Associated with moments of pleasure in company of friends and family, there is nothing better than enjoying a cigar with a drink that complements its strengths and qualities. The possible combinations are endless and, as always, the time of day, personal pleasures and taste will condition our choices.
The most important thing is to achieve a harmonious relation between aromatic profiles and flavours without losing any of the elements’ main characteristics. Although it may sound complicated, here we give you some clues on the most adequate combinations so you can immerse yourself in this wonderful world.
In general, some opinions defend that to be on the safe, is a good idea to pair cigars and drinks which share the same origin. The reason is that their ingredients have similar components of natural origins which will assure a perfect combination.
For those who start the day on a strong note, the best non alcoholic pairings are those which have a bitter taste like dark chocolate or coffee. In this case, is advisable to pair it with a cigar which is consumed in 10-15 minutes. Water or carbonated drinks are quite insipid in the mouth, so they are not a good match.
When the pairing becomes celestial is after a meal. The menu can be an incentive to choose the cigar that will best accompany after meal conversations. If the dishes are abundant in size and rich in flavours, is advisable to light a cigar which is also powerful in aroma and pair it with an aged liqueur like a brandy.
If instead, we choose a light meal or one cooked in a more contemporary style, is better to round it up with a more modern cigar. Good pairings are French spirits like cognac or Armagnac as well as other herbal liqueurs. Sweet wines like port or sherry work very well with medium-strength cigars.
One spirit which creates consensus is rum. Its sweetness, aging process in oak barrels and tropical character twins perfectly with most cigars and creates a heavenly balance. Funnily enough, they both have Christopher Columbus as a link, as it was the admiral who brought cigars to Europe and exported sugar cane to Cuba.
Despite this joyful marriage, it is not recommended to moisten the cigar’s head in any liqueur. It ruins the quality of the drink and sabotages the organoleptic qualities of the cigar, its elaboration process and conservation.