Looking for a quick after-dinner smoke, I reached for a Micallef Green in Robusto. The Green is a flavorful cigar featuring a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over a Mexican San AndrĂ©s Negro binder, with Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler. At 5 x 52, the Robusto feels small in the hand and suggests a shorter smoking time — just what I was looking for.
I decided on a small pour of Barrell Cask Finish Series: Mizunara Bourbon to accompany the early evening smoke.
The Micallef Green begins with notes of cocoa, coffee, and a subtle, sweet earthiness. There’s an underlying creaminess and sweet nuttiness to the profile. Medium-bodied, the cigar offers enough complexity to maintain interest without becoming a demanding smoke.
At 116.42 proof, the Mizunara Bourbon is rich in flavor but doesn’t overwhelm the cigar. The initial sip is spicy and warming, followed by notes of raisin, black cherry, caramel, vanilla, and honey. A woody spice emerges on the finish, adding another layer of interest.
The Barrell Cask Finish Series: Mizunara Bourbon and Micallef Green proved to be a delightful pairing. Rather than simply echoing one another, the contrasting flavors complemented each other. The cigar’s coffee, cocoa, and nutty notes provided an enjoyable counterpoint to the fruit, sweetness, and spice of the bourbon. Its underlying creaminess seemed to tame the bourbon’s spice, making the Mizunara finish feel sweeter and more approachable. The result was a pairing in which neither component dominated, allowing each to retain its own character.
The Green finished in just about 50 minutes. The smoking time was exactly what I was looking for after dinner, although the combination was enjoyable enough that those 50 minutes seemed to pass even more quickly than the clock measured.
Cheers!
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