Tobacco and ale: interesting discovery

[dmkerr]

Last night, while enjoying a couple of bottles of Young's Oatmeal Stout, I found myself with a little time before kids came home with their Friday night tales of the HS football game. I of course pondered on which pipe and tobacco to fire up, and decided that since I only had about half an hour to smoke and all of my small pipes (all 5 of them) are aromatic pipes that don't get smoked much, I thought I'd have a bowl of McClellands Best of Show. This is a nougat flavored aromatic and has the best tin aroma of any tobacco... in the sense that it actually smells like something you might want to eat (but don't - for those that might consider it).

What a find! The extremely sweet nougat tobacco played off the roasted malt flavor of the stout and vice versa and really brought out the best in each other. Both made the finish of each other exemplary! This was most unexpected. The very light flavor I found in the 'baccy was actually heightened in intensity by the stout, and the stout's flavor was very mildly impacted. It truly was a great match.

I've enjoyed many latakia blends with single malts and vapers with cognacs, etc etc. Never thought a fine stout could make such an improvement on an admittedly ordinary aromatic. Sure the tobacco tasted less like tobacco and more like a sugary nougat cookie, but that's the point of the tobacco. The stout simply made the tobacco taste more like what it was supposed to taste like.

Any similar stories?

[drastic_quench]

Nice. I'm a big craft beer fan myself. I brew my own beer and make mead as well.

I've found that I like a good IPA with any tobacco that can stand up to it - like something with a fair amount of perique or latakia. Founder's Red's Rye Pa and Dirty Bastard scotch ale are two that I find myself reaching for a lot.

[Sigarz]

Originally Posted by drastic_quench

Nice. I'm a big craft beer fan myself. I brew my own beer and make mead as well.

I've found that I like a good IPA with any tobacco that can stand up to it - like something with a fair amount of perique or latakia. Founder's Red's Rye Pa and Dirty Bastard scotch ale are two that I find myself reaching for a lot.

agree, I love founders brews, impossible to find in NY I ussually have to make special trips to PA or OH to find some.

[FrayAdjacent]

DMKERR, thanks for posting! I'm searching for a tin of Best of Show right now! It sounds like a blend that I would really like. As a noob, posts like yours really help me find new tobaccos to try. Heck, they're all new to me!

I'll have to try it with some good beer when I get a tin in!

[Mad Hatter]

Quiet Dan, quiet

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by FrayAdjacent

DMKERR, thanks for posting! I'm searching for a tin of Best of Show right now! It sounds like a blend that I would really like. As a noob, posts like yours really help me find new tobaccos to try. Heck, they're all new to me!

I'll have to try it with some good beer when I get a tin in!

Don't search too hard - you might find it! LOL!

It's not a bad tobacco as aromatics go, but it's nothing special. But it did provide a nice taste sensation with the stout. I've got about 5 more bowls worth of it and - ba da bing! - 5 more bottles of Young's!

[fiddlegrin]

Congratulations on a great pairing!

.

[DaReallyPoGigolo]

I've actually found that a medium hopped beer, such as a good amber ale (I prefer Boontz or even Sam Adams Boston Lager) can really bring out the flavor in a medium to full bodied cigar. Also, I've found that a good hefeweizen can really bring out the spice in a good stick. I realize we're talking pipes here, but I figure that the same principles may apply.

[Abraxas]

I like my latakias with hoppy ales, Nørrebro Bombay Pale Ale (read IPA) and fullers ESB being favourites. I find that bitter and hoppy aromas go well with salty, smoky and spicy tobacoos.

With my Virginias and VaPers i prefer something less overwhelming, less hoppy ales, stouts and porters. One of my all time favourite combinatios is fuller's longon porter and SG Full Virginia Flake, both ale smooth, soft and sweet but strong!

[FrayAdjacent]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

Don't search too hard - you might find it! LOL!

It's not a bad tobacco as aromatics go, but it's nothing special. But it did provide a nice taste sensation with the stout. I've got about 5 more bowls worth of it and - ba da bing! - 5 more bottles of Young's!

Yeah, it was easy to find. It sounds like a good blend, and a tin isn't very expensive at all, so I ordered one. Also got a couple other things I needed, and another tin while I was there.