Dutch Masters makes fine cigars and they do not cost an arm and a leg like some hoity-toity cigars in cigar shops. You can get them in any gas station or liquor store that sells smokes as well as booze. They are very practical cigars for the working stiff who does not have time for fancy cutters and torch lighters. These fine machine rolled smokes don’t need a stinkin’ cutter because they a made so the butt end is already to go. There is none of that worry about draw and burn either since they are uniformly made, not like some fancy-shmancy Cuban cigar. You don’t need a humidor either, as they come individually wrapped and can stay in your glove box for weeks before you need to worry about them drying out. Just pull out the good old Bic lighter and have at it!

The smoke is pure tobacco without any of that other stuff like chocolate or spice. For those that like all that crap in their smoke they do sell them with flavors like cherry and since they are adding it to the tobacco you can actually taste the cherries – just like a cherry cough drop! The tobacco is top quality tobacco because it says right on the box that they use only the finest tobacco. Since they are getting the finest tobacco, all those other cigar makers must be getting their left overs! I guess that if a cigar maker can’t afford the machinery to roll a cigar they can’t afford the finest tobacco either.

I am pairing this fine cigar with some fine Bourbons. The liquor store had a bunch of small airplane bottles of the finest spirits and I picked out some good ones. I had to get Fred’s favorite Fireball and they also had a slightly bigger bottle of Tennessee Fire. The lady behind the counter said her favorite was Wild Turkey American Honey Sting – she must know what she is talking about. Then there were the bottles of Big House Hard Apple, Blackberry, and Peach. Those three rounded out the selection and it cost me less than $15!

I started with the fruit flavored Bourbons. I did not want to burn my taste buds too early and I can tell from their aroma they are going to have all of the flavors any college student would like. The Hard Apple had a strong aroma of apples. The Jolly Rancher sweetness really flavors the smoke with apples and smoky tobacco. The peach also tastes like a Jolly Rancher and it really brings out the vanilla and peach hard candy in the smoke. The blackberry tastes like cough syrup and gives a heavy fruit flavor to the smoke. My favorite was the Hard Apple as it gives all of the flavor of the candy without changing the smoking pleasure.

I am moving on to the spicy Bourbons next. I am going to start with the Fireball as Fred has never steered me wrong. Strong flavor of Red Hots that gives the smoke that spicy cinnamon flavor that everyone should love. The Tennessee Fire is smokin’ hot with lots of cinnamon and charcoal smoke. The smoke actually makes the Bourbon taste better by filtering out some of the heat. The American Honey Sting rounds out this selection with lots of honey and fire and pepper. It gives the smoke a very sweet and hot flavor that is very nice and flavorful.

My favorite has to be the American Honey Sting. Lots of flavor without making the smoke change too much. This was an excellent pairing.

Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl