Photo: @CigarIli
Early Morning Pairing
Philip Ili Barake, Cigar Sommelier and writer for "Got Rum?" magazine, pairs up Zafra Master Reserve 21 Year Old Rum from Panama with a Davidoff Short Corona Cigar from Nicaragua in his pairing he calls "Early Morning Pairing" in the April 2015 issue.
Early Morning Pairing
I came up with this pairing following several rainy days in the capital city (Santiago, Chile). It is designed for beginning and seasoned smokers as well. The pairing took place first thing in the morning, after waking up.
One of the most essential things upon awakening is a good cup of coffee. For this pairing I selected a high altitude one from Antigua, Guatemala, but I also added three large rock salt crystals to the coffee. Adding a small amount of salt to a good coffee can make it even more enjoyable, I highly recommend this practice.
As far as the rum, I opted for one we already featured in a cigar & rum pairing before: it was in March of 2013 when we paired Zafra 21 from Panama with a Cohiba Habano 1966. For this early morning pairing, I selected a Short Corona from Davidoff (46 ring, 3 ¾” length) from the Nicaraguan line. This cigar is ideal for brief smoking sessions, but don’t let the size fool you, this cigar features a medium to high intensity flavor profile, with very inviting coffee and bitter cocoa notes that make it a perfect pairing for this type of rum.
We start the pairing with the coffee. As I mentioned earlier, it was brewed with coffee beans from Guatemala. I added the three large salt crystals because they improve the flavors and increase the creaminess of the coffee. Ever since I learned about it, I always add salt to my coffee (you may also add sugar). Perhaps purist will cringe at the idea, but I urge you to experiment before you make up your mind!
Once I started sipping on my coffee, I turned my attention to the cigar, which is a very good one for beginners, plus it has a great finish which also pleases tobacco veterans. This line of cigars is comprised of three different presentations: Robusto, Diadema (with both ends tapered, what we also call a “Perfecto”) and the classic Toro. This line of cigars can also be considered full-bodied, which opens up the door for a number of different spirits to be paired with. While I smoke the first third of the cigar, I only focus on enjoying it with the coffee. The combination intensifies all the notes from the coffee, while also bringing forward subtle cocoa notes that remind me of Nutella.
As I start the second third of the cigar, I bring the Zafra 21 year old rum into the pairing. I find myself uncontrollably going back and forth between all of them, as the interplay of flavors leaves me with very creamy and agreeable notes in the palate. The Zafra 21 takes those notes and prolongs them even farther, with hints of warm caramel, frothy and creamy coffee (with a perfect balance of chocolate and coffee at just the right temperature). All these aromas and tastes remind me of a piece of Tiramisu, but it is too late for me to try to find one and incorporate it into the pairing!
This is a brief pairing, but one that has a very prolonged finish that is extremely enjoyable. I hope you are able to enjoy this pairing too, and that you will agree with me that this is the perfect breakfast!
Cheers,
Philip Ili Barake
Philip@gotrum.com