Toasted Oak, a Cigar, and a Summer Evening

Not long ago, a friend recommended Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon to me. Knowing we share a similar appreciation for well-crafted bourbons, it seemed like a recommendation worth following. During a recent it out of state road trip, I made a quick shopping stop and spotted a bottle on the shelf. Even though it’s readily available at home, I picked it up while the recommendation was still fresh in my mind.

I cracked open the bottle one evening last week and enjoyed a pour while relaxing indoors. After an evening with the bourbon on its own, the question became which cigar would best complement its rich toasted sweetness.

We’ve enjoyed a brief respite from the summer heat over the past few days, making time on the porch with a cigar and bourbon especially enjoyable. It also provided the perfect opportunity to pair the Elijah Craig with an E.P. Carrillo Pledge Purple.

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon uses the same mash bill as several of Heaven Hill’s other bourbons. The change occurs in the finishing process. After the usual maturation process, the bourbon spends additional time in a second, custom-toasted new oak barrel. The lighter toast is said to emphasize sweeter, dessert-like flavors rather than the deeper oak influence associated with a heavier char. The bourbon is bottled at 94 proof.

The aroma from the glass is quite rich, with delightful notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, and even some chocolate. The first sip brings baking spices. They soon give way to toffee and caramel, along with lightly toasted wood. The finish lingers with cocoa, oak, and a pleasing hint of smokiness. From the start, I was thinking not only of suitable companion cigars, but also that the toasted bourbon would make a great Old Fashioned.

The E.P. Carrillo Pledge Purple has been sitting in the humidor since I purchased a box in March. The Purple was created to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the highly regarded Pledge line. It uses the same Havana-seed Connecticut wrapper from that original crop which has now been aged an additional five years. Beneath that well-aged wrapper lies a Mexican binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí, Condega, and Ometepe. The Toro vitola is sharply boxed and measures 6 x 54. 

The Pledge Purple profile is complex yet refined and balanced. Throughout the smoke, a blend of cedar, roasted nuts, espresso, cocoa, and mild spice treat the taste buds. The overall impression is creamy and earthy, with a mild natural sweetness to balance the bitter notes.

Enjoyed together, the caramel and toasted notes of the bourbon seemed to accentuate the natural sweetness of the cigar’s aged wrapper. Each leaves a lingering finish that complements the other. Though the bourbon and cigar offered contrasting flavor profiles, they remained remarkably balanced. Neither dominated the pairing, allowing each to complement the other while retaining its own distinct character.

Throughout the 90-minute smoke, I also delighted in the welcome weather. A July evening with temperatures below 80° and humidity under 50 percent provided the perfect backdrop for the pairing. It proved to be one of those evenings where neither the cigar nor the bourbon demanded center stage. Instead, each quietly elevated the other, making for an exceptionally relaxing summer evening.

Cheers!