe at times, especially now that winter is setting in.

By: Lee

Lee — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:48:39 +0000

I pretty much only drink whiskey while enjoying a cigar. Probably 5-6 per week. I smoke mainly med-full to full cigars in strength so I try to make sure I have a whiskey that stands up to this. Also, I’ve tried cigars that I hadn’t smoked before that turned out to be too mild in flavor and gotten overpowered by a barrel stregth whiskey like G.T. Stagg. I find that a nice rye pairs well with a spicy cigar from a manufacturer such as Tatuaje, Pepin, Illusione, or a fuente Opus X.

By: Shane K.

Shane K. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:36:37 +0000

Hi, I have tried many spirits over the last 11 years and I have got to say Malt whiskies are definitely my choice when it comes to cigars. Some fine pairings include, Cohiba sublime 2004 with Springbank 21, Montecristo No. 2 with Macallan Gran Reserva 1979, Aberlour A’bunadh with Partagas series D No.4, Nub 466 with Aberlour 18, Montecristo Sublime 2008 with Springbank PSI, La Gloria Cubano reserva figurados with Karuizawa 1971 to name a few. I think the viscous texture of the sherried whiskies tend to soak the palate like a sponge after the drying effect the puff of a cigar has. They just work together unbelievably well. Both handmade products from 2 countries with opposite climates meld together to compliment each other perfectly. SUBLIME indeed!

By: John Hansell

John Hansell — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:40:59 +0000

I forgot to mention rum in my original posting. The sweetness and richness of many fine rums go very well with dried, spice notes of a cigar.

Jack, yes, I believe that’s the same hotel. It has some theater in it. (Not sure of the name.) It’s also where we host Whiskyfest every year.

By: Jack Coupal

Jack Coupal — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:03:31 +0000

Isn’t the Marriott Marquis the hotel that has the Majestic Theater within it?

Wife and I saw Reba McIntire (sp?) in “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Majestic in summer of 2001, before all the bad stuff in NYC.