Fallen Old Men

For our monthly pairings, I usually try to prepare cocktails that are simple and approachable, perfect for readers to recreate at home.  On rare occasions, I do put together pairings with hard to find, neat spirits, and this pairing is the perfect time for one.

I have used this rum in the past to create rum versions of classic cocktails, which are great.  One of my favorite ones is the Old Fashioned, which tells you what I’m likely to order when I walk into a bar.  I am talking about the Caroni 12-year-old, 100% from Trinidad, bottled at 50% ABV.  I will be sipping this rum neat, in a glass and at room temperature, to better appreciate its character and to better appreciate its pairing with the cigar I selected.

Caroni was established in 1923, deep in the heart of Trinidad, and it was quickly regarded as the heavy (high congener) rum leader.  It closed its doors in 2003, shortly after shutting down its sugar refinery.  The 12 year old Caroni rum is a blend of rums including those distilled in 2000, 100% distilled in Trinidad.  It is a rum with a unique character and one that lost up to 60% of its volume to the Angel’s Share, as part of the evaporation losses from the barrel.  We can accurately say that the angels in the Caribbean like their rum much more than the angels in Scotland!  The rum was bottled at 50% and the label is a tribute to the golden years of Trinidadian rums in the 1940s.  

For the cigar, I chose a Nicaraguan that I’m crazy about, a Joya de Nicaragua in a Belicoso (6 x 54) format from the Antaño CT line.  This cigar was introduced around 15 years ago and it showcases the famous Nicaraguan intensity, with a Connecticut wrapper that may mislead consumers into thinking that it is milder.  Make no mistake, this cigar has a medium-to-high intensity that embodies everything you expect from its nationality.  Now let’s see how it behaves paired with the neat rum.

As we first explore the rum’s aroma, it opens up with oak notes combined with dark tanned leather hints, similar to that of an old leather jacket that has been stored in a closet for a long time.  As we take the first sip, we also discover hints of charred caramel, very similar to what we experience when caramelizing sugar atop a Crème Brule, with toasted hazelnuts.

As we smoke more of the cigar, the initial toasted notes from the rum start to reveal additional traces of dark fruits and the fusel oils (heavy alcohols) become more dominant, their flavors remaining longer on the palate, regardless of the intensity of the cigar.

I also want to point out that the ash was excellent, both in color and in shape, maintaining the temperature perfectly and not forcing me to puff more frequently than I’m used to.

The tertiary notes from the cigar were also very harmonious with the rum.  While the rum’s flavor intensity allowed it to have a very long, lingering effect, the second third of the cigar raised its game too and matched the intensity.  The cigar was perfect, as it did not mask any of the congeners from the rum and, while this concept sounds easy, it takes a special cigar to be able to achieve the desired result.

I hope that you can find this rum and that you too can make a similar pairing.  Keep in mind that a very well-crafted Old Fashioned with rum is not a crime, despite many opinions to the contrary.  The goal is for you to enjoy the rum pairing the best possible way.

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing