Several years ago, I invited a good friend to share a pairing for “Got Rum?”. We went to a neighborhood café, it was a simple gathering, but the result was incredible. Basically, we added a touch of rum to our Espressos, turning them into something similar to what we call “American Coffee,” but instead of adding water we added rum. It was an improvised experiment, but the experience was fabulous.
For this month’s pairing, since the cigars we chose were Robustos, we would have to pair them with several Espressos.
My favorite cigar to pair up with an espresso is the Napoli, from Fuller Cigar. I have used this cigar for other pairings and its smoking time and composition make it the ideal selection. I know that there are plans for new and improved versions of this cigar. For example, the Roma line, with two presentations: Rómulo and Remo, both about 1 cm longer and with different compositions that are sure to attract even more followers.
I prepared the espressos at home, with a simple domestic appliance, using Italian Borbone coffee beans, with a French Press, resulting in a smooth and creamy coffee. Once the coffee was ready, it was time to add a shot of rum. I selected the Plantation Grenada 2003, a rum with hints of heavy alcohols and floral notes, with traces of fresh fruits, such as, pineapple. The finish has notes of green banana and a subtle touch of vanilla. When mixed with the coffee, the result is noticeable: it goes beyond the expected coffee with vanilla and, instead, reveals spicey notes.
These cigars are “Toscano” style and are perfect for well-defined, yet short pairings, full of complex flavors. In this case, the pairing unfolds smoothly, and you feel like having another cup of coffee. This is the advantage of using the French Press: it allows you to prepare a larger volume, which helps to accompany longer cigars.
If you don’t have access to this particular cigar, you can substitute it with a medium-bodied one, just remember that the cigar’s intensity will continue to increase during the smoking session, so I recommend making the second cup of coffee a bit stronger than the first one.
Drinking a fortified coffee like this one, with rum, is one of the simplest pairings you can do. The result is fantastic and requires very little mixology technique, all you need is a good rum and a simple cigar.
I hope that you can recreate this pairing at home, it is very simple, yet enjoyable.
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
