Closing the Year Well

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                                   Closing the Year Well

Selecting the last pairing of the year has always been a struggle, but in 2019 I leaned more towards the classic cocktails adapted to rum, with simple pairings.  Keeping it simple brought me great results so why not stay on the same road, going for something simple that I know works well: a Rum Apple Martini.

For this cocktail I’ll use a 7 oz Martini glass and will use half rum and the other half will be a good quality apple juice.  You can also use commercially available apple-peach juices, which work well for this type of drink.

When it came down to selecting the rum, I contemplated a Venezuelan rum with a lot of barrel notes and hints of caramel or something drier with a more intense alcohol character.  Knowing I would get some sweetness from the apple juice, I decided for a unique rum, somewhat different from the norm, one that would play well with that sweetness without being dominated by it: El Dorado 15 from Guyana.

The recipe is extremely simple, you simply need the Martini glass, a cocktail shaker (or large glass), ice and a long spoon to stir all ingredients.   Add all ingredients to the cocktail shaker or large glass, stir smoothly to cool them down and strain into the chilled Martini glass.  It is important for the glass to be well-chilled, to keep the temperature of the cocktail low during the pairing.

The cigar I selected is a Cohiba Robusto (50 x 124mm) from the Reserva line, cosecha (harvest) 2014, with the filler and wrapper being aged at least 3 years.  We know from previous pairings that Cohiba has a somewhat aggressive strength, but the aging of the tobacco tends to soften the flavors, making them rounder and more elegant, with an intensity that is more approachable.

The cocktail is perfect, great balance between sweetness and rum character, maintaining the origin of the rum.  Temperature, however, is essential for this cocktail’s success, more so if you decide to replace the rum for another with a more intense alcohol character.

Once I lit the cigar, the first third showcases the intensity associated with Cohiba, typical Cuban notes, long aftertaste and despite the additional 5 years of aging in my humidor, still comparable to the ones I smoked before, an excellent cigar with a great draw.  Knowing this about the cigar, one starts to imagine what type of pairing to do: a rum neat would definitely be the simplest approach, but we should be able to do something better.  

While some readers will opt for the rum neat, if you have the ingredients handy you should try making the cocktail and will realize it is not crazy or out of this world strange.  As long as the cocktail is cold, the rum leads the taste profile, with the sweeter apple notes coming through more and more as it gets warmer.

The smoking time is 30 minutes easily and the balance between the cigar and the cocktail brings back a lot of memories.  I used some of this time to send messages to friends.  As I approached the second third of the cigar, more cinnamon and leather notes started to appear, matching with the cocktail even better.

A pairing that may appear overly simple at first sight, but if done at the right time and place it can be very entertaining and complex.  This is an easy cocktail to make and it is very approachable by the average rum consumer.

I hope 2020 brings you many new rums to taste and that you can dive into the world of mixology.  You don’t have to be a bartender to experiment with and explore your taste preferences, so you can modify existing recipes or even create your own.  I wish you all much success and hope that we can continue to enjoy our cigars and rums.

A big hug to all, welcome to 2020!

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing