Cigar & Rum Pairing
A friend visited me here, in the Southern tip of the continent, where I’m currently living. He brought with him Habanos, more specifically, Cohiba Siglo II, also known as “Mareva.” These are 129mm in length and feature a 42 ring, which makes them ideal for a smoking session no longer than 30 minutes. I wanted to do a simple pairing, but didn’t have time earlier, so I planned to do it on the last day of January.
As soon as I finished all my work and, before heading to the airport, I set time aside to relax and to enjoy the cigar quietly and pleasantly.
For this pairing, I brought out a small crystal glass and my intention was to spend the time sipping a special rum: I reached for a Samaroli 1990, a Demerara rum bottled in Scotland in 2015, my bottle came from cask number 18. I had previously consumed a bit of the rum from the bottle, and I remembered that it had a smooth complexity and a very long finish. It is possible that the cigar will not be as balanced but, at the same time, its intensity is ideal to match the rum, without overpowering it, while maintaining the finish that I remembered.
This cigar is part of a line of “Siglos de Cohiba,” which was launched to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America in 1993. It was released in 5 different formats, each format representing one of the centuries and each one increasing in size. Siglo I is a “Perla”, short smoking time and very well-received by consumers. The next one is Siglo II, which is what I’m smoking now, it is a “Mareva,” which is one of the most popular formats from Cohiba. The remaining three are “Corona Grande,” “Corona Gorda” and “Dalias.”
Ten years later, Cohiba introduced Siglo VI, with a format known as “Cañonazo,” a true gem that I enjoyed on multiple occasions/pairings.
One of the distinctive features of this line is the intensity, which differs from that of the Clásica: it was introduced late last year with a more “commercial” strength, designed to reach consumers not accustomed to the brand.
The pairing can be described as unique, from start to finish. The intensity of the rum was long-lasting on the palate, with notes of black leather, cedar and Cuban tobacco. It was the ideal canvas to pair its flavors.
There are many rums that are often used in mixology, Samaroli is not one of them, and is better left to be consumed neat and accompanied by a good cigar.
I hope that you too can set aside time from your busy schedules to enjoy the rum bottles you’ve stored in your treasure chests. Even if it is only 30 minutes each day, it’ll be your moment and the memories will be timeless.
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
