Special Ice Tea Pairing

Special Ice Tea Pairing

As I write this pairing, I’m well aware that my climate here in Chile is opposite from that experienced by the great majority of my readers in the Northern hemisphere. And even though I want to prepare a pairing with winter in mind, the temperature here is reaching 85° F and summer is only getting started, thanks global warming!

Thus I opted for a special ice tea, but “what makes it special?” you might be asking. Well, the tea was a Christmas gift I received from a friend and knowing that tea is among the world’s most consumed beverages, the only thing I had to think about was which rum to use. I could not chose a white rum that was very aromatic or floral, neither could I chose an overproof that would be too aggressive; I had to find a combination that would be well-balanced, refreshing and, above all, that would go well with a cigar. 

Among the potential rums I had unique rums that are easy to identify due to their congener level: one from Barbados, another one from Guyana and finally the one I chose from Trinidad, which was Angostura 1824. I won’t talk about how or where it is made, suffice it to say that it had the characteristics or style I needed for my tests.

The first tea I selected was labeled “After Eight,” which I hope suits at least some of our readers. It is a blend of black tea and other herbs that make it very addictive and ideal for a pairing where one needs a high tannic note to accompany a cigar.

The cigar I selected was a Short Churchill from Romeo y Julieta from Cuba (50 x 124mm), a format I’ve used before and one of my favorites for its duration and balance.

We start by preparing the tea, without any sugar and taking care not to overheat the water, which would result in an over-extraction of tannins from the tea. We then let it steep for a little bit and then we pour it into a shaker filled with lots of ice and 2 ounces of rum, in our case Angostura 1824, which has a very characteristic finish. The mix of the tea and the rum comes across well-balanced and fresh, we then add two slices of lime, which helps increase the freshness, which is always desirable in an ice tea.

For the cigar, you want a large ring size and a strength no higher than medium, I mention this in case you need to use a different cigar from the one I selected. Just remember that if you replicate this pairing during the summer, you need to be prepared to consume a lot of ice tea!

The best thing about this pairing is that the freshness of the tea helps bring into balance the other flavors. It reminded me of the many pairings I used to do in Cuba, where I always needed to have a bottle of water also, due to the high temperature. The intensity of the cigar changes throughout the smoking session, but also the intensity of the tea, if you leave the tea bag steeping while you are smoking. So, by the time I prepared the second ice tea, the intensity had changed for the better. All in all, it took me 4 ice tea servings to finish the cigar. I highly recommend the pairing for those days when the weather is warm.

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing

-Article written by Philip Ili Barake- 

My name is Philip Ili Barake, Sommelier by trade. As a result of working with selected restaurants and wine producers in Chile, I started developing a passion for distilled spirits and cigars. As part of my most recent job, I had the opportunity to visit many Central American countries, as well as, rum distilleries and tobacco growers.

But my passion for spirits and cigars did not end there; in 2010 I had the honor of representing Chile at the International Cigar Sommelier Competition, where I won first place, becoming the first South American to ever achieve that feat.

Now I face the challenge of impressing the readers of “Got Rum?” with what is perhaps the toughest task for a Sommelier: discussing pairings while being well aware that there are as many individual preferences as there are rums and cigars in the world.

I believe a pairing is an experience that should not be limited to only two products; it is something that can be incorporated into our lives.

I hope to help our readers discover and appreciate the pleasure of trying new things (or experiencing known things in new ways).