Cigar & Rum Pairing
I was talking with a colleague from the alcohol beverage industry, we were reminiscing about tastings we’d done together at my old bar, particularly a training session where he had brought a bottle of Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada. At that time, we were having a great time getting caught up, so I grabbed a couple of Tuscan cigars and went looking for a bottle for a last toast, it was a Samaroli 1990 Demerara Rum, bottled in 2015. It was an excellent way to wrap up and we stayed there talking for hours.
I am now recalling the good feelings from that evening and want to celebrate those memories. This is the most important thing in life: moments and good memories.
This is a bottle I bought during the Berlin Rum Festival around 2015-2016, it was one of many impulsive buys I did, being that I am a lover of the many different styles of rum. The best thing about that experience was not the rum itself, but the fact that I got to share a table with Silvano Samaroli. Up until then, I only knew of him from articles and anecdotes. All of that changed during the festival, we shared many drinks and cigars after hours, as well as, standing outside the hotel, where we would have a quick smoke before going out to dinner. We always found something in common to talk about, mostly about our beautiful industry.
All of those memories came back to life once I had the rum in one hand and the cigar in the other. For the cigar, I selected a Toro (6 ½ x 52) from Casa Magna, Connecticut wrapper, a format that always guarantees me over an hour of smoking pleasure.
As far as the pairing, the rum was aged over 20 years in Scotland, reaching a level of maturity and complexity that is defined by heavy leather and tobacco notes, with light touches of vanilla and caramel. The complexity evolves in the palate, begging for a puff from the cigar, all while bringing back to life the best memories from the past. The rum has a robust profile with a higher-than-normal alcohol intensity.When we examine the bottle, it reveals information about its aging and the reduced size of the bottling run. Only 340 bottles were filled, and this is bottle number 50.
The Toro can be described as smooth and subtle, based on its Connecticut wrapper, but the Nicaraguan filler tells a different story. It features heavy wood notes, alongside black pepper spiciness, which are always a great profile for a likewise intense rum.
The rum has a British Guyana style, it was aged in Scotland, resulting in a pairing that may seem complicated and hard to replicate, but it is all part of a larger plan. I will soon share news about an even more interesting project that will be the foundation of countless memorable moments for new generations of rum lovers!
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
