Cigar and Rum Pairing
Sometimes you just need a glass of rum...
Yesterday I had planned the perfect setting for this month’s pairing: it was the wedding of a childhood friend of mine and I took cigars with me. I assumed they would have a good rum because I knew they were having good quality spirits in other categories (after all, I helped him buy many of them through my bar). They had Don Julio Tequila, Grey Goose Vodka, Glenfiddich 12 Whisky, etc., but NO RUM!
My plans for the pairing were ruined: I was thinking of highlighting how important the context is for a good pairing (where and when), using my friend’s wedding as the perfect setting to create new memories with a good cigar and a glass of rum.
At the end, the wedding was great, I laughed a lot and even ate lamb, but I had NO RUM! The following day I got up early and grabbed the first bottle that caught my eye. It was El Dorado 15 from Guyana, a rum that I’ve always associated with fine sipping experiences. So I grabbed a glass with an ice cube, added 2 ounces of the rum and walked outside to the terrace, to re-live the memories from the wedding, this time with my much-needed glass of rum.
El Dorado 15
Coloniales Trinidad
Robert Duvall Apocalypse
Drinking rum this early in the morning reminded me of Robert Duvall in the movie Apocalypse. Now, when he said that he loved the smell of napalm in the morning. Inspired by that phrase, I believe that there is nothing more gratifying than the smell of a great cigar and a great rum in the morning.
The cigar I selected was a Coloniales from Trinidad de Cuba (44 x 132mm), a very elegant cigar, with a medium body. This cigar delivers exquisite tobacco and leather which, when combined with the El Dorado 15, accentuates the rum’s caramel and preserved fruit.
It was a very simple pairing, carried out during a relaxing moment, while recalling memories from the wedding, all this made possible by the glass of rum.
I hope you are able to celebrate special occasions, such as weddings of friends or relatives, with a good rum and a good cigar. I also hope that you’ll be able to recall those great moments anytime afterward, simply by looking at the cigar or the rum you enjoyed while making the memories.
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
