Brown Leaf Discussion for November: Matching Tobacco with Alcohol

[Rockminer]

For the month of november we're going to try and come up with a list of tobacco's and their best alcohol counterparts. I will admit that I don't have a lot of experience with this subject, so I'm looking for you more experienced members or just anyone with an opinion to chime in. I'm far from wealthy and when I want to have a smoke and a drink, it's hard to wade through the many options that are out there, especially with my general lack of experience with multiple brands of tobacco and alcohol. I also don't feel like I've hit the sweet spot with any of my decisions. I know they're out there, just don't have the time or money to try everything.

Let's get a list going. If you want to break it down by type of tobacco vs type of alcohol, cool. If you want to break it down to specific type, brand that's ok too. Personally, I hope you break it down to specific brands because there are so many different types of each that saying you like Virginias with beer or latakia with scotch leaves a lot of room for variance ( so many brands and differences within those types ).

 

[GA Gator]

For hard liquor I like bourbon there are different types which I pair with cigars.

A wheat bourbon (W L Weller) is on the sweeter side and I like spicy cigars to pair with it. A tatuaje, T52, tatuaje Avion, Fuente, the sweet wheat bourbon and a spicy cigar are a good pair.

A bourbon with rye which tends to have a spice character to it, I prefer cigars with less spice. A leathery cigar like a No.9, Creamy nutty cigar like a La Palina, AVO, all pair well with a rye or bourbon based rye.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Can we get the thread title to include any drink? I quite like coffee and a pipe.

 

[john parker]

Can we get the thread title to include any drink? I quite like coffee and a pipe.

I enjoy a pipe and a cup of tea. Can't drink alcohol.

 

[Rockminer]

Anyone who would like to discuss drinks other than alcohol are more than welcome.

 

[Hunter]

I enjoy a pipe and a cup of tea. Can't drink alcohol.

A good cup of tea with a cigar or pipe is amazing. When I want the hard stuff I try to stick to the lighter Scotches like The Glenmorangie or Dalmore Cigar Malt.

 

[Hirsute]

I like a cup of coffee with a VaPer like Escudo, or any burley. I also like an IPA with Virginias. With any other blends, usually bourbon or a manhattan.

 

[Argonaut]

a manhattan.

That's a Holy Grail cocktail there, takes a proficient bartender to do that one right.

 

[Hirsute]

That's a Holy Grail cocktail there, takes a proficient bartender to do that one right.

Having one right now. My house bourbon is Evan Williams black. Mixed with noily Pratt, Angostura bitters, and an amarena cherry. Yummers. Smoking some Escudo with it. And watching Sons or Anarchy. Good night!

 

[nortac]

I'm still experimenting with all of the variations myself and have yet to make any strong parings of pipe tobaccos and drinks, but I enjoy Earl Grey tea, a cuppa joe, a single malt scotch or a fine bourbon to sip. Beer is OK but not my fave, I tend to drink lagers and ales. I have yet to try wine with tobacco as I usually reserve that for foods.

 

[Argonaut]

My house bourbon is Evan Williams black. Mixed with noily Pratt, Angostura bitters, and an amarena cherry.

You are a man of impressive taste. EW Black was my bourbon of choice for many years, before giving up the sauce. Many consider it a low end bourbon due to it's price. In blind tastings, it always scores among the top ten bourbons, the others usually cost $50 to $100 for a 750ml bottle, while EW black is around $10.50 in my neck of the woods. Good for you!

 

[oc_in_fw]

I like a good strong coffee (current favorite is Velvet Hammer from Fredericksburg Coffee) with G&H Bob's Chocolate Flake. Squadron Leader seems to go great with English Breakfast Tea. Earl Grey and Penzance play nice.

 

[Argonaut]

I find most spirits are too invasive to enjoy pipe tobacco or even most cigars. Strong black coffee is made for sweet Va's and I can't imagine having a bowl of C&D Autumn Evening without a cup. A really bold red wine, like the Italian Barolo or a Cabernet go very well with a Maduro cigar, and I have been known to pair a candela with a Pinot Grigio, that makes for some crazy tasting profiles.

 

[nortac]

I will say that if you previously found Laphroaig scotch a bit too smokey, it goes well when smoking, sweet smokey goodness in a single malt!

 

[shavious]

I will say that if you previously found Laphroig scotch a bit too smokey, it goes well when smoking, sweet smokey goodness in a single malt!

Having some Laphroaig right now! Great dram! (No smoke tonight though )

 

[Tim_McD]

Specifically pairing my tobacco and beverage (adult or otherwise) is something I really dont do. I dont drink coffee after noontime and I seldom smoke before late afternoon / early evening - so all things being equal my tobacco usage coincides with "cocktail" time. Both activities are "stay-at-home" fun, they mean I am on the outside patio and housebound for the night.

I have noticed that bright crisp warm-weather drinks, accentuated by citrus, really act as a counterpoint to tobaccos spiked with latakia. So having a G&T or a Corona beer with McClelland 5110 Dark English or most of the Frog Morton line gives a nice ying/yang effect. Drinks fortified with the lime and quinine are palate cleansers.

Sweeter summer drinks, like a Dark N' Stormy, still have lime - but the dark rum and spicy ginger beer pairing differently, with a more savory profile. It reminds me of asian flavors in cooking - a terrible analogy but I dont know how else to describe it. Cigars with Cameroon or Maduro wrappers are esp nice with a Dark N' Stormy.

The cooler weather turns me toward IPAs, stouts and brown liquors; which go well with just about any tobacco. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Sierra Nevada or Guinness are the beer rotation. I have various blends and single malt scotch, with one bourbon (Woodford Reserve Double Oaked) and one irish whiskey (Jameson) in supporting roles.

The early darkness and increasing cold limits my tobacco usage; so while I favor those drinks more, I will be smoking much less. The bug-free days of autumn are simply the best pipe and cigar time of the year. A blazing firepit to provide some warmth, some oil lamps for ambient lighting, a tasty adult beverage and my pipes and/or cigars combine into bliss.

It doesnt matter if I am surrounded by friends and family or out there alone - I am home, safe and happy

 

[nortac]

Well said Tim!

 

[Boro62]

I've been on a root beer kick lately, and find Boylan Rootbeer with a maduro goes well.

I also like some japanese matcha green tea with milder cigars such as the perdomo 10th ani champagne

Yesterday I actually had a Vodka, soda with a splash of lime with a La Palina Goldie no. 5 that turned out to be pretty tasty as well.

 

[Hirsute]

I've been on a root beer kick lately, and find Boylan Rootbeer with a maduro goes well.

I also like some japanese matcha green tea with milder cigars such as the perdomo 10th ani champagne

Yesterday I actually had a Vodka, soda with a splash of lime with a La Palina Goldie no. 5 that turned out to be pretty tasty as well.

If you're on a root beer kick, you should try some Blackmaker Rootbeer Liqueur. Yummy stuff.

 

[Hirsute]

Enjoying a Tanqueray and Tonic (with a splash of Peychaud's bitters) with some escudo. I like how the herbal notes play together. The bite of tonic goes nicely with the bite of perique.