As noted in the previous post, the Feast Day of Pope Saint Pius X was celebrated on August 21. I’ve had several Pius X cigars from Regina Cigars in the humidor since spring, and recently smoked a couple on consecutive days.
The cigar is a 6 × 52 Toro and sports a dark, oily maduro wrapper. The specifics of the blend are not disclosed by Regina, other than to say the cigars are blended by Noel Rojas and produced at his factory in Nicaragua. Rojas also produces the popular Rojas Street Tacos line of cigars.
The cigar band features a picture of Pius X and includes a prayer from the saint on the inside.
I had debated my beverage choice for the pairing, initially thinking that something with an Italian lean would be appropriate. To that end, the first of the cigars I smoked was enjoyed with a classic Negroni. I shared one of the Pius X cigars with a friend while we enjoyed our aperitif before meeting a group of friends at a local restaurant for an Italian meal, appropriately enough.
Regina Cigars describes the profile of the cigar simply as having “rich flavors of cocoa & coffee with gentle spice tones.” With no leaf specifics, there are few presumptions to guide my expectations.
Upon lighting the cigar, I was treated to the promised mix of bitter cocoa and espresso, with just a touch of pepper. The cigar was medium-to-full in body, with ample smoke and a consistent burn throughout. I did initially wonder how the cigar’s dark, roasted character would play with the Negroni’s bitter-sweet profile.
As it turned out, the bitterness from the Campari combined with the vermouth’s sweetness provided enough contrast to bring out a pleasing sweetness in the Pius X. Rather than competing with the cigar, the Negroni acted almost as a foil for it. It seemed to reveal a sweeter side of the cigar that wasn’t immediately apparent on its own.
After the afternoon spent enjoying the Negroni and Pius X combination, I was looking forward to trying the cigar with a bolder pairing. On the next evening, I did just that. For an after-dinner smoke, I poured a bit of Old Elk Cigar Cut Bourbon to sip with the cigar.
Old Elk Cigar Cut is a wonderful blend of bourbons finished in Sherry, Armagnac, Port, and Cognac casks. On the nose, there is an inviting aroma of caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, and spiced fruit. Sipping brings out layers of dark chocolate, toffee, and baking spices, while subtle notes of tobacco and dark fruit linger on the finish.
In this combination, the cigar retained the dark cocoa, and espresso notes I had noticed previously. However, the sweetness highlighted by the Negroni was nearly absent. Rather than the contrast noted previously, the bourbon’s oak, richness, and darker flavors reinforced the cigar’s roasted and creamy characteristics, bringing those notes further forward.
The two different beverages enjoyed with the Pius X provided an interesting study in contrasts. The Negroni seemed to reveal something in the cigar, while the Old Elk amplified something already there. The Negroni brought the cigar’s sweetness forward, while the bourbon emphasized its darker cocoa and espresso character.
I wouldn’t necessarily call one pairing better than the other. They simply offered two very different perspectives on the same cigar. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about exploring cigar and beverage pairings. The experience isn’t simply about identifying particular flavors in a cigar, but about discovering how another beverage can change the way those flavors are perceived.
In this case, the Pius X proved to be an excellent example: the Negroni revealed, the bourbon reinforced, and both made for an enjoyable cigar.
Cheers!
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