I am a cigar and pipe smoker. I enjoy a good cigar with a drink of whiskey. I decided to look at a couple of questions about cigar blend whiskeys. The first is what makes a cigar blend whiskey? Cigar blends are whiskeys that pair well with a cigar, simple as that. I decided to ask a couple of friends what makes a good cigar blend. The first person I asked is Jason Brauner, one of the founders of Bourbons Bistro and Buzzard’s Roost whiskeys. Buzzard’s Roost has an excellent cigar blend whiskey designed by Jason and his team. Jason believes that a good cigar blend needs a nice fruity flavor of stone fruit with a finish of tobacco with a hint of smoke. He achieves this by using a barrel with extra toasting of the barrel. Jason likes a number two char in the barrel for his whiskeys so the smokiness does not come from heavy char.
The next person I asked was Jason Shepherd. Jason admitted that he has had cigar blend whiskeys at tastings, but he has not had a cigar with them. However, he likes a whiskey with a dry, slightly tannic finish with a cigar. He also agrees with Jason Brauner that a fruit forward taste is very good with a cigar. It also depends upon what cigar you are smoking. A lighter cigar will call for a different whiskey than a full bodied cigar.
This brings me to the next question – Do you really need a cigar blend whiskey to enjoy a cigar and whiskey pairing? Cigar blends can be more expensive than a regular Bourbon or Rye whiskey, so the question is, is it worth the extra money for a cigar blend whiskey? Ten years ago, I was doing a series of blogs with Maggie Kimberl and Wayne Klawier, pairing whiskey with cigars. We found that our favorite whiskey to pair with a cigar was Four Roses Yellow Label. We found the whiskey always added something to the smoke and the smoke always brought out something in the whiskey. A close second favorite was Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond. The tobacco and oak in the finish went well with a lighter cigar, helping the smoke by adding flavor without overpowering the cigar.
So what is my conclusion? I think cigar blends are a good thing and have been designed to pair well with cigars. I think that they can be worth the extra money, but I still enjoy the Four Roses and Henry McKenna Bourbons with a cigar and those whiskeys are my “go to” whiskeys when sharing a cigar and whiskey with friends.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller