The Stogie Guys

We spend a lot of time writing about spirits you can pair with a cigar. Rum, scotch, bourbon, beer, and wine have their place, but sometimes nothing beats a cup of coffee.

Whether in the morning, after lunch, or at the conclusion of dinner on a chilly night, a strong cup of coffee is often times more appropriate, or just plain better, than something stronger. On the other hand, bad watery coffee can ruin not only the immediate experience, but coffee in general. Coffee certainly isn’t the most exotic drink (over half of all Americans consume it everyday, and the per capita consumption is 1.6 cups a day) but a fine cigar paired with a good brew can turn the average to the exotic.

And the flavors in a good cup of coffee are highly complimentary to fine cigars. Vanilla, mocha, chocolate, and roasted notes, nuttiness, and earth, can all be found in both cigars and coffee. In fact, tasting wheels used for coffee tasting would help any cigar smoker identify flavors in tobacco.

But much like bad cigars, too often when people think of coffee they think of bad coffee, like that sludge they serve at your workplace. But doing so would be like thinking that all cigars are like Phillies. To fix that, here are a few tips I adhere to for making a proper cup of coffee.

First off, you need good beans. There are many good ones out there and plenty of boutique roasters to explore, but these days my go-to is Major Dickason’s blend by Peet’s, a full-flavored multi-region blend. Best of all, it’s easy to find (my local supermarket carries it) so I don’t have to order it through the mail or worry about when I’ll be able to pick some more up.

The biggest improvement the average person can make to their coffee experience is grinding them at home immediately before brewing the coffee. Burr grinders are best, as they evenly grind the coffee without burning the grinds like blade grinders do, and these days you find a decent one for $50 or $60.

Of course, some people take it a step further, roasting their own beans, and buying thousands of dollars worth of brewing equipment. But such a setup isn’t necessary for good coffee. I use one of the cheapest methods, a Melitta pour over a coffee maker that makes one cup at a time and uses easy-to-find paper filters.

When it comes to a cigar with your proper cup of coffee, there are as many good cigars to choose from as there are exotic coffee blends. Mild Connecticut smokes in the morning, dark full-bodied maduros later, is an easy rule of thumb, but you shouldn’t feel bound to any particular rule. Just don’t overlook coffee when it’s time for a cigar. And let us know your favorite coffee and cigar pairing below in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As it gets colder outside, my preferences for a spirit to pair with a fine cigar change with the seasons. For me, scotch always seems like the appropriate drink for a chilly winter night.

When it comes to single malts, I enjoy many different varieties. I’m particularly a fan of peaty whiskies, such as Talisker and Laphroaig. Still, sometimes a more classic single malt seems appropriate.

And it’s hard to find a more classic expression of a single malt scotch whisky than Macallan 12 Year. Made in Moray, Scotland, in the Speyside region, it’s the third best-selling single malt in the world behind Glenfiddich and Glenlivet.

This particular Macallan is aged 12 years in sherry casks, which is how all Macallan’s were originally aged until they more recently added the Fine Oak range which uses both sherry and American bourbon barrels. It’s bright golden amber in color and the nose shows the sherry, along with some spice and orange peel.

On the palate, the Macallan 12 features ample nutty flavors, raisins, sherry, oak, and cream. It’s perfectly balanced, with impressive depth and complexity. The finish is long and warm with a bit of sweet toffee.

“Simply the best 12-year-old single malt around” is how renowned whisky writer Paul Pacult described Macallan 12. I’m inclined to agree, and you won’t be surprised to know that I think it makes for a terrific accompaniment to a fine cigar.

Nearly any medium- or full-bodied would go fine, but I think that balanced Dominican cigars are particularly ideal. The Davidoff Millenium Blend and PG 15th Anniversary come to mind.

Available for around $50 a bottle, it’s become a staple in my liquor cabinet, particularly in the cold months of winter. If by some chance you haven’t tried this classic single malt, I highly suggest you do so.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In September, I wrote about one of my favorite bourbons: Four Roses Small Batch. It’s a complex, 90-proof Kentucky whiskey that won’t break the bank.

Recently, I visited my local liquor store to pick up more Small Batch. At least that was the plan until I saw Four Roses Single Barrel next to it.

Only a few dollars more than the Small Batch at $37, the Single Barrel version (not to be confused with the Limited Edition Single Barrel) comes in at 100-proof. Master Distiller Jim Rutledge selects just one of Four Roses ten different bourbons for the Single Barrel.

The result is a bourbon that’s complex, full-bodied, and spicy. The nose features caramelized sugar, burnt corn, and butter. On the palate, I found oak, toasted bread, roasted nut, and some pepper spice. The finish is long with nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Four Roses Single Barrel is not as sweet or smooth as the Small Batch, but it makes up for it with complexity and depth of flavor. This makes it an excellent candidate for pairing with a full-bodied smoke. Three new-ish smokes I particularly enjoyed with a few fingers of Four Roses Single Barrel were the Drew Estate Undercrown, Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero, and the 7-20-4 Londres.

All in all, I might slightly prefer the Small Batch to the Single Barrel (especially when you consider that the $6 price difference can buy you a fine cigar to enjoy with it). Still, this is a good bourbon to enjoy with a cigar and one I plan on picking up from time to time.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

My 2009 article on pumpkin beers laid out the case for pumpkin beers as an excellent accompaniment to a fine cigar as the leaves change and the weather turns crisp.

Frankly, if these beers were available year-round, I’m not sure I’d enjoy them so much. But because they are available for a little over a month a year, just as fall is beginning, I have really grown to look forward to their appearance on my beer store’s shelves. Looking back, my favorite of the seven beers I wrote about continues to be Shipyard’s Pumpkin Head:

Shipyard Pumpkinhead: This Maine brew is actually a “malt beverage with pumpkin spice added” according to the label, but don’t let that fool you. The copper-colored beverage has the aroma of sweet pumpkin pie.

That may be partially because it was the first pumpkin beer I tried many years ago, while attending college in Maine (where Shippyard is brewed). For whatever reason, it holds a special place in my beer universe, which is why I was eager to try a second pumpkin beer from Shipyard: Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin (part of “Pugsley’s Signature Series”).

The beer pours a bright orange, slightly cloudy color. The nose consists of faint pumpkin; it’s far more raw pumpkin than pumpkin pie and clean for a beer that boasts a 9% ABV.

The flavors are a nice combination of nutmeg, hops, malt, cinnamon, and raw pumpkin. It’s well-balanced considering the high alcohol content.

A 22-ounce bomber of the Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin sells for around $10. At that price, I’d rather pick up a six-pack of their Pumpkinhead which, while lower in alcohol, has more pronounced pumpkin pie flavors.

Still, this beer is further evidence of my contention that pumpkin beers make for an excellent pairing with a good cigar. For this beer, a mild- or medium-bodied smoke goes great. I’d suggest the La Gloria Cubana Retro Especiale or the Alec Bradley Family Blend.

We’ve now looked at eight different pumpkin beers, but there are countless others. Let us know your favorites to pair with a cigar in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Longtime readers may recall my two previous articles on two other Angostura rums: 1919 and 1824. Both are wonderful, but there are some important differences. The former costs around $35 and has a sweet and spicy profile, while the latter runs in the $50-60 range, is more full-flavored, and carries the title of Angostura’s flagship rum.

Like 1919 and 1824, the Seven Year Old is made by the same Trinidad & Tobago-based company that’s better known for its highly concentrated food and beverage flavorings than its rum. Angostura’s beginnings can be traced back to 1824 when a surgeon general in Simón Bolívar’s Venezuelan army sought to improve the appetite and digestive well-being of the soldiers. It wasn’t until 1947 that Angostura began to ferment, distill, age, blend, and bottle rum in Laventille, Trinidad. According to the company’s history, today Angostura produces over 600,000 cases of rum each year, most of which is shipped to America, Great Britain, and other islands in the Caribbean.

The Seven Year Old is made from rums aged 7-10 years in American oak bourbon barrels, filtered through charcoal, and then blended and returned to barrels to allow the various light and dark rums to marry. It is less expensive than its 1919 and 1824 brethren, costing about $22 per 750 ml. bottle (40% alcohol by volume).

The nose of this spirit reminds me of rich caramel, banana, and butterscotch. It has very little alcohol tinge and carries a light copper hue in the glass. The lightness of the Seven Year Old is also apparent in the taste. Each sip begins with a muted introduction that slowly builds into a warm, tingly finish. Flavors include smoke, butter, and chocolate. Leaning toward the mild range of rums, this Angostura is creamy and lacking in spice.

Truth be told, I remain unconvinced that this is a suitable sipping rum. It’s much more serviceable mixed in a rum cocktail. I don’t dislike the Angostura Seven Year Old, but I’d much rather pay the additional $13 for a bottle of 1919 since to get what is—in my opinion—a much finer rum.

That said, don’t let my lack of enthusiasm dissuade you from trying this spirit for yourself. If you don’t care for it, you aren’t out too much money; conversely, if you find it surprisingly good, you’ll have a rum that meets your needs and is easy on the pocketbook. Either way, be sure to pair the Angostura Seven Year Old with a mild- to medium-bodied cigar that won’t drown out its soft profile.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Haven’t heard of Corner Creek? Neither had I until I came across it on sale for $29 at my local spirit store. With an attractive bottle and a reasonable price, I decided to take this 88-proof bourbon for a spin.

The product is described on its website: “A selection of the distillery’s finest barrels. Smoothed to perfection with pure Kentucky limestone water. Full-bodied, but without any harshness.”

Further information on the brand wasn’t easy to find, but eventually I was able to determine that Corner Creek is made by an elusive Bardstown, Kentucky, outfit called Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd. Some of the other bourbons they make include Jefferson’s Reserve, Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Pure Kentucky, and Kentucky Vintage.

But enough of the background. The bourbon, which uses wheat and rye, in addition to the required corn, is ultimately what I was interested in. It’s a slightly hazy amber color with an inviting nose of vanilla, toffee, and cherry notes.

Once I tasted Corner Creek I found nut, rye, and lots of oak. Dryness is the most pervasive element to the flavor profile and that continues in the finish, which includes some pine. You can definitively taste the rye in the blend.

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you live in the Northern Virginia area, please don’t read this article. Seriously, finding Four Roses Single Batch Bourbon (let alone their Single Barrel) is hard enough already.

Of the four Virginia ABC liquor stores I visit in my area (and yes, there’s a connection between state-owned liquor stores and poor selection) only one carries Four Roses Small Batch. Just like how a different Virginia ABC store is the only one that carries my favorite rums: Zaya, Ron Zacapa, and El Dorado 15.

Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, makes a number of very nice bourbons, including their standard “Yellow Label” variety which sells for the bargain price of around $20 per fifth. Lately, however, my go-to has become the Small Batch, which offers more complexity for around $32 (sometimes less, if you can find it on sale).

The Four Roses Small Batch is a blend of four different bourbons which average six and a half years of age, though they may be aged longer if master distiller Jim Rutledge deems it necessary. When all the blending is done the Small Batch is 90-proof (45% ABV).

The amber-colored spirit has a lemon cake nose with citrus, vanilla, and burnt sugar. Dominant flavors are lemon and burnt sugar, with additional complexity provided by butter, orange peel, oak, and caramel notes. The finish is long and smooth with rye, caramel, and touches of pepper and pine.

Four Roses Small Batch is a favorite of mine because it is both sweet and complex, whereas many overly sweet bourbons lose the heft and complexity in their sugary sweetness. The well-roundedness of this bourbon makes it an excellent pairing for medium-bodied smokes.

Some of the best cigars to pair with this spirit include La Aurora Guillermo León, Arturo Fuente Añejo, Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro (sadly discontinued), and the Padrón (original series) natural. For something more full-bodied (and thicker) try the CroMagnon Mandible, which has plenty of sweetness from its oily Connecticut wrapper and Cameroon binder.

Whatever your cigar pairing choice, I’m confident Four Roses Small Batch will impress you with its complexity and reasonable price. That’s why it’s become a staple in my collection.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikipedia