Cigar & Rum Pairing
Fuller Cigars
While working at the bar around the middle of October, one of our employees notified me of an unexpected visitor waiting for me at the bar’s lobby. Thinking that it probably was yet another salesperson wanting to show his products, I made my way there as soon as I could. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was Carlos Troncoso, a true cigar afficionado who was making the rounds, promoting his own cigar brand. Unfortunately for him, he kept being told the same thing, that he should present me his portfolio and that they would purchase cigars from him if I gave them the green light. It was a wonderful meeting, and we scheduled a day and a time to do a pairing.
Carlos was unexpectedly introduced to the world of cigars during his visit to Cuba in 2003, a couple of years before my first trip there. He told me that he had his first cigar at the Hotel Meliá Havana and he was immediately hooked. A risky start with a great result, unlike the stories from many beginners who have disastrous experiences, and this is why I always suggest that neophytes should start by visiting the cigar lounges, where they should request the staff’s guidance, so that their introduction to this wonderful world can go smoothly and pleasantly.The day of the pairing arrived and Carlos showed up with different cigars: one aimed more to beginners and the second one with a more intense body.
Fuller Cigar Cabo Hornos
The first cigar was from the Valles de Chile line, we smoked a Cabo de Hornos, which looks like a Robusto (5 x 52) with a light Connecticut wrapper and Dominican filler. Upon lighting up the cigar, I was pleasantly surprised to experience a mild to medium intensity, with creamy notes, tannins and an excellent draw.
To pair with this cigar, I prepared a Rum Old Fashioned using Mulata 12 Year Old from Cuba. I told Carlos that this cocktail was my “wildcard” for this type of pairing, firstly because it is so easy to make and secondly because it goes great with this level of cigar intensity and smoking time (approximately 30 minutes).
The recipe for the Rum Old Fashioned was very simple:
- 3 oz. Ron Mulata 12 Años
- ½ oz. Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
- 1 Dash of Angostura Bitters
- Orange Peel as Garnish
Mulata 12 Year Old from Cuba
The cocktail added a sweet dimension to the pairing, with its caramel notes. It was more noticeable at this point of the pairing with its citric aromas, which were very inviting and made you want to keep drinking it.
The cigar, on the other hand, kept burning evenly and its intensity kept increasing. I must say that it was a very pleasant pairing with a medium intensity. Half way through the smoking, we changed to another cigar line called Opera.
From the Opera line, Carlos presented me with a Fidelio, a Robusto with the same dimensions as the previous cigar, but with a few compositional differences: the wrapper was Cameroon, the filler had Ecuator, Piloto Cubana and Olor Dominicano. Here I found a more intense body, maybe it could have been best to start with a fresh cocktail with this cigar, because a half-consumed cocktail has been diluted quite a bit and it is possible it won’t be strong enough by the time we get to the second third.
Unfortunately for Carlos, he had to leave to go to another appointment, so I decided to finish the Fidelio with a fresh cocktail (another Rum Old Fashioned as before). I was very pleased with the intensity and flavor of the last third of the cigar.
There will soon be new additions to the same line: Rigoleto and Traviata, both will be box pressed, an uncommon format for Cuban cigars, but something that has been trending up in recent years, especially in the USA, due to its cooler draw.
Last but not least, there is Napoli, which I smoked prior to the pairing. It is a smaller format, ideal to have with an Espresso, with a smoking time of less than 10 minutes, very aromatic of dried fruits and pure cacao.
This was a very enjoyable experience for me, perhaps the rings are the only aspect I would criticize, but the tobaccos are highly recommendable. I was pleased for the opportunity to enjoy them and hope to be able to find these cigars in other places so they can be enjoyed by many other people as well. The brand will soon be available in other countries, it is already being distributed in Central America, hopefully our readers too will be able to find them.
We will definitely plan more events with Carlos at the bar, so we can continue exploring classic rum cocktail pairings.
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
