Drinks and Cigars?

[JTokash-cl]

If it's hot outside, sweet tea or water if I'm reviewing. Although I've found that Coke really cleans my palate and works good for me when relaxing with a cigar.

If it's cold outside, coffee or hot tea (I don't review if it's cold outside).

[FoZzMaN-cl]

Any good beer, Mojitos, Margaritas, Shiraz or Merlot.

[Doc Stogie Fresh]

Originally Posted by havanitascigars

Rum neat, rum and coke, rum daiquiri on the rocks, rum on the rocks, or if I am bored.... rum. I am not talking about Bacardi or Malibu. Aged rum (or rhum if you prefer). Zacapa, Zaya, Pampero, Flor de Cana, Appleton VX, etc.

Ahh yes.... I love rums! Good choices, my friend.

Zacapa, Zacapa, and Zacapa. Ron Zacapa 23 yr, Straight from the Cask, and XO are my favorite rums, Period.

Flor de Caña makes a very nice 20th Anniversary rum.

[smokin'Jef]

I kinda like to balance my pics between my beer choice and my stogie choice.
Usually with a bigger beer or one with high ABV I'll smoke something milder.
And when going with a milder, easy goin' beer I will spice it up a bit with a more medium to full cigar. Always depends on the mood and the time I know I can put in on the session.

[smokin'Jef]

Well, here's a fine example of what I am speaking of: My Friday after work line up, which has just started, starts with the pouring of Arrogant Bastard by Stone Brewing Co., a fairly robust beer in itself with lots of thick oily hop spices tinted with citrus and pine notes and a well rounded backing of toasted caramel malt. Thick, chewy body and creamy smooth with just enough kick with its 7.2 percent ABV. Yum.
Complimented by a mildish medium bodied cigar: the Carlos Torano Exodus 1959. Yum again.
Happy Friday everyone!!

[Doc Stogie Fresh]

Originally Posted by smokin'Jef

Well, here's a fine example of what I am speaking of: My Friday after work line up, which has just started, starts with the pouring of Arrogant Bastard by Stone Brewing Co., a fairly robust beer in itself with lots of thick oily hop spices tinted with citrus and pine notes and a well rounded backing of toasted caramel malt. Thick, chewy body and creamy smooth with just enough kick with its 7.2 percent ABV. Yum.
Complimented by a mildish medium bodied cigar: the Carlos Torano Exodus 1959. Yum again.
Happy Friday everyone!!

Yes!!!! Great lineup there.

[smokin'Jef]

Here's tonights line up: lucky me ibble:
Beer: Hoppe - an Imperial IPA by Southern Tier Brewing Co., New York - don't let the color fool ya. Its packed with outstanding citrusy flavors that blend orange, peach, tangerine, and pineapple together over a slight piney bitterness and lots of smooth big bodied smoothness.
Cigar: Cusano 18 - the pinnacle of creamy mild flavors and tons of smoke.
Double yum! Life is good! Yeah!

[burritosdaily]

Originally Posted by smokin'Jef

Here's tonights line up: lucky me ibble:
Beer: Hoppe - an Imperial IPA by Southern Tier Brewing Co., New York - don't let the color fool ya. Its packed with outstanding citrusy flavors that blend orange, peach, tangerine, and pineapple together over a slight piney bitterness and lots of smooth big bodied smoothness.
Cigar: Cusano 18 - the pinnacle of creamy mild flavors and tons of smoke.
Double yum! Life is good! Yeah!

I would be interested to hear the aftermath of this pairing... seems like your beer has more distinct flavors that your stogie.

[smokin'Jef]

Originally Posted by burritosdaily

I would be interested to hear the aftermath of this pairing... seems like your beer has more distinct flavors that your stogie.

Well, it has been a while since I have had one of these Cusona 18's. But thus far, its got a nice spicey kick to it and isn't as mild as I remember. Quite robust to start, then tames off some. Has a bit of sulpher and birchwood in some of the late taste which is offsetting to the IPA and not matching well at all.

Believe you me, I'd rather be drinking a big Imperail stout then an IPA, but when its nearly 88 degrees out at 8pm It just doesn't work, plus I have mostly Belgian and big hoppy beers in my fridge right now. So I went with it.

Big Stouts and porters tend to bold well with cigars for me. But have surprised myself with some choices from time to time that don't fit in that catagory. The one I posted last Friday worked really well together. Made for a good session.

This one, not so much...

[brianhewitt-cl]

I had a really great experience a couple of days ago with a Bridgeport ESB (Yay Portland beer!) and a Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte.

The CAO Vision isn't really my cup of tea, but I think it went fairly well with Warres white port. It's something to try if you happen to have one.

I've really been burned on some beer-cigar pairings... I really need to try smoking a cigar with coffee... as much as I drink coffee you'd think I would have done that by now!

[BigJack]

A cup of fresh roasted coffee, and a CAO Maduro Toro.

[smokin'Jef]

Tonights line up is as follows:
Beer: Stone Brewing Co. - Vertical Epic 2007 (released 7/7/07) - a milding, mellow, yet big and chewy, fruity Belgian Style pale ale. Good amounts of candied sugars from the yeast and nice fruityness of soft tropical fruits.

Cigar: Macanudo Robust - Everything about this stick has perfection written all over it. Well, besides the taste?!
Super firm feel, nice pre taste of light charcoal and earthen things, great draw, lots of dried leafy smelling smoke and some paper hints. Looks great too. Nice lookin wrapper, and seems to want to ash every half inch or so giving away the fact it probably was machine made but hand rolled with the wrap, or so I presume? Ahh but the taste...quite inadequate, very papery and non tobacco-like and not much else to it really. Partial home-ended earthyness reveals itself in a manner of old newspaper and dry attic dust as it sinks into the mouth after a long draw. Hmmfffphjkyfnmnmmm...
However; and seemingly, this made a good pairing. The Mac is disappointing to say the least, yet works for the session, the beer is much more favorable.
Oh well, I think I may be put off Macs now. No biggy right? On to better things I suppose...and hope...

[brianhewitt-cl]

Yeah, the Macanudo Robust kind of confuses me to... I'm not sure exactly what they were going for with this cigar. Whatever they aiming at, I think they missed it.

I'm right there with you on the paper flavor. I smoked a tin of the Ascot size, and I got a lot of that. The better ones had a little cut-grass flavor, and the best one in the tin actually had a light sweet maple and wood flavor. Too bad all of them weren't like that one.

[smokin'Jef]

Beer: Censored Copper Ale, Lagunitas Brewing - A delicately hoppy ale with orange and lemon pith flavors melding with a semi toasty rounded malt profile, clean, crisp, and refreshing all around.

Cigar: Cohiba (Dom. Rep.) - A pretty mild bodied smoke with a smooth profile here. This particular stick is coming across a little dry, maybe needed another week or so in the humi? The Cameroon wrapper is slightly brittle and pretty well textured. Deep and dark cedary flavors abound, but are mild and fairly creamy with hints of dark cherry pits. Lots fo smoke, super easy draw, well constructed, nice ash to boot. This one will get nubbed big time.
This has been a good pairing. Too bad I can get two 6 packs of Censored for the price of the Cohiba. I threw in a pic of me smokin' the thing too, so let the mayhem and comments begin...

[burritosdaily]

Originally Posted by smokin'Jef

Beer: Censored Copper Ale, Lagunitas Brewing - A delicately hoppy ale with orange and lemon pith flavors melding with a semi toasty rounded malt profile, clean, crisp, and refreshing all around.

Cigar: Cohiba (Dom. Rep.) - A pretty mild bodied smoke with a smooth profile here. This particular stick is coming across a little dry, maybe needed another week or so in the humi? The Cameroon wrapper is slightly brittle and pretty well textured. Deep and dark cedary flavors abound, but are mild and fairly creamy with hints of dark cherry pits. Lots fo smoke, super easy draw, well constructed, nice ash to boot. This one will get nubbed big time.
This has been a good pairing. Too bad I can get two 6 packs of Censored for the price of the Cohiba. I threw in a pic of me smokin' the thing too, so let the mayhem and comments begin...

Bro, I enjoy reading your pairings... you need to start one of those "journals" or something on here... do you find those beers locally? It seems like most of what you mention are micros?