Cigar Pairings - What Are Your Favorite Combinations?

[ElAbogado]

Do you typically pair your cigars with a beverage? If so what is your drink of choice?

More and more I am pairing my cigars, especially cigars I am trying for the first time, with water. I've had some bad pairing experiences that led me to not enjoy smokes I know I love on their own, and I also like to let the flavors and nuances of the cigar itself shine through without the influence of a drink.

Anyone else like to make the cigar the sole focus of a smoking session?

What are your favorite cigar and beverage pairing combinations?

[NSXCIGAR]

Coffee for me.

If I'm feeling frisky maybe a fruit juice but that's it. I find both tend to cleanse the palate and I prefer something hot most of the time.

[RWhiz]

My number one drink of choice is water, second is coffee.

[Jeremy Festa]

Champagne.

Followed by whisky, beer, negronis, godfathers, martini, bubbly water, coffee

[leftimatic]

Tend to use coffee as my go to. It just seems to always work. In the summer I might have a beer or two. Sometimes a little Irish whiskey with a pinch of water.

[Phinz]

Whisky for me... few things are not improved by the addition of whisky! I pair lighter scotch (Glenmorangie) and bourbon (Buffalo Trace) with more mild cigars (HdM Epicure), and pair bold whisky (Ardbeg) and bourbon (Knob Creek Reserve) with bold cigars (BBF). If whisky isn't on the menu, I pair with water or a quality root beer.

[ElPuro]

Wine. Not listed.

[Rye]

Bourbon, scotch, and a beer

But mostly scotch

[wolfain]

Usually:

1) coffee

2) Coke Zero

3) oolong tea / green tea (unsweetened)

4) rum

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[Scrubber]

I like to mix it up. I like coffee (hot and iced), scotch, cognac or armagnac, wine (in particular port), water and tea works well too.

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[MnMWC]

Love a cask strength bourbon Manhattan paired with a Partagas...

[zappaFREAK]

Love the scotch! Occasionally water or coffee.

[JohnS]

Mainly black espresso coffee (without sugar). Alternatively, on occasion, an alcoholic cocktail, rum, cognac, scotch or red wine.

[CoCigarSmoker]

I couldn't agree more on pairing with only water. When I smoke a cigar for the first time I never pair it with anything. I've found too often that flavors from drinks or food pairings tend to taint what the cigar offers. Even if the drink or food compliments the cigar in my opinion it can affect the purity of the cigars flavor profile. I also find that when I do reviews I only use water so there isn't a chance that I'm detecting and attributing flavors to the cigar that actually came from a residual taste of the drink. I will say that once I've discovered the flavor profile of the cigar I will then pair it with a drink for enjoyment's sake; not to say that I don't enjoy cigars with water, I do, it forces the cigar into the spot light and makes it the main focus.

Still, if I use something other than water I mostly use single malt scotch. I've tried red wine, which I have liked and disliked depending on the cigar and the wine. My most recent enjoyable switch has been to aged rum. Now that has been a pretty exciting and enjoyable pairing.

Cheers,

Seth

[BuckeyeSmoker]

Made my vote for whiskey as that is most relaxing and enjoyable for me

[BurnsNZ]

Would be rum for me, and then maybe a stout if I felt like a beer.

[ElAbogado]

Wine. Not listed.

Wine has been added. That was a glaring omission, thanks!

[ElAbogado]

I couldn't agree more on pairing with only water. When I smoke a cigar for the first time I never pair it with anything. I've found too often that flavors from drinks or food pairings tend to taint what the cigar offers. Even if the drink or food compliments the cigar in my opinion it can affect the purity of the cigars flavor profile. I also find that when I do reviews I only use water so there isn't a chance that I'm detecting and attributing flavors to the cigar that actually came from a residual taste of the drink. I will say that once I've discovered the flavor profile of the cigar I will then pair it with a drink for enjoyment's sake; not to say that I don't enjoy cigars with water, I do, it forces the cigar into the spot light and makes it the main focus.

Still, if I use something other than water I mostly use single malt scotch. I've tried red wine, which I have liked and disliked depending on the cigar and the wine. My most recent enjoyable switch has been to aged rum. Now that has been a pretty exciting and enjoyable pairing.

Cheers,

Seth

Well said. El Dorado 12 year rum is one I'll pair with cigars I'm familiar with. I could see how wine could be a good pairing as well (Prez and Ken sure seem to love that pairing )

[Sigaar]

If I have a morning smoke, I like to pair with a dark roast coffee, black. After dinner a single malt Scotch is great. Other times I'll just have sparkling water or a beer.

[saintsmokealot]

Depending on the mood, time of day, and cigar it could be all of the above however Bourbon is my favorite.

[garbandz]

Armagnac,Diplomatico or Matusalem rum,Islay Scotch...........

[ElPuro]

A dry Oloroso sherry. "Don Nuno" from Lustau is very good: http://bespokedandy.com/2015/11/17/lustau-the-best-sherry-in-the-worl/

Going to try this!

[Colt45]

Truthfully, I don't actively pair drinks with cigars, and more often than not don't drink anything while smoking. There are some beverages I do consider relatively neutral. Sometimes it's situational.

[Jeremy Festa]

Truthfully, I don't actively pair drinks with cigars, and more often than not don't drink anything while smoking. There are some beverages I do consider relatively neutral. Sometimes it's situational.

You should go into politics

[Troels]

Tea is my number one, closely followed by beer.

Inspired by the Daily smoke pics in here I tried out innis and gunn, which quickly became a firm favorite with cigars