Pairing Beer with Cigars...

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toastermm

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

bourbon-county-stout-new.jpg


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

bourbon-county-stout-new.jpg


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.

try out a CAO MX2, they are available to you americans, and rather inexpensive. The MX2 stands for double maduro, so they have quite a bit of complexity and richness that would stand up well to that beer.
 
try out a CAO MX2, they are available to you americans, and rather inexpensive. The MX2 stands for double maduro, so they have quite a bit of complexity and richness that would stand up well to that beer.

I think I've had it. I know I've had some from CAO. They're good stuff. Thanks for the heads up!!!

Now I can't wait for the beer to hit the market.
 
I also don't smoke much, being a long distance runner, but I manage to sneak one in every so often (about 3-4 times a year). Mostly during celebration weeks, such as New years, St. Pats Day, and hopefully my upcoming graduation next May.
 
forgive my ignorance, but why do you avoid cigars due to being a runner? if you smoke outside the wind carries any smoke away from you so you don't inhale it...
 
forgive my ignorance, but why do you avoid cigars due to being a runner? if you smoke outside the wind carries any smoke away from you so you don't inhale it...

I am not claiming to know any science behind it, but I can tell you if I smoked one the night before our morning cardio sessions, I could feel a big difference! And I don't inhale cigars but I am sure some of it works its way in...or even just breathing the air before the smoke is dispersed by the wind.
 
forgive my ignorance, but why do you avoid cigars due to being a runner? if you smoke outside the wind carries any smoke away from you so you don't inhale it...

You may be right, but I'm not so sure. I still 'feel' an effect of a cigar, and I personally feel that I run slower the day after- maybe it's psychological.
 
toastermm said:
You may be right, but I'm not so sure. I still 'feel' an effect of a cigar, and I personally feel that I run slower the day after- maybe it's psychological.

You probably inhale a little without meaning to, but you absorb the majority of the nicotine through your mouth.
 
You may be right, but I'm not so sure. I still 'feel' an effect of a cigar, and I personally feel that I run slower the day after- maybe it's psychological.

Oh, maybe it's the nicotine then. You get a whallop of it from a cigar, it just soaks into your mouth instead of your lungs.
 
Another great thread. Right up my alley. Really digging this forum. You folks are awesome.

Love me a great cigar while enjoying a beer, especially my own beer.
 
Being a cigar guy i smoke atleast one a week... I try not to fuss over the cigar so much.. What i can say is find a cigar that suites you... and enjoy different beers with that cigar. You'll be amazed at what the beer contributes to the cigar and how the cigar returns the favor when you sip that beer.

The Key hear is not to over think it where your looking for something you'll never find but enjoy what its giving you. does that make sense?...

I tend to follow these rules when pairing cigars and it kind of goes with foods and wine as well..
over all Mild to light beer and Ful bodied to a bold or heavier beer...

Sometimes with a full bodied cigar a medium to light beer goes best since a full falvor tends to dry you up a bit... you almost want to cleanse the palet for your next pull.

thats what i do but to all your own... i love them both and cant say i ever dumped a beer due to the cigar tasting bad or put a smoke due to the beer being over powering.
 
I often like to pair some nice brew with some shisha in my hookah. A nice IPA will work excellently with some crisp apple shisha, or a stout with a more hearty shisha.

I actually haven't found a bad combination yet hehe.
 
I don't usually drink beer with cigars either. My standard go-to is usually coffee, but a nice smoky scotch works great too for my tastes.

I have a friend who always drinks a root beer with cigars. Never tried it, but I guess the flavors (sweetness, vanilla, etc ...) could be good with a cigar too.

Been into cigars for 8 or 10 years now and always have one while I brew in the garage!
 
Rocky Patel maduro edge or a maduro gurka with a Newcastle brown or Sam smith oatmeal stout is very nice
 
Ive never had a Diamondback before so I cant say that pairing would be good or bad though the discussion you linked makes it seem as though they enjoyed it. But the flavors noted are my favorite in a cigar. So personally if I wanted a cigar that had a flavor profile of cocoa, sweet, earthy, spicy Id go with a La Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor..... heres a review I find pretty accurate http://www.stogiereview.com/2011/02/09/la-aroma-de-cuba-mi-amor-robusto/ or a San Lotano Maduro.....heres a review I found I shared impressions with except I feel like this smoke is more chocolatey with subtle leather tones compared to the reviewers standpoint http://www.cigarinsights.com/featured-cigar-reviews/san-lotano-maduro-toro/

They are both a nice med-full body. Just noticed this was my 1000th post, Im glad it could be in response to you Revvy. Thanks for helping make HBT what it is. Because of you and the other veterans on here Ive quickly become one of the best brewers in my HBC and was elected club president last month. Again, I cant thank you enough and enjoy the Bourbon County Stout!!!!
 
I tend to stay away from Hoppy beers while smoking cigars. the hop bitterness definately brings out the tobacco biterness.
 
They are both a nice med-full body. Just noticed this was my 1000th post, Im glad it could be in response to you Revvy. Thanks for helping make HBT what it is. Because of you and the other veterans on here Ive quickly become one of the best brewers in my HBC and was elected club president last month. Again, I cant thank you enough and enjoy the Bourbon County Stout!!!!

I'm honored as well. Thanks for your insights. I'm heading out after work to the cigar shop and see which they have. I figured if I posted that article someone would suggest other cigars along the same lines.

:rockin:
 
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