Cigar and Coffee Pairing — The Ultimate Guide

Welcome to the captivating world of cigar and coffee pairing! Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned enthusiast, this comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about pairing cigars and coffee, from selecting the right cigar and coffee to the best complementary pairings.

Why Does Pairing Coffee and Cigars Work?

Tobacco and coffee beans have much in common, from their geographical origins to their production processes. Both are grown in similar territories with comparable landscapes, and their harvesting, fermenting, and blending methods are similar.

Their distinctive aromas can be attributed to their fermentation processes. As tobacco ferments in pilons, it undergoes a slower process, similar to the thermal degradation reactions when coffee is roasted. Coffee alone contains around 800 different aromatic compounds, with one of them, 2-methylfuran (a substance with a chocolate smell), also found in fermented tobacco.

Combining these aromatic delights can genuinely enhance our olfactory experience, and it’s no wonder that coffee and tobacco aromas are used together in men’s fragrances.

Understanding the Basics

Before we dive into the art of pairing, let’s take a moment to familiarize ourselves with the core principles. Cigars are meticulously crafted works of art, while coffee boasts a mesmerizing complexity of flavors.

Both have rich histories and distinct regional variations, which add to the allure of exploring unique combinations.

Selecting the Right Cigar

The key to a successful pairing lies in selecting the right cigar. Exploring various brands, sizes, and wrappers is essential to find the perfect match for your coffee preference. For those who enjoy milder coffee, opt for a cigar with a softer profile. Check out our guide to selecting the perfect cigar.

Consider this cigar: Dolce Vita Cafe Coffee (Buitrago Cigars)

Exploring Coffee Varieties

Taste profiles can vary depending on factors like brewing methods, grind size, and water quality. Exploring unique blends and origins allows you to savor the incredible diversity of the world of coffee.

Whether you prefer a smooth breakfast blend, a medium or dark roast, or a fruity single-origin delight, the options are endless, catering to every coffee lover’s unique palate.

Let’s explore some of the different types below.

Espresso Blend

Espresso blends are crafted explicitly for making espresso shots. They usually consist of a mix of beans from various origins, carefully balanced to deliver a bold and concentrated taste.

Expect a full-bodied and robust flavor with a creamy texture and a lingering, rich aftertaste.

Breakfast Blend

The breakfast blend is designed for those seeking a smooth and milder coffee to kickstart their day. It combines beans from different regions, resulting in a balanced flavor profile.

This blend is characterized by its lighter body, subtle acidity, and gentle sweetness.

Dark Roast Blend

Dark roast blends are characterized by their bold and intense flavors, achieved through extended roasting. The beans develop a rich and smoky taste profile with low acidity and pronounced bitterness.

Notes of chocolate, caramel, and toasted nuts are often present in dark roast blends.

Light Roast Blend

Light roast blends preserve the unique flavors and nuances of the origin. They tend to have a brighter acidity and more delicate taste, offering floral, fruity, and tea-like notes.

The body is lighter, and the sweetness is more pronounced in light roast blends.

Italian Roast Blend

This blend is inspired by traditional Italian roasting, resulting in a dark and oily appearance. Italian roast offers a bitter-sweet taste with a bold body and a pronounced smoky aroma. It pairs exceptionally well with milk-based drinks.

French Roast Blend

French roast is one of the darkest roasts, creating a shiny, almost black bean surface. A charred and intense flavor profile, a bitter-sweet taste, and minimal acidity characterize this blend.

Remember, taste profiles can vary depending on factors like brewing methods, grind size, and water quality. Exploring different blends and origins allows you to savor the incredible diversity of the world of coffee.

Whether you prefer a smooth breakfast blend, a bold dark roast, or a fruity single-origin delight, the options are endless, catering to every coffee lover’s unique palate.

Coffee and Cigar Pairings

We firmly believe that many cigars complement coffee wonderfully. Though there might be a few exceptions, coffee is often considered the ultimate choice for pairing with cigars, and there’s good reason for it. We suggest looking for coffee and cigars with a similar body when you have multiple options. The goal is to discover flavors that complement or contrast with one another, creating a harmonious fusion of tastes.

If your cigar is too mild or too robust compared to the coffee, you may lose the perfect balance and some of the flavor experience. Just like cigars, dark coffee beans don’t necessarily indicate a more robust blend. Your sense of smell becomes crucial in determining how well the flavors will harmonize.

If you have multiple cigars, start by smelling the coffee and then analyze them to find the best combination. Alternatively, if you have just one cigar, smell its foot first, and then nose each pot of coffee to discover the most suitable pairing. Happy pairing adventures await!

Complementary Coffee Pairings

Time-tested pairings await your exploration. From pairing a medium-bodied Nicaraguan cigar with a velvety Colombian brew to coupling a spicy Dominican cigar with a bold Ethiopian coffee, we’ll venture into classic combinations that promise to delight. We could fill libraries with ideas for coffee and cigar pairings, but let’s highlight a few options to get your taste journey started.

Dark Roast Coffee

A strong black coffee like an espresso drawn from a dark, Italian, or French roast will need a cigar that’ll stand up to the intense flavors. Cigar pairings you might like to consider:

• La Colmena Amado №44 — you’ll pick up notes of German chocolate cake, cedar, and cashews.
• Alec Bradley Magic Toast Toro — nope, not inspired by a perfect piece of toast! The binder and filler have some Nicaraguan leaves, but overall Honduran tobacco dominates with hints of spice, oak, and vanilla.
• CAO Flathead V450 Spark Plug — some days need that extra kick in terms of cigar and coffee power. This beastly 4.5-inch cigar stands up perfectly to an espresso’s robust taste with a rich, leathery flavor.

Light Roast Coffee

The creaminess of a dash of milk tempers the bitterness of coffee, resulting in a smoother and milder flavor. Think lattes and cappuccinos or plain coffee with added milk. This combination creates a comforting and harmonious experience when paired with a medium-bodied cigar. Coffee and cigar pairings to consider include:

• La Gloria Cubana Classic — notes of molasses and citrus. What more should we say apart from the cigar’s sweeter taste pairs beautifully with the slightly tempered coffee?
• Partagas Lusitanias — perfect to balance out the bitter notes in a potent coffee blend, and as you progress through the cigar, you’ll pick up notes of nuts and earthiness.
• Gurkha Official Release Cask Blend — pair this one with a cappuccino and enjoy it in the fall because of its sweet, spicy notes. Maybe add a slice of pumpkin pie while you’re at it?

Black coffee on its own is a delicious beverage — whether brewed from strong French or Italian roast beans or something milder like Weaver’s Sumatran Coffee, which offers a smooth cuppa filled with earthy, woody, and robust notes. Here are some ideas:

• Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva Candela — naturally sweet cigars with a mellow to medium body with notes of herbs and nuts.
• Baccarat Nicaragua — medium body with notes of leather, cedar, and toasted bread.
• Padrón Dámaso — with a blend of citrus, saline notes, and roasted nuts combined with creamy notes, this cigar is the perfect morning kick-starter. Enjoy it with a cup of black coffee, or opt for a dash of milk in your coffee. More suited to light roasts and breakfast blends.

Other Coffee and Cigar Recommendations

While we cannot write about every possible combination, here are some more cigars for you to try out with coffee.

Medium Body Medium to Full-Bodied Full-Bodied Partagas Serie D N°4 Nat Sherman Timeless Ashton VSG Ramon Allones Superiores LCDH JC Newman The American Cain Straight Ligero Habano E.P. Carrillo Encore Montecristo Línea 1935 Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour Avo Syncro Nicaragua Perdomo Champagne Noir Man O’ War Armada Davidoff Nicaragua Cohiba Maduro 5 Gurkha Widow Maker

Conclusion

As you can see, tobacco, or more specifically cigars and coffee, go back a long way. The key is to complement the cigar and coffee regarding their strengths — a light-bodied cigar goes best with light roast or less robust coffees. At the same time, an espresso would overpower the cigar’s subtle flavors.

The delightful pairing of cigars and coffee creates a symphony of sensations, captivating our taste buds and senses. Whether you enjoy milder cigars or bolder blends, there’s a coffee that perfectly complements your choice.

With each sip and draw, you’ll delve deeper into the world of pairing, discovering new flavors and delights.

Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or a beginner, the allure of combining cigars and coffee is universal. Prepare for a delightful adventure of flavors and sensations that will leave you craving more.