Cigar & Rum Pairing
Two Veterans
As I was thinking about this month’s pairing, I explored the old bottles in my collection. Oftentimes the most expensive ones are not the answer, but rather the ones that naturally offer the best range of aromas.
With this in mind, I selected two rums that I have fond memories of. The first one is Ron Santiago de Cuba 11 Year Old, which was one of the first Cuban rums I fell in love with and one that I often drank while smoking during my numerous trips to the Habano Festivals in Cuba. The second one I had set aside because of how hard it is to find. I’m sure there are collector’s websites with some bottles still for sale, but the price will be very inflated, I’m talking about Ron Selecto Extra Añejo from Santa Teresa, in its very peculiar bottle.
Ron Santiago de Cuba 11 Year Old
The first rum has a deeper, darker color and in the aroma it has a dominant caramel note that can produce a mild, cola-based cocktail, with light alcohol notes without much oxidation. The second rum has a lighter color and is also less fragrant than the first, but the dominant note is more leather-like than caramel, which makes it more enjoyable and less sweet on the palate. Let’s see how we do with this pairing.
The cigar for this month’s pairing is a Gran Toro de Vegafina (52 x 6), made in the Dominican Republic with all Nicaraguan tobaccos from the Jalapa and Estelí valleys. It is easy to predict that the intensity will be between medium and strong, as a result of these tobaccos. Let’s see how the rums do next.
Gran Toro de Vegafina
During the first third of the cigar, both rums stand up on their own. The clean and caramel-laden notes of the Cuban rum mix well with the tobacco. The Venezuelan rum has a longer finish and it even enhances some common, oily notes.
As we start to smoke the second third of the cigar, both rums continue to pair extremely well. On the one hand, the soothing caramel notes and, on the other hand, a flavor complexity accentuated by the tobacco and leather notes.
There was no need to add ice to the rums, at the core of the pairing was the juxtaposition between the two young rums with a bold cigar in between. It is obvious that different people will have different preferences, but personally I liked the subtlety and complexity I experienced with the Santa Teresa.
I know that it is hard to find these bottles in the market, but you can go through your personal rum collection and try to find bottles filled with somewhat young rums that can pleasantly surprise you in the same manner that these two rums did.It is not necessary to open the most expensive bottle of rum to have a great cigar pairing, and this article is perfect proof of this.
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
