“We’ve Got Your Stix”
~ Haze Gray Cigars
(Veteran Owned)
The Cigar
From the heart of the Florida Panhandle, we are “haze gray and underway” as we set sail for a smooth cigar smoking experience. U.S. Navy Veteran Rui Ramos and his brother Pedro are on a mission to serve up the best cigars for our awesome community of cigar lovers. From their online Cigar 101 section, custom cigar bands, live cigar hand rolling, War Dogs Mobile Cigar Lounge, and patriotic cigars, these guys do it all!
Rui explained, “We are more than just a cigar company; we are a community. We believe in fostering a sense of brotherhood and belonging among our customers, and we are dedicated to supporting veteran causes and organizations. Through our cigars, we aim to bring people together, sharing moments of relaxation, reflection, and celebration.”
For those who know, my approach to cigar pairings is focused on flavor profiles. So I was thrilled to discover a very thorough ‘Flavoring’ section on the Haze Gray Cigar 101 section of their website. Here you can learn about tobacco farming, harvesting, curing, fermentation, as well as different flavor profiles, from ten different global tobacco growing regions. They even present us with a cigar flavor wheel.
Outstanding!
This Haze Gray Nicaraguan puro ‘Admiral’ cigar represents our Navy’s highest rank. We can expect some bold, spicy and sweet notes of pepper, leather, wood, and earthiness with this blend.
So we’ll need a bold whiskey to pair with it.
The Whiskey
We’re already sailing smooth with Haze Gray Cigars, so let’s take to the skies, because the sky is the limit when it comes to cigar pairings. Navy aviators Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins met in the Navy, flying EA-6B Prowlers. Their mutual love of whiskey led them to Golden Distilling (Samish Island), where they learned the art of distilling, then onto Middle West Spirits (Columbus, Ohio), for higher learning and whiskey production. In 2017, Mark and Arch opened their own Old Line Spirits Distillery, in Baltimore’s east Highlandtown neighborhood, growing large enough to add Maryand’s first full bar in a distillery, called The Ready Room.
For this medium bold ‘Admiral’ Habano, I chose Old Line Spirits’ 50% ABV Double Oak Sherry-finished American Single Malt expression:
“The latest in Old Line’s popular Double Oak Sherry Finish releases, this expression was finished in freshly emptied sherry casks, imparting rich, nuanced flavors to our American Single Malt. The sherry influence brings notes of toffee, dried fruit, and subtle spice, perfectly complementing Old Line’s bold whiskey profile. Recently ranked No. 8 on Fred Minnick’s Top 100 American Whiskeys list, this release exemplifies the craftsmanship and quality that define Old Line Spirits. Bottled at 100-proof, it offers a complex yet approachable profile, making it an exceptional choice for a Perfect Manhattan or any classic whiskey-forward drink.” ~ OldLineSpirits.Com
Let’s see if these Navy squids and their products live up to their Navy motto of ‘Honor, Courage, Commitment.’
My Tasting Notes:
This whiskey is jammy with deep dark red fruity notes and thick viscosity on the palate.
There is nice cinnamon spice over orange or citrusy apricots on the finish, with a cool chocolaty aftertaste that lingers on the palate.
MSRP: $65
The Admiral
Brand: Haze Gray Cigars
Blended By: Rui & Pedro Ramos
Vitola: 6×52 Toro
Tripa (Filler): Nicaraguan
Capa (Wrapper): Nicaraguan Habano
Capote (Binder): Nicaraguan
Body: Medium Plus
Price: $14
Purchase Here
Visual/Pre-light Draw
This is the darkest and shiniest Habano I’ve ever seen. The dark chocolate shade wrapper is oily and toothy, with tough looking veins. The silver dog tag band carries the company’s old name “War Dogs” over a headshot of bearded owner Rui Ramos, over the phrase “Veteran Owned.” The sides of the band depicts tanks and a soldier at the ready. The secondary band carries the cigar’s name ‘Admiral.’
The side sniff has bold notes of fresh hay and sweet cocoa, while the dry foot odor is packed with deep ruby fruits. I chose a straight guillotine cut to maximize the blend’s flavor delivery to the palate. I also dry boxed the cigar for days, to really capture all of the blend’s flavors in the wrapper, as they attempt to escape in the dry environment. Hopefully I nailed this.
There was no spice on the palate while prepping it for that perfect straight cut. On the dry draw there are amazing fruity notes of oats and raisin bran cereal. I can already tell this is a quality blend, packed with quality tobacco.
We are ‘Haze Gray and underway’ to light this bad boy up!
First Third
There is this awesome sweet-charred white chocolate note on the high volume foot smoke odor. There are big bold notes of earthy chocolate and sweet vanilla on the first few puffs. More vanilla on the retro-hale with a nice medium spice on the finish. Then some subtle but sweet cocoa-infused nutty notes enter the situation. Solid draw, solid blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos! I even get some sugary graham cracker notes in the first third, hell yeah! We get some awesome flavors and nice transitions but it’s obvious this cigar is simply warming up. Time to introduce the whiskey.
Cigar to whiskey: The bold and spicy sherry notes of the whiskey dominate then taper off as the vanilla and chocolaty char of the cigar mellows this direction of the pairing, and everything just melts in your mouth, with lingering cherry and orange creamsicle notes on the finish. I just love what sherry is capable of becoming with a cigar, and this pairing is spot on.
It’s like chocolate cake with a cherry on top!
Second Third
The burn remains perfectly straight with the perfect ash, which in my opinion, contributes to the cigar’s increasing creaminess in the second third. Some soft baseball mitt leather notes come to the forefront, but those awesome chocolate and vanilla is still there, dominating this blend. The draw has opened up and more nutty notes continue to coat the palate, as that lengthy ash finally falls off with dignity. The retro-hale is even creamier with heavier notes of vanilla extract, cookie dough, and minimal spice on the finish. Don’t let the creamy and sweet flavors of this cigar deceive you, it has a medium-plus boldness that sneaks up on you. I would expect nothing less from a Nicaraguan Puro…Go Slow!
Whiskey to cigar: I added a pinch of spring water to tone down this sherry bomb whiskey a bit. Awesome cinnamon orange blossom notes marry perfectly with the creamy vanilla notes of the cigar. It’s as if the cigar and whiskey dance in a pirouette of flavors together, producing more notes of creamy pistachio custard filled with chocolate chips. Frank Minutillo of The Great Cigar & Pipe Show said this direction of the pairing “tastes like biscote.” We have the perfect pairing. Yes!!!
Let’s give it up to the “Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum, because this pairing absolutely brings me ‘to the place that’s the best!’
Final Third
Game changer. Now we get awesome dark leathery and fudgy chocolate notes on the cigar. My feet are up and flip flops kicked off. Time to really relax and enjoy the full flavor of this awesome blend. The high volume foot smoke is infused with soft notes of cocoa, they fill the room. The leathery retro-hale is smooth as can be and filled with both vanilla and chocolate notes. Super cool! Nicaraguan Puros, especially this one, never disappoint. I highly recommend it for all Nicaraguan tobacco lovers, this is exactly what you want, this is exactly what you need!
Cigar smoked whiskey: Sweet cherry pie! This is Christmas fruit cake in a smoky glass, with a hint of apricot-infused pistachios on the awesome lingering finish. Boom, there’s that ‘unusual awesomeness’ I seek in every pairing. Love it!
Overall, this awesome pairing is therapy, it will leave you in a hazy perfectly buzzed daze for days. Its the perfect pairing to cozy up to this fall season.
Check out CigarXTherapy.Com for awesome shirts, hats, and swag. “Our premium apparel is designed for those who appreciate the therapeutic ritual of a fine cigar.” I personally love the brand!
Acknowledgment & Live Pairing
Thank you Mark McLaughlin, owner of Old Line Spirits, Pedro Ramos, Haze Gray Cigars COO/Co-Founder, and CigarX Therapy’s General Manager, Juan Panesso, for joining us Chooches on The Great Cigar & Pipe Show. We took this pairing to the next level, in style, just in time for everyone to enjoy this fall.
Check out our live Haze Gray pairing episode here:
Whiskey & Cigar Photography by: James Archie
