Pairing Your Cigar
When pairing a cigar with a whiskey, at its basic level, it is important to try and match the boldness level of your cigar to the boldness level of your drink. This is to avoid one overpowering the other, to the point one becomes unenjoyable.
As I’ve grown from cigar pairing enthusiast to aficionado, as some would say, I’ve learned what it means to pair a cigar and how to elevate my pairings to the next level.
Now it’s time to review and refine our cigar pairing skills.
We need the one, the only, David Yancey, aka Greybeard, from the Texas-based Leaf n’ Grain Society.
By learning and understanding cigar blends, the different seeds and leaves that make them up, as well as the different flavor profiles of different grains, Dave explains, we can train the palate to identify these unique flavors. It’s important to note, these flavors will change depending on the region the grain or tobacco seed is cultivated. For example, the same Cuban tobacco seed will taste different when grown in the different Nicaraguan tobacco growing regions: Jalapa, Condega, Estelí, and Ometepe, as well as other countries like Ecuador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.
This is entirely due to the main crops grown in those regions. For example, bananas are one of Honduras’ key export crops, and so it’s common to get a banana note in Honduran tobacco.
The same holds true for grains like wheat, corn, malted barley, and rye, when they are grown in different regions of the United States, as well as other countries like Scotland, Canada, and Ireland. Also, the different water sources in these different regions, used by the multitude of distilleries, for their desired distillates, also impacts the flavor of their respective whiskies.
Mind blown yet?
Dave, or as I call him ‘Gandalf the Grey’ of both cigars and whiskey, is a certified Bourbon Steward, a Level 1 Spirits Specialist (WSET) , Wine Specialist, and prospective Cigar Sommelier (IACS).
In short, the man knows his shit when it comes to pairing cigars with any type of spirit or beverage. He recently joined us chooches on The Great Cigar & Pipe Show, to help sharpen our pairing skills, and really hone in on the perfect cigar pairing.
Read on to learn how.
“In order to control the pairing experience,” Dave recommends taking the pairing in three different directions: Cigar to drink (puffing the cigar, then taking a sip), drink to cigar (sipping before puffing), and the ‘poor man’s smoked drink,’ which works best by blowing cigar smoke directly into a glencairn whiskey glass, over the spirit.
By doing this, we can really see how the notes of the cigar and spirit change, and determine if it’s a complementary pairing (tasting notes of each are enhanced), a contrast pairing (tasting notes of each are distinctively opposite), or a perfect pairing.
Dave defines a perfect pairing to be “a balanced pairing, where the flavors from both sides come up and say ‘hello,’ there is a perfect union between them.”
For example, when pairing the Don V Corojo with this toasted French oak stave-finished bourbon, from Blue Note, crafted in Memphis, Tennessee and bottled at 50% ABV, the tasting notes in each direction, from both the whiskey (vanilla bean, torched sugar, cinnamon) and the cigar (cocoa, berries, banana), form a perfectly balanced union of flavors.
Cigar to whiskey: Perfectly balanced, thick, and silky coconut milk, over a very dessert-like sweet Mexican Orchata.
Whiskey to cigar: This is torched vanilla sugar cookies over Crème brûlée all day!
Cigar smoked whiskey: Smoked chocolate over cinnamon covered bananas, with a cherry on top, yum!
Dave takes things a step further of course, by emphasizing the importance of identifying flavors in your drink and cigar. This can be done, according to Dave, three different ways: (1) through the psychological aspect, based on memories, (2) keeping a tasting notes journal, and (3) by using his tasting notes wheel.
I personally have used Dave’s wheel many times when struggling to identify specific tasting notes.
See the tasting notes wheel below
It takes time, patience, and effort, but if we “understand the breakdown of our cigar and drink,” Dave says “we are in great shape toward finding the perfect pairing.”
Everyone’s palate is different, but as far as what we taste, that is based on the maturity of our individual palates. Kyle Jesso, from the Great Cigar & Pipe Show, added that, “it’s also based on our individual memories.” Excellent Kyle!
‘Cousin’ Frank Minutillo from the Great Cigar & Pipe Show pointed out that, ”when it comes to pairings, the possibilities are endless.” He’s absolutely right!
Dave recommends pairing what you enjoy, and taking the time to pay attention to the tasting notes: “That’s how we elevate what we’re doing with them.” I agree!
In closing, Dave wants everyone to understand that “pairings are for all walks of life, not just the affluent.” There are plenty of amazing budget friendly or ‘bottom shelf’ spirits that are always available, as well as cigars.
This incredible Blue Note Crossroads, French oak-finished bourbon expression, is only $45 SRP, and was a 2022, 2023, and 2024 Double Gold Medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The Don V cigars, both the red label Corojo and bolder blue label Maduro, are only $11.99 SRP. Mind blown? Yes absolutely, because they are both absolutely delicious and complex.
The bourbon is easily accessible and the cigars are always available at Norwood Royal Cigars (Chicago) or online at NRCIGARS.COM.
My Personal Pairing Strategy
As a cigar pairing reviewer, I understand the importance of eliminating any distraction when pairing my cigars. I recommend listening to soft instrumental music, on your headphones, to accomplish this, and really focus on how the tasting notes change, in each of the three pairing directions.
While “Blue Note Bourbon is the Soundtrack to Your Night,” one of my all time favorite artists to listen to, while pairing cigars, is Tycho.
Here is one of my favorite cigar pairing tracks by them, called “L”.
Highly recommended.
Enjoy!
As Dave Yancey and his trusted pairing partner Ash Red always say:
“Explore the pairings, there’s something for everyone!”
Cheers!
Acknowledgment & Live Great Cigar & Pipe Show
Thank you to David Yancey, aka Greybeard, for helping us take our cigar pairings to the next level. Please click on the video for Dave’s full set of pairing strategies, including his ‘sip, sip, swirl’ approach to acclimating the palate to ethanol.
This next level episode of The Great Cigar & Pipe Show will guide you to that perfect cigar pairing. It truly was an eye-opening and mind-blowing experience:
