LOGIN
SIGN UP
Your free recipe manager,
shopping list, and meal planner!
Learn more!
Go to Community recipes!
THE PERFECT MATCH: A GUIDE TO PAIRING WHISKEY AND CIGARS
“What’s the best drink to pair with a good cigar?”
Ingredients
  • Cigars and Whiskey
Steps
  1. La Aroma de Cuba [93 Rating/Cigar Aficionado]
  2. subheading: La Aroma de Cuba is a medium-bodied cigar with flavors of brown sugar, chocolate, nuts, cedar, and earthy tones. It has a cool spice and a delicious finish. To match its flavor profile, try pairing it with one of these:
  3. Scotch Whisky: Glenfiddich SR 12 Year Old
  4. Lighter notes of fruits and honey pair well with a milder smoke, making Glenfiddich an excellent choice for the single malt fan.
  5. Bourbon Whiskey: Makers Mark
  6. Sweet notes of orange and vanilla pairs will with a medium-bodied cigar, which will complement each other well.
  7. Rum: Mount Gay XO
  8. This tropical rum is sure to mix well with a medium smoke, it’s both rich and sweet and quite fruity.
  9. Cognac: Hennessy XO
  10. This nutty cognac features notes of honey, cocoa, and dried fruits, this is an excellent choice for a medium-bodied cigar but really works with several ranges.
  11. La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial [93 Rating/Cigar Aficionado]
  12. subheading: La Aroma de Cuba Edicio Especial is a medium-bodied cigar with notes of leather, earthy tones, cedar, and hints of cinnamon and light cocoa. It’s a favorite at Cigar Aficionado for its subtle richness that features an Ecuador Habano wrapper and a complex Cubanesque flavor profile. To match its taste, try pairing it with one of these:
  13. Scotch Whisky: Johnnie Walker Black
  14. The Glenfiddich SR 12 works here as well, but for the blended scotch, consider JW Black’s fruity and nutty offering.
  15. Bourbon Whiskey: Evan Williams Single Barrel
  16. EW Single barrel is an excellent choice for a medium bodied smoke that features notes of vanilla, orange peel, and toffee.
  17. Rum: Bacardi 8 Anos
  18. This sweet rum has a soft finish with delicious notes of oak, tropical fruits, and fennel.
  19. Cognac: Martell XO
  20. This softer cognac features citrus notes combine walnut, and pairs well with a light to medium smokes.
  21. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor[95 Rating/Cigar Aficionado]
  22. subheading: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is a rich and versatile medium to full-bodied cigar with notes of almonds, dark cocoa, crisp spices, black pepper and hints of black cherry. It’s another popular choice at Holt’s which Cigar Aficionado awarded the “#2 Cigar of the Year” honors following its debut. Mi Amor features a sweet finish and delicious aftertaste. To match its flavor profile, try pairing it with:
  23. Scotch Whisky: Famous Grouse 12 Year Gold Reserve
  24. Another blended scotch is our choice here. Grouse 12 Year pairs well with a medium to full-bodied smoke such as the Mi Amor. This complex blend features notes of oak, caramel, toffee, and is rich to the taste.
  25. Bourbon Whiskey: Wild Turkey Rare Breed
  26. Rare Breed features plenty of flavors (maple, caramel, orange) sure to complement a medium to full cigar.
  27. Rum: Appleton Estate 21 Year Old
  28. Appleton is a popular Jamaican rum that features a wide range of styles and flavors. This one is perfect to pair with a medium to full-bodied cigar, that’s nutty, fruity, rich, and complex.
  29. Cognac: Remy Martin XO
  30. Remy XO is one of our favorite cognacs, and pairs well with a medium to full-bodied cigar. Its robust flavors include fruits and spices, orange peels and grape with notes of honey.
  31. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva [94 Rating/Cigar Aficionado]
  32. subheading: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva is a highly rated full-bodied cigar with bold flavors throughout. It includes decadent notes of dark chocolate, hickory, and peppery caramels and yet maintains its smoothness from start to finish. To match its flavor profile, try pairing it with:
  33. Scotch Whisky: Ardbeg 10 Year Old / Chivas Regal 18 Year Old
  34. Single malt or blended, you can’t go wrong with either the Ardbeg 10 or the Chivas 18. Ardbeg is a heavy drink that needs a full smoke. It’s very smoky, with notes of char, vanilla, and honey. With Chivas, it’s a rich blend that features vanilla, dark chocolate, wood, and marmalade.
  35. Bourbon Whiskey: Woodford Reserve
  36. This Kentucky bourbon has it all. It’s a heavier sip, complex with notes of oak, espresso, spice, rye, vanilla and butterscotch. Pair this with a full-bodied cigar and you won’t be disappointed.
  37. Rum: Havana Club Anejo 7
  38. This full-bodied Cuban rum matches a full-bodied smoke perfectly. It’s got great complexity with notes of guava, banana, and coffee. It’s one of our favorite rums on the market.
  39. Cognac: Courvoisier XO
  40. Courvoisier XO is a smooth cognac that blends together notes of chocolate, orange, and cashew.
  41. Hopefully this helps and gets you started in the right direction. Like any good resource, these are our suggestions but to each his own. Don’t be afraid to buy a cigar sampler with a range of flavors and order a whiskey flight at the bar to see what works best for you.
 

Page footer