Pairing Beer with Cigars...

**toastermm** · 07-09-2011, 10:24 PM

I'm curious if anyone else does this. I'm not super well versed in the area of cigars, but I definitely enjoy a nice beer/homebrew with a proper cigar. I refuse to smoke more than about 4-5 times a year, since I also do lots of long distance running, but when I do I like to have a nice beer with it.

What I like to smoke and drink depends on the season mostly. I smoke very mild cigars in the summer and in the winter I switch to medium or low-end spicy cigars. I prefer the shorter ones, as I do not usually feel like smoking a cigar for more than an hour or so.

My favorite cigars to pair off right now are mild Vegas 5's, a standard gurkah, or possibly an Acid blond. The beers that seem to go well are the maltier ones for me- marzens, browns, oktoberfests, etc., ...

Anyone else? Or am I alone in this matter?

**CigarAle** · 07-14-2011, 08:38 PM

Good to see someone else who's interested in doing this. 1st) I'd quit smoking the ACID brand when trying to pair it with beer. There is a strong flavoring added to the cigar and with that they tend to overpower the taste of the beer instead of complimenting it. 2nd) For your oktoberfests try smoking an Arturo Fuente Magnum R. It's a medium bodied smoke that has a lot of flavor and some small spice but not overwhelming. The chocolate porter you've got now would be good with a rich maduro (dark). Try Oliva Series O maduro. Darker cigars are not strong just very flavorful. Milder cigars would be better with a pale or amber ale. Hope this helps.

9am53 · 08-03-2011, 01:57 PM

I like CAO MX2 for something malty like a porter or stout, and I prefer something grassy like por laranaga for lagers. I also find that cohibas go quite well with any ale that doesn't have too much hop character.

**Revvy** · 08-03-2011, 02:00 PM

Barleywines, especially those with bourbon or something like that, and cigars, ftw.

Germelli1 · 08-03-2011, 02:02 PM

This may be blastphamy to some of you guys, but I really don't like beer with cigars. The flavors in cigars are just so intense and complex that I don't like anything carbonated to hit my taste buds while smoking one.

**Revvy** · 08-03-2011, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germelli1

This may be blastphamy to some of you guys, but I really don't like beer with cigars. The flavors in cigars are just so intense and complex that I don't like anything carbonated to hit my taste buds while smoking one.

I don;'t think it's blasphemy at all, I can see where you're coming from, I wouldn't like it with a highly carbed beers like pilsners or wits, or even most Belgians, but not everything's highly carbed, Barleywines, RIS things like that are almost like cordials anyway. Not that carbed at all.

Germelli1 · 08-03-2011, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

I don;'t think it's blasphemy at all, I can see where you're coming from, I wouldn't like it with a highly carbed beers like pilsners or wits, or even most Belgians, but not everything's highly carbed, Barleywines, RIS things like that are almost like cordials anyway. Not that carbed at all.

Good point! I actually was huge in to cigars my first two years of college. I got to know the owner of the shop really well through a weekly poker game I attended. He helped me get a fully stocked humidor lined up and since then, it has been like a pipeline in brewing terms....except I smoke 1 ever 4 months now.

Now that I think about it, about the time I went from smoking 1-3 a week to 4 a year was about the time I got really into beer. So maybe I will give the pairings a nother shot!

**Revvy** · 08-03-2011, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germelli1

Good point! I actually was huge in to cigars my first two years of college. I got to know the owner of the shop really well through a weekly poker game I attended. He helped me get a fully stocked humidor lined up and since then, it has been like a pipeline in brewing terms....except I smoke 1 ever 4 months now.

Now that I think about it, about the time I went from smoking 1-3 a week to 4 a year was about the time I got really into beer. So maybe I will give the pairings a nother shot!

Yeah go for something thicker and less carbed and see what you think.

I'm allowing myself 1 cigar maybe every six months or so. I wasn't going to at all after surgery. But at Terrapinchef's wedding they had actual Cuban's, and even my GF suggested I treat myself.

So I guess I'll make it special every once an awhile, choose a good one and pair it with a special beer.

Germelli1 · 08-03-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

Yeah go for something thicker and less carbed and see what you think.

I'm allowing myself 1 cigar maybe every six months or so. I wasn't going to at all after surgery. But at Terrapinchef's wedding they had actual Cuban's, and even my GF suggested I treat myself.

So I guess I'll make it special every once an awhile, choose a good one and pair it with a special beer.

It was my surgeries as well that caused me to cut back. The 5 practices a week plus condition mornings of my college rugby team is actually what justified cigars in cardio terms for me. After all my shoulder injuries and surgeries I have not been as active so I have cut out cigars for the most part!

**Revvy** · 08-03-2011, 02:28 PM

I think I found my next beer to pair with a cigar.

I wonder when Goose Island releases it every year. It would be a perfect beer to enjoy an good cigar with. I just wonder what would be the best cigar for it.