Five Top Cigar & Whiskey (Or Bourbon Or Scotch!) Pairings
Five Great Drinks & Cigars For Celebrating Successful Hunts
Few things stir adrenaline—and your spirit—like taking a large buck or other big-game animal. The shortness of breath, blood pumping through your veins, and the quiet, “Hell yeah!” that you stifle to keep your cool are all part of the experience. The challenge for many is the near funk that comes over you once all the rush has run out.
I am here to help you through the post-hunt down to enjoy the absolute finer aspects of life. While some may choose not to partake, most people will have a celebratory drink or smoke once the dust has settled. This is where we can really prolong the enjoyment of the experience. By choosing a great combination of drink and cigar, you can continue to enjoy the experience long after you’ve shed your camo.
To the master-level bourbon and cigar aficionado, this may be elementary, but choosing the right combo can really bring out the flavor in both. In proud H&B Happy Hour style, here are five suggestions for pairings we think you’ll find worthy of trying whether you’re celebrating a big buck being down or kicking back after a long week of consuming tag soup.
1. Maker’s Mark 46 & Cohiba Red Dot
My first suggestion is the pairing of two well-known stalwarts in this arena. Bourbon-wise, we will use Maker’s Mark 46. This specific batch of Maker’s has a more subtle and smoother taste than the standard batch. It is mildly sweet and uniquely layered with deep, rich notes of vanilla and baking spice. The cigar I suggest with this is none other than the Cohiba Red Dot. This is a Dominican cigar with Dominican filler and a Cameroon wrapper. It has a mild flavor of spice and toasted nuts that will complement the Makers quite well. It has an exceptional draw and is put together expertly, just as you would expect from Cohiba.
2. Weller Special Reserve & Arturo Fuente Opus X
The next dynamic duo that I like starts with Weller Special Reserve. I have always been a fan of Weller, and the Special Reserve is great. It has a very smooth taste that is correctly described as “notes of honey, butterscotch, and a soft woodiness. It’s smooth, delicate and calm. Features a smooth finish with a sweet honeysuckle flair.” My matching cigar is the Arturo Fuente Opus X. It is a great stick made in the Dominican Republic and known for its complex flavor profile, which includes notes of coffee, cocoa, and spice.
3. Macallan 12 Year Scotch Whiskey & La Gloria Cubana Serie R
Next, we will move to Scotch for a change. My Scotch whiskey of choice here will be the easy-to-get Macallan 12 Years Old. I have been a fan of this for years because it is not only priced right, but it is also a solid single malt. It is matured in both American and European oak casks that were previously used to age sherry, which gives it a nice, sweet touch in flavor, including caramel and vanilla. The cigar for this great Scotch is also one of my favorites—La Gloria Cubana Serie R. This is a Dominican/Nicaraguan cigar with full-bodied flavor and notes of coffee, chocolate, and spice. It has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, which gives it a unique and enjoyable flavor.
4. Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey & Oliva Serie V Melanio Toro
For the next one, we’ll stay with Scotch. This round will include the Lagavulin 16 Year Old single malt. This is a little more intense flavor-wise, with touches of sherry, black tea, and oak. My suggestion for a cigar pairing here is the Oliva Serie V Melanio Toro. This is a full-bodied cigar from Nicaragua and has a good balance of flavor. It is not dull but will not compete for flavor with the Lagavulin.
5. Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey & Deadwood Fat Bottom Betty
My final suggestion is a little more fun and priced right. The whiskey for this match-up is Angel’s Envy. This is an inexpensive, yet flavorful whiskey that caught my attention several years ago. While it is not a classic $300 sipper, it is still very good and finished in port wine barrels, making it more complex than the price would suggest. My cigar for this drink is a favorite from Deadwood Cigars. The Fat Bottom Betty is quietly one of the most enjoyable cigars that I smoke. It features a slight sweet taste up front, followed by a nice, full-bodied smoke. While the name may make you snicker, the matching of these two is a winner.
There are countless other pairings out there that can make a great ending to a successful hunt. I encourage you to take the time to draw out the pleasure of the hunt. A good drink and an enjoyable cigar can make that happen.
Fun Fact: Meet The World’s Most Expensive Cigar
While decent cigars can be found in a wide price range, some are likely a little too pricey for the average Hook & Barrel reader. According to Sotheby’s, the Gurkha Royal Cigar currently holds the distinction of being the world’s most costly at an astounding $1.3 million per cigar! Every Gurkha Royal Cigar is infused with exclusive Himalayan tobacco that has been cultivated using Fiji water, thereby imparting a unique flavor. The company currently has more than 105 brands yet is still considered a boutique cigar manufacturer. Check them out at gurkhacigars.com.
Fun Fact: Where Did Cigars Come From?
While cigar smoking has seen a resurgence of late, cigars are certainly nothing new. According to cigar history, the Mayans and Aztecs were likely the first to smoke tobacco for medicinal and religious purposes as early as 2500 BC. The word “cigar” comes from the Mayan word “sikar,” which means “to smoke rolled tobacco leaves.”
Much later, Christopher Columbus brought tobacco to Europe after his voyage to the Americas in 1492. Cigars were likely first used in New England after the settlement of Connecticut in 1633. —Mark Chesnut, Contributing Editor
An AR Magazine Filled With Stogies
The cigar world is replete with special cases, lighters, and gadgets galore. One that recently caught my eye is totally unique. The Stogie Mag is a portable cigar carrier/humidor that is built to resemble an AR rifle magazine. It is spring-loaded and feeds cigars just as a magazine feeds rounds. It is designed to hold a humidifier pack and, with the lid on, does a good job of protecting your precious cargo. The Stogie Mag holds up to six cigars and fits in your range bag quite easily. The humidifier pack is integrated into the follower just above the feeding spring. It is an ingenious design and makes a fantastic gift for the cigar lover in your life. Light up at stogiemag.com.