CigarsLover Magazine I 2023

CIGARS
PAIRINGS
From the moment CigarsLover Magazine defined
its pay-off, "Refine Your Taste", starting to accompany
the tastings of cigars to those of spirits such
as Whisky and Rum, we have set ourselves the problem
of addressing the issue of cigar-spirits pairing. It is a
thorny field, and often the results achieved are not what we
expected and the pairing can give as much emotion as dissatisfaction
if something goes wrong.
Cigar size: Robusto/Piramide/Toro. These are nowadays the
most common formats, offering a representative smoking
experience for the various producers and terroirs. Technically
speaking, they do not present particular challenges,
yet they still offer a satisfying aromatic expe- rience and
allow to appreciate the evolution of the smoke in parallel to
the tasting of the spirits.
The Rating Scale: 100 points. We have chosen to keep it in
the pairings as well, to simplify the comparison of ratings.
In this case, however, this scale only evaluates the pairing,
and not the individual qualities of cigars and spirits. If you
have both excellent products, for example, but an unbalanced
and inconsistent pairing, the rating will be low. On the
contrary, the excellent marriage of two products of decent
quality could give rise to a very positive evaluation.
The Tasting: Nose, Palate, Finish. Since our goal is to explore
the complexity of a pairing, we thought it was appropriate
to decline the experience in the three areas, following what
is usual with spirits and that is also made in the cigar tasting,
with pre-lit scents, tasting aromas and persistence.
The Comparison: 1 Cigar with 2 Distillates. We decided to
start from the selection of a cigar, and ask specific questions
such as: perhaps with this cigar is preferable a lower alcohol
gradation? Maybe the ex-sherry oloroso barrels marry better
than those moscatel with this cigar blend? Perhaps the
excessive peat hides the more sophisticated notes of cigar?
In order to answer the questions, we selected two spirits to
investigate which one is the best cigar partner and why.
46 #4-2022 CigarsLover Magazine