Beer and Cigars
When
one thinks of smoking cigars, most people envision pairing them with a liquor
of some sort. I’ve paired cigars with
scotch, rum, whiskey, and bourbon to varying degrees of success. However, I thought it would be fun to pair a
few cigars that I enjoy with some local beers.
I’ll then give you my best cigar/liquor pairing of all time. Hell, this article might be a good start for
Father’s Day presents for those of you who haven’t bought anything yet! No more ties!
Pairing
#1: Cigar: Drew Estate Undercrown Gran Toro. Price About $9.
Beer: Torn Label Alpha Pale Ale
I love to smoke barbecue. I love to smoke cigars while doing it. Once I have things well underway in the
smoker, I usually like to have a beer and a cigar while I watch the smoke
rolling. I had this pairing, and boy it
didn’t disappoint. This cigar comes in
both a maduro wrapper, which is darker, and a Connecticut wrapper, which is
lighter and a bit smoother. I had the Connecticut
wrapper with this pairing. It was a nice
experience! The quality of this cigar is
outstanding. I smoked it down to the
nub. The beer is a crisper version of a
typical IPA/pale ale that you would definitely want to drink in a hot setting.
I actually met Jonathan Drew at an Outlaw
Cigar party in Overland Park. The guy is
awesome and great to talk to. He
noticed that I wasn’t smoking a cigar, handed me a gran toro, and lit it up for
me. Who was I to say no? For customer service, you really can’t beat
the guys at the Outlaw. They’ve been
great to me every time that I’ve been in there.
They also do a lot of charity events for various groups, as well as
supporting the military veterans out there.
They rule. Nothing against the
other cigar shops in the metro area, but this is my place.
Pairing
#2: Cigar: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso. Price:
About $8.50.
Beer:
Boulevard Bully Porter
It may be a bit warm for some of you
to try a dark beer in the heat of summer, but that’s what you’ve got me
for. The cigar is one of my
favorites. I’ve bought a couple of boxes
of these over the years, and they are amazing.
They are medium to full bodied with a bit of spice to them, which is
just the way that I like most of my cigars.
The bully porter by Boulevard goes really well with it. It’s just a nice, smooth pairing.
Pairing
#3: Cigar: My Father’s Cigars: Flor de las Antilles Toro. Price:
About $7.50.
Beer: Martin City Hard Way IPA
Y’all, this is the way to go right
here. This cigar has won so many awards
that it would take awhile to list them all here. It’s a smooth cigar that has a hint of coffee
and spices. This cigar is on my short
list for my next box purchase. As for
the beer, I consider it to be Martin City’s flagship beer. I’m a sucker for IPA’s, and I think Martin
City does a great job with theirs. The
experience with this pairing was quite nice at the end of a long day dealing
with my children.
Ultimate
Pairing of all time: Cigar: Padron 1926 anniversary series Number 2. Price:
About $30.
Liquor
(I know, but humor me): Bacardi Ron
Solera Rum (Cuban).
Don’t get me wrong, I am not in the
habit of smoking $30 cigars. For
Christmas a few years ago, my wife purchased this cigar for me from Diebel’s on
the Plaza. I let that cigar stay in my
humidor for a few years until I had the right opportunity to smoke it. Last year, my wife and I celebrated our fifth
wedding anniversary in Mexico. We had a
sitter watching the kids. After dinner,
I smoked this cigar with a rum I’d never had before. It was awesome and amazing. The cigar is the best cigar I’ve ever had,
and I’ve smoked both a Cuban Cohiba Siglo IV and a Montecristo #2. It is the best pairing I’ve personally ever
had. I also may or may not have brought
some of that rum back with me from my last trip to Mexico. By the way, a bottle of that rum is only
about $16, so you won’t break the bank getting it, if you can find some.
Well, I hope that my cigar pairings
helped you guys out there. I’ll be out
at Boulevardia at Taps and Tastes tomorrow.
Give me a shout at kcbeerdad@gmail.com
if you’d like to hang out while you’re there.
Until next time, cheers!