The President of the Caribbean
I was thinking about this month’s pairing, a very busy month with World Class Chile and with the opening of my first bar, when I received a visit from one of Diageo’s regional brand ambassadors, who lives in the Dominican Republic. I am referring to Arturo Savage, a friend for many years, someone who is truly passionate about distilled spirits (specially Scotch Whisky), gastronomy and cigars. Arturo, in turn, brought me two things that I am very passionate about: a Venezuelan rum (from where he is originally) and a cigar from his new home, a Maduro N6 from the Oro lineup from La Flor Dominicana.
This is a cigar that is not very easy to find here in Chile, but I had already tried it before and thought it would be an excellent opportunity for this month’s pairing.
At first sight, this is a maduro cigar with a Vitola Toro (6” x 54) format, with an excellent finish, reminiscent in color of the tobaccos from Nicaragua. In fact, the wrapper leaf comes from Nicaragua, but all the other tobaccos in the cigar are 100% Dominican. This cigar’s body and intensity are better suited for those who enjoy the medium to medium-high range right from the star t of the smoking experience. Once I knew what I was going to smoke, I set out to find a rum that would be a good match and, since I’m still deep into cocktails, I opted to replicate –once again- a version of Presidente (a Manhattan made with rum) with the rum that Arturo brought me, which happens to be a rum that is only sold in Venezuela’s Duty Free shops, I am talking about Ron Cacique Extra Añejo Leyenda. For me, Ron Cacique, especially the Cacique 500, is one of the best rums to mix with coke. Yes, I’ve said it, with coke, the most basic of cocktails, but if I want to have a simple and refreshing rum and coke, in my mind I’m always envisioning it being made with Cacique 500. So let’s see how well this Cacique Leyenda behaves when used to prepare a Presidente.
While most of the cocktail recipes for a Presidente call for a white rum, Venezuela is a country with a very low consumption rate of white rum (due to rum aging regulations), and so we are presented with the opportunity to replace the rum with an aged rum.
Recipe for Presidente Cocktail
2 oz Rum Cacique Leyenda
½ oz Vermouth Rosso
½ oz of personal blend of Vermouth and cherries
(using one of the cherries as a garnish)
Remember to chill the glass ahead of time, this is critical to maintain the temperature of the cocktail once served, this way you can enjoy the cocktail during a longer period of time! At first, while smoking the first third of the cigar, the tobacco comes across as dry and intense, with a finish that is somewhat ear thy, but all this in a well-balanced manner, especially when sipping the cocktail.
As the smoking of the cigar progressed, the cocktail starts losing some of its coolness and the cigar takes on a more defined role, with an increase in the perception of the ear thy and coffee notes.
Now into the second third of the cigar, I had finished the first cocktail and had to prepare a second one (poor me!), but this time I made it with only 2 oz of Cacique Leyenda and 1 oz of the Vermouth. To my surprise, the pairing took an unexpected turn, the tobacco notes levitated more towards hints of leather, and I was also able to pick up traces of Tiramisu and Black Forrest chocolate cake. Maybe it was my appetite at the moment, but I could certainly detect them, bringing the second third of the cigar to a great end.
I know this pairing is somewhat difficult to do at home, since Ron Cacique Leyenda is so hard to find, but please keep it in mind if you or anyone you know will be near a place where he rum is sold. The rum works great in simple cocktails like the Presidente, which is the closest thing to a Manhattan made with rum.
I hope you enjoyed the pairing and that you can try it sometime.
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GR CigarPairing
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).