The Beer Set the Tone — The Cigar Did the Rest

With a couple of beer-centric “holidays” falling this past week, I turned my attention to hoppy beverages and their cigar accompaniments. For “New Beer’s Eve” on Monday, I was in the mood for something light and refreshing, still easing out of the indulgence of Easter weekend. A leftover Pilsner Urquell in the fridge fit the bill perfectly.

Choosing a cigar to accompany a lighter beer gave me some pause. A crisp, herbal pilsner calls for restraint; anything too bold would quickly overwhelm its clean malt character and Saaz hop profile. I settled on a lighter-bodied cigar with a creamy, nutty profile and reached for a Davidoff Signature 1000 — a cigar I typically reserve for morning or afternoon smokes, often paired with a cup of creamy coffee.

The pairing proved both enjoyable and surprisingly refreshing. The Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, with Dominican binder and fillers, delivered a smooth, coffee-leaning profile with gentle sweetness and just a hint of pepper. That touch of sweetness played nicely against the pilsner’s bitterness, creating a balanced, complementary experience. My only disappointment was the brevity of the 5 5/8 x 34 panetela — barely a 25-minute smoke. I was sorely tempted to light a second, but resisted.

The following evening, “National Beer Day” called for another moment on the porch. With cooler temperatures settling in, I reached for something darker: Bell’s Christmas Ale. Despite its seasonal branding, it’s a fine Scotch Ale and one I enjoy well beyond the holidays. For the cigar, I chose a Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary Robusto.

This fuller-bodied cigar brings notes of cedar, earth, dark cocoa, and a touch of spice. Its blend, featuring a 10-year-aged Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, a Honduran Broadleaf binder, and fillers from Honduras and Panama comes together in a rich, medium-to-full-bodied smoke, one I often enjoy with bourbon or rye.

The Scotch Ale brought a deep malt richness to the pairing. Layers of caramel and toffee complemented the cigar’s cocoa and cedar notes, while the beer’s body stood up well to the cigar’s strength. It was a satisfying match, particularly as the evening chill set in. After flirting with 80-degree days just a week prior, we found ourselves under a freeze warning — a classic Virginia spring.

These beer “holidays” served as a welcome prompt to explore a couple of thoughtful pairings. Even after years of enjoying beer — this blog evolved from that passion — I find that discovering the right cigar match still takes a bit of time, a bit of patience, and more than a few moments staring into the humidor.

And it’s always worth the effort.

Cheers!

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A Rainy-Day Pairing: Davidoff Signature 1000 and Coffee

It’s not all cigars and bourbon around here — sometimes it’s cigars and coffee. Such was the case on a recent rainy afternoon. I felt like a quick smoke and reached for a Davidoff Signature 1000. With a mug of mocha-flavored coffee in hand, I retreated to the screened porch.

I’d pre-warmed the space with a small electric radiator, and with a sweatshirt on, the outdoor setup was surprisingly comfortable despite the weather.

The Davidoff Signature 1000 is a small 4 5/8″ × 34 ring gauge cigar. I received a box of these petit panetela smokes from a good friend this past spring as a surgery-recovery celebratory gift. I've smoked a couple of them and find the cigar to be surprisingly enjoyable. There are not a lot of mild cigars that I would enjoy regularly, but this one is an exceptional accompaniment to a cup of afternoon coffee.

The Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and Dominican binder and fillers deliver a creamy, coffee-leaning profile with a touch of sweetness and a hint of pepper. And at about a 20-minute burn time, it’s just right for a quick afternoon break.

Cheers!

Afternoon Indulgence: Cake, Coffee, and a Cigar

It was a lazy afternoon — but in my defense, there was cake. Colleen had made an absolutely delectable Coconut Pistachio Layer Cake when our son and daughter-in-law visited last weekend. She set aside a couple of slices for us before sending the leftovers home with them. We decided to enjoy the cake with our afternoon coffee, and the thought of a sweet treat gave me the urge to follow it with an afternoon cigar.

Perusing my humidor, I came across a Zino Nicaragua. This cigar arrived in January as part of the Luxury Cigar Club monthly package and had been resting since. Zino is a budget-friendly line from the Davidoff company. In all honesty, it hadn’t intrigued me when it arrived, and I had mentally categorized it as a light afternoon option with coffee. But with the sweet cake in the mix, now seemed like the right time to light it up.

The Zino Nicaragua Toro is a 6 x 50 stick wrapped in a smooth Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Habano leaf. A Nicaraguan binder encases a blend of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigar gives off a faint hay aroma, and once lit, the smoke is thin and mild. Right off the bat, I pick up muted notes of sweet cream and salt. There’s a bread-like quality that persists throughout — think Wonder White Bread crust. In the second half, a touch of white pepper tingles the tongue, adding a bit more interest. The mild sweetness lingers, even leaving a light coating on my lips toward the end.

The Zino Nicaragua burned well, requiring no touchups despite the mild afternoon breeze — or even after I set it down to fetch more coffee. I imagine it would be a fine smoke for those who enjoy milder cigars. While it paired nicely with the rich Coconut Pistachio cake and complemented my coffee, I found it somewhat pedestrian for my tastes.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon smoke, and coffee while doing a bit of reading in my yard by the unlit fire pit. The light breeze and dappled afternoon sun filtering through the trees made for a relaxing repast. The trees were alive with birdsong and activity, creating a peaceful setting for a cool spring afternoon.

Cheers!

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Saturday Morning. Saturday Night.

I was left to my own devices this past weekend; Colleen was spending time with her sisters, and the yard was too wet to get any chores done there. My Saturday started out with driving around town running errands, but by mid-morning I was able to finally sit and relax after a busy week. 

I ground some of the house coffee from my local tobacconist and grabbed a smoke out of the Tatuaje Monster Mash box. 

The coffee is slightly less bold than my usual preference, but it's got a great flavor with a low acid level and we enjoy it here frequently. The chosen cigar was the Tatuaje Monster Mash Face. The 4 7/8 x 56 stick has a San Andres wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers.

I've now smoked three from the Monster Mash box and this is my favorite of the varieties so far. The cigar has a sweet leather flavor that adds a touch of spice as it progresses. I find it very hard to match back coffee with cigars, and often get tired of the combination early in a smoke. Not so with this pairing, it was very complimentary pairing. Fortunately the french press brewed two full cups for my enjoyment.

Earlier in the week I made a run to the ABC store to pick a few more bottles of whiskey for the cabinet. On a whim, I grabbed a bottle from the local A. Smith Bowman distillery. As with our local tourist attractions, it's easy to overlook the stuff right in your own town. I looked forward to revisiting this John J. Bowman Single Barrel.

With no plans for Saturday evening either, I fired up the propane heater on the screen porch, poured a wee bit of the Bowman, and lit a Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour. 

The bourbon gave off strong, pleasant aromas of honey, vanilla, and fruit. It was tempting me even as I staged the picture. Succumbing to a sip or two before heading outside, I detected oak, vanilla, and dark fruit flavors, with a hint of citrus. There was a significant but not overpowering spice note to the finish. 
 

I can't explain why I chose the Davidoff when perusing my humidor. Despite being ranked as one of the bolder sticks in the Davidoff lineup, it still seems a moderately mild cigar to me, especially when smoked with whiskey. The notes of almond, milky coffee, cocoa given off are pleasant but somewhat muted by the bolder flavors in the drink. Still it was an enjoyable smoke, and the two hour burn time offered ample opportunity to enjoy the whiskey.

Good beverage and good cigars were fitting bookends to a pleasant and relaxing Saturday. 

Cheers!

Relaxing with Davidoff and Michter's

After that fun, but hot, morning of shooting, my Saturday evening involved a more relaxed, and cooler, activity. I had picked up a few "special" cigars a while back with which to celebrate our son's wedding. The schedule didn't work to enjoy a smoke the weekend of the wedding, so I brought one of them out the following weekend. Coincidently, I happened by an ABC store during the wedding travels, and picked up a bourbon I had been looking to grab for a while. So, by extension, this was a "wedding celebration." 

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour seems to be one of those quintessential "special occasion" cigars. A little pricey, but not extravagant, I've not smoked it before mainly because the expected flavor profile was less full or bold than where I typically gravitate. However, most descriptions call it full bodied.

The 6x50 Toro features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Mexican San Andres binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Some of the tobacco used was aged in scotch whisky barrels for 6 months. The flavor profile is smooth, with notes of almond, milky coffee, and some cocoa. I'd consider it a medium to full bodied smoke. The flavors lingered without being overpowering. As expected, the burn was even and required no attention.

The bourbon in the pairing was also new to me, or at least not living in my recent memory. Michter's US*1 Small Batch Bourbon is said to be bottled from no more than 2 dozen barrels in a bottling run. At 91.4 proof (45.7% ABV) the bourbon is easy to sip, with an extremely smooth profile. There's a pleasing balance of caramel, vanilla, oak, with just a touch of pepper to keep it interesting. 

I thought the flavors, and body, of both the cigar and the bourbon met in an ideal balance. Both were pleasing on their own, each greeted one another equally. I would not have wanted a more spicy cigar with the Michter's, nor a harsher whiskey with the Davidoff. Bottom line, I have more of both on hand, and will surely recreate the pairing soon.