The reason I began studying bourbon and cigar pairings is because, without fail, every time I asked a cigar bar bartender or a cigar lounge tobacconist, I would always get the same response: if you are smoking a full-bodied cigar, pair it with a full-bodied bourbon, and if you are smoking a light-bodied cigar, pair it with a light-bodied bourbon. I eventually figured out where this advice originated. Typically when a patron asks a tobacconist for a cigar recommendation, the tobacconist will ask them what kind of beverage they like. For people who drink espresso or black coffee, they will recommend a full-bodied cigar. For people who like fruity drinks or sugary sodas, they will recommend a lighter-bodied cigar. Without thinking about how these flavors would interact, they began recommending full-bodied cigars with full-bodied bourbons, which just doesn’t work. You should be looking for complementary flavor profiles and balance in pairings.
While this is one of the most pervasive myths I hear about pairing bourbons and cigars, there are many more to address. Another common myth is that you need to pick the most expensive bourbon and the most expensive cigar to go together. In reality, price tag rarely comes into play when looking for an enjoyable pairing. Flavor, complexity, cigar wrappers, mash bills, and even an individual’s sensory memories all come into play before price tags. I will often hear people say they are going to go to a cigar bar and order the most expensive bourbon and the most expensive cigar to celebrate a promotion, but I often try to intervene and let them know that they will have a more enjoyable experience if they try to pair a cigar they like with a flight of bourbons with different flavor profiles to see which one they enjoy the best. I surprise myself often with pairings. Sometimes, a $7 cigar goes best with a $150 whiskey, and vice versa. Once, I pulled a $1,500 event-only Arturo Fuente cigar out of my humidor and got to work looking for a bourbon to pair with it. I tried an Old Fitzgerald bottled-in-bond, Four Roses Yellow Label, and Jim Beam Black Label. While they were all great pairings, the Jim Beam Black Label, a $25 bottle, was the one that paired best with this expensive limited-edition cigar. As much as I understand the urge to splurge on a special occasion, don’t sell yourself short on enjoyment.
The next myth that I see all too often is that cigars need to be dipped, sprayed, or otherwise infused with whiskey flavor. The complementary whiskey myth is that a whiskey needs to be somehow tobacco infused. In reality, each of these things should stand on their own merits. What’s more, ingesting tobacco can be deadly, so I recommend staying away from whiskeys and cocktails that have some sort of tobacco infusion just to be on the safe side.
When it comes to the cigars themselves, it’s important to remember that cigars like to be kept at around 68 per cent humidity, and also that alcohol is hydrophilic, two things that do not mix. When you add a few drops of water to your whiskey, you will notice it becomes slightly cloudy, just for a moment. This is the alcohol molecules sucking up the water molecules. Now imagine what alcohol does to a cigar. If you dip it, it will dry out the cigar. If you put whiskey in your humidification devices in your humidor, it will dry out your cigars. If you try to infuse a cigar with whiskey, it will dry it out. And while artificial flavoring doesn’t carry this risk, it’s also not very good. It’s best to find a cigar and whiskey that you enjoy together on their own merits.
All you need to know about pairing cigars and whiskey is that everyone is going to like something different, it’s best to pick a flight of whiskeys with different flavor profiles to experiment with, and the only bad pairing is one that you don’t enjoy. Happy pairing!
Where To Smoke
Club Macanudo
26 E 63rd St
New York, NY 10065
(212) 752-8200
clubmacanudo.com
If you’re looking for an elegant place to have a lunch or dinner meeting and a cigar right in the heart of Manhattan without a membership requirement, Club Mac is a great option. There is a strict dress code here — collared shirts for men and no athletic wear or athletic shoes — as well as a cutting fee for those bringing in outside cigars. There’s a full bar and a full menu. But even if you just want to purchase a cigar and enjoy the lounge, there are comfortable couches and chairs as well as televisions on which to watch sporting events. The bar service is highly professional, and the cocktails are top notch. In addition to a full selection of Macanudo cigars, there are 130 brands offered including Cohiba, Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Punch, and more as well as humidors and other cigar accessories.
Where To Smoke
Telford’s Pipe & Cigar
664 Redwood Highway Frontage Rd
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 388-0440
telfordspipeandcigar.com
Located in an unassuming building on the outskirts of San Francisco, Telford’s is a cigar lounge with one of the largest collections of pipes anywhere, and certainly the largest selection of pipes and cigars in the Bay area. In addition to estate pipes and an immense selection of cigar accessories, there are also thousands of cigars to choose from. Cigar brands include hard-to-find brands like Ferio Tego, limited-edition Arturo Fuente Opus X and Añejo, and discontinued Nat Shermans. There is also a large selection of TAA-only special releases from numerous manufacturers. There’s a lounge complete with private lockers for members as well as a pipe club, the Golden Gate Pipe Club, which meets every second Sunday from 3–5pm. The pipe tobacco selection includes dozens of options. Telford’s
is open seven days a week from
10am to 6pm.
Bello Natural Robusto And New Riff Blue Clarage Bourbon
This 5x50 cigar made by the Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company located in Miami, Florida was manufactured either in Miami or Esteli, Nicaragua, though the exact location is not disclosed. It has a Connecticut shade wrapper and the binder and filler are also not disclosed — information about this small brand is scarce. Predominant notes are of cedar, white pepper, and vanilla pod. When paired with the New Riff Blue Clarage Bourbon, the cigar brings out a sweet viscosity with pops of cinnamon candy in the bourbon, while the bourbon brings out coffee and black pepper notes in the cigar.
Ferio Tego Timeless Prestige Hermoso And Middle West Oloroso Finished Wheat Whiskey
This 5.5x54 cigar features a wrapper from Honduras, binder from the Dominican Republic, and fillers from both the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, six tobaccos in total. It is manufactured in the Dominican Republic under direction from Ferio Tego, headed by former Nat Sherman vice president Michael Herklots. Predominant notes are café au lait, cedar, and clove. When paired with the Middle West Oloroso Finished Wheat Whiskey, the cigar brings out baking spice and stone fruit in the whiskey, while the whiskey brings out espresso and highlights the cedar notes in the cigar.
Partagas Valle Verde Double Corona And Square 6 High Rye Whiskey
This 7.5x54 cigar is manufactured in Honduras and features a San Andres Natural wrapper, Cameroon binder, and Mexican San Andres, Esteli Ligero, and Nicaraguan Jalapa fillers. This is an excellent example of a milder wrapper being paired with bold and spicy binders and fillers to create a pleasant surprise for the smoker. Predominant notes are milk chocolate, black pepper, and freshly cut wood. When paired with the Square 6 High Rye Whiskey, the cigar brings out candy apple and baking spice in the whiskey, while the whiskey brings out earthy herbal notes and white pepper in the cigar.
Shady Moose Toro And Old Dominick Straight Tennessee Whiskey
This 6x52 cigar is manufactured in Honduras and features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Mexican binder, and fillers from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and the United States, as well as tobaccos from five countries. Predominant notes include campfire and forest earthiness with a hint of sweetness. When paired with the Old Dominick Tennessee Whiskey, the cigar brings out green apples, caramel, and cinnamon in the whiskey, while the whiskey brings out cedar and white pepper in the cigar. This is a great-value cigar for smokers looking for a great cigar that does not break the bank.