PAIRING PREMIUM CIGARS WITH SPIRITS, WINE & BEER
A great guide on how to pair a premium cigar with an adult beverage!
WRITTEN BY BRAD BERKO
CIGARS & SPIRITS
Spirits and wine go hand in hand with a premium hand rolled cigar. What you choose to drink depends on your personal taste. Sometimes you may want the full-bodied, slightly sweet taste of a vintage Port; or perhaps the crispness of an aged Cognac. Here’s a brief guide to help you make your drink selection:
BRANDY or COGNAC
Brandy and Cognac have emerged as very popular drinks to accompany fine cigars. Cognacs have the undertaste of vanilla and the mild sweet flavors derived from years of oak-barrel aging. Their clean flavors stimulate the palate and go very well with the smooth, spiciness of a premium handrolled cigar. Spanish brandies tend to be deep in color and usually have a sweet, smoky element that enhances the taste of a cigar. American brandies often have a fruitier taste, but still display the same complex blend of flavors that come with barrel aging.
BRANDY. The word Brandy comes from the Dutch word brandewijn (“burnt wine”), which is how Dutch traders who introduced it to Northern Europe from Southern France and Spain in the 16th century described wine that had been “burnt” or boiled, in order to distill it. In the 7th and 8th centuries, Arab alchemists experimented with distilling grapes and other fruits in order to make medicinal spirits. Their techniques spread, with grape Brandy production appearing in Spain by the end of the 8th century.
Brandy is an agricultural spirit and is dependent on the seasons, the ripening of the base fruit, and the production of the wine from which it is made. Types of Brandies, originally at least, tended to be location specific. (Cognac, for example, is a town and region in France that gave its name to the local Brandy.) Brandy, in its broadest definition, is a spirit made from fruit juice or fruit pulp and skin. More specifically, it is broken down into three basic groupings:
- Grape Brandy is distilled from fermented grape juice or crushed but not pressed grape pulp and skin. This spirit is aged in wooden casks (usually oak) which colors it, mellows the palate and adds additional aromas and flavors.
- Pomace Brandy (Italian Grappa and French Marc are the best-known examples) is Brandy made from the pressed grape pulp, skins and stems that remain after the grapes are crushed and pressed to extract most of the juice for wine. Pomace Brandies, which are usually minimally aged and seldom see wood, are an acquired taste. They often tend to be rather raw, although they can offer a fresh, fruity aroma of the type of grape used, a characteristic that is lost in regular oak-aged Brandy.
- Fruit Brandy is the default term for all Brandies that are made from fermenting fruit other than grapes. Fruit brandies made from cherries are called Kirsch or Kirschwasser; from pears, Poire; and from raspberries, Framboise. They are best served chilled over ice. Fruit-flavored brandies are brandy based liqueurs flavored with blackberries, peaches, apricots, cherries and so on.
COGNAC. The most highly regarded of the world’s great brandies is cognac which can only be made from grapes grown and distilled from within the specifically-demarcated Cognac region, about 100 miles north of Bordeaux on the coast of France. (Hence, all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac.)
The origins of cognac are closely related to the commerce of salt and wine. Vineyards have existed in Saintonge as far back as the Gallo-Roman times and were probably planted during the last part of the third century A.D. Probus, the Roman Emperor, extended the privilege of owning vines and making wine to all Gauls, but the extent of the plantation was still very limited. The real extension came during the 12th century when salt shipments for Norway started to include local wines.
The wine, unfortunately, would not travel very well and was also very bulky. Dutch transporters, along with the French wine producers from Charente, thought of distilling the wine. The product became considerably reduced in volume and more stable. For practical reasons, the spirits were stored in oak casks. It was then realized that the spirits had matured with age in the casks and could be drunk pure.
The Making of Cognac:
Cognac is distilled following a specific, traditional, two-staged method:
· In the still, the condensed vapors are sent back through the apparatus to be distilled a second time. This involves the use of the Charentais still, made entirely of copper.
· Maximum alcohol content of distillate is 72% volume.
· Distillation must take place by the 31st of March of the year following the harvest.
The following regulations apply to storage and maturing:
· Maturing must take place in a type of cellar known as ‘Jaune d’Or’ – ‘Golden Yellow’ – reserved for Cognac and separated by a public thoroughfare from any other premises containing spirits of other origins. This bestows the right to use the special ‘Jaune d’Or’ transport permit introduced by the legislation.
· Only oak casks may be used (oak from the Limousin or Troncais forests according to custom).
· The quantity and age of the product must be verified by Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac, the Cognac industry’s governing body.
· All Cognac sold must have been aged for a minimum period of 30 months.
Choosing a Cognac:
Cognac labels, providing all legal information (capacity, place of production or bottling) also provide additional information on the product, including its age and vintages.
The Indications on Age:
Cognac has established very strict rules to protect consumers and to also prevent its introduction and presentation from being counterfeited. A cognac that is ready to be commercialized must be at least two years and a half years old starting from the 1st of October of the year of the harvest. For the different classes of Cognac, it is the age of the youngest spirit that determines its class.
· V.S. (Very Special), Selection de Luxe. The youngest spirit of the assembly may not be less than four and a half years old. But often, the spirits are much older.
· V.S.O.P., Reserve. The youngest spirit in the assembly for Very Superior Old Pales, also called Reserve Cognacs is between four and a half and six and a half years old.
· Napolean, Imperial, Hors d’age, Vielle Reserve, X.O. All terms like Napolean, X.O. or “very old” are assemblies of spirits that are at least six and a half years old. Most Cognacs are well above this minimum imposed by the regulation. In fact some of the most prestigious names assemble spirits that are each at least dozens of years above the minimum required.
The Appelations by Vintage:
A “Grande Champagne” or “Fine Grande Champagne” cognac is assembled with 100% Grande Champagne spirits.
A “Petite Champagne” or “Fine Petite Champagne” cognac is assembled with 100% Petite Champagne spirits.
A “Fine Champagne” cognac is the result of an assembly of Grande and Petite Champagne spirits with a minimum of 50% from Grande Champagne.
A “Borderies” or “Fine Borderies” cognac contains 100% of spirits from the Borderies area.
A “Fin Bois” or “Fine Fin Bois” cognac contains 100% of spirits from the Fin Bois area.
A “Bons Bois” or “Fine Bons Bois” cognac contains 100% of spirits from the Bons Bois area.
Cigars, Brandy and Cognac
The most famous brandy region is Cognac, in France. Another great area for brandy production is Armagnac, southeast of Bordeaux. Cognac is devoted to the pot still, whereas Armagnac uses a hybrid method that is a cross between continuous and pot stilling. Cognac uses Limosin oak, an expensive oak that is used for many famous wines, while Armagnac uses a local black oak.
The qualities to look for most in brandies are balance, richness and fruit. While extensive oak aging is often a mark of quality, if it overpowers the flavor of fruit, the brandy can taste coarse. A regrettable practice that is often done to modestly priced Cognacs is carmelization. It gives the brandy a darker color as well as the illusion of more aging and lends a coarse quality that overwhelms any flavor of fruit.
Many cigar smokers find Brandy and Cognac the perfect complement to a good smoke. The crispness of a fine Brandy or Cognac go wonderfully with the smooth, spicy flavors of a handrolled cigar. American brandies are often fruitier, but display the same complex flavors that come with barrel aging. Spanish brandies are usually deeper in color and often have a sweet, smoky component that enhances a cigar
PORT
Port is a popular partner for a great cigar. The sweetness of a vintage Port blends perfectly with a full-bodied smoke. Even younger vintage Ports can be enjoyed an their strong tannins will not be overwhelmed by a spicy smoke. The less-expensive, non-vintage varieties such as tawny Port also nicely complement a cigar due to the woody characteristics they acquire during the barrel aging process.
Port is a sweet fortified wine from the grapes growing on the deep valley walls sloping down to the Douro River in Portugal. Port is made from up to 40 grape varieties, most of which are red. After a brief fermentation to about 6% alcohol, the still fermenting grape must is poured off into larger containers holding spirit, which kills the years and stops fermentation. The young wine is then shipped from the vineyards to the Port houses in Oporto, where it stays in barrel for a year or two. At that time a “vintage” can be declared, and the Port is bottled with a vintage designation.
White Port:
White Port isn’t your typical port made of red wine grapes, but rather from white wine grapes. Flavor nuances in white port can range from nutty-sweet (such as Lagrima) to dry and rough, depending upon the wine’s sugar content. White Port is usually aged for two years in tanks, barrels, or wooden casks. It is aged longer before the brandy is added, resulting in a drier taste than other ports. It is usually made up of a blend of grapes for consistency in taste and commercial differentiation. White Port can be cut further by the consumer with such things as tonic water, which makes a great chilled aperitif for before a meal or cigar. Modern trends lean more towards the dry or extra-dry white ports, which tend to be good aperitifs.
Ruby Port:
Ruby Port is the youngest (averaging only three years of aging) and least expensive of the premium ports. It is usually a deep dark “ruby” red color and can taste peppery or fruity and acidic. These ports are better off avoided because of the strong and sometimes harsh flavor, but if you must, drink it with a green cigar. That way you get the harshest of both worlds in one shot together.
Colheita:
Colheita (which means “the year of vintage”) ports are based on the same lighter wines as the Tawny Ports, but are made from a single harvest year (usually a year not good enough to produce top quality vintage wines). The Colheitas are single vintage Tawny Ports. As such, they tend to have more individuality than the blended version, though they can also show the defects of a particular year. Colheitas are aged for a minimum of seven years. Some connoisseurs consider Colheitas to be the best of the Tawny Ports and belong in the dessert wine category. Both the harvest year and the bottling date are indicated on the label.
Reserva:
Actually a blend of older ports aged for at least seven years. Reservas are the classic ports and are definitely dessert wines.
Tawny Port:
These ports are lighter than the Ruby Ports, but much more complex in flavor. Essentially, they are Ruby Ports that have spent more time aging in the wood. They are lighter because they have blended from several lighter red wines (or even white wines). The longer aging they receive makes them more complex. The better tawny ports are aged longer – 10, 20, 30 and even 40 or more years. As their age increases, so does the quality of the taste and so does the price!
Vintage Character:
Vintage Character Ports can be somewhat misleading as the name is often abused. The name would lead one to believe that they have the aroma and taste of vintage quality, but in reality most of these are not that impressive. Vintage Character Ports are actually expensive Ruby Ports whose harvest year can’t be identified. As such, they provide a way for producers to rid themselves of indistinguishable cheap Ruby Ports at high prices. You would be better off choosing another variety.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV):
LBV is always made from a single excellent harvest year, though not of vintage stock. It’s aged from four to six years after harvest, then filtered and bottled. Because they are filtered, no deposits build up and the ports mature more quickly than their counterparts. They can be ready to drink much sooner than true Vintage Ports. The bottle must show the harvest year, the date of bottling, and have the designation LBV clearly displayed. These are good, less expensive, alternatives to Vintage Ports, having some of the same character. They are a good compromise for people who want to avoid the expense and bother of dealing with very old bottles.
Single Quinta Vintage:
In some years a port house will decide that there is not enough top-quality wine to declare a vintage, but will still make a Vintage Port from its best estate (its ‘Quinta’). The Quinta is actually the vineyard, equivalent to the French “chateau.” The quality inherent here is, as in Vintage Ports, extremely high and these Ports are gaining greatly in popularity.
Vintage Port:
Vintage Port is the pinnacle of ports. These ports are made from a single harvest year that has been declared “vintage” based on the superior quality and ripeness of the grapes and the exceedingly high quality of the total harvest. Only about two percent of total production is deemed vintage. Vintage Port has the heavenly aroma of nuts, cedar, violets and other bouquets. This aroma is achieved by bottling the port very young (usually between the second and third year after harvest) and then stowing the bottles in dark cellars to age for fifty years or more. During this long period of slow maturation, the harsh tannins of the young wine fade and they eventually develop a depth, vigor and intensity of flavor that is unmatched in any other wine. A mature vintage port shows all the nutty complexity of an old Tawny, but with new dimensions of flavor. Most astounding is its ability (even after 50 years) to retain the essence of fresh, ripe fruit, as though it were bottled only six months before. Since deposits build in these ports and sit at the bottom of the bottle, Vintage Ports must be decanted and tonged so that the undesirable sediments don’t wind up in your glass. Good Vintage Ports, usually around five years old are available for a decent price. If you buy one so young, however, you should store it for at least twenty years before it will truly develop. Vintage Port is mostly a blend of varying grapes, but the base wines always come from the harvest “vintage” year. If you’re willing to wait, or if you’re willing to pay the price of a well-aged Vintage Port, these are terrific and truly a very special treat.
WINE
Wines aren’t as common a cigar companion as brandy, cognac or port, but they can still be a complementary choice of beverage. The wines to choose include either California or French Cabernet Sauvignon. You may also enjoy the Rhone varieties such as the spicy Grenache or Syrah. The art of wine making is a complex process involving proper grape selection, fermentation, filtering of sediments, aging and dozens of other procedures.
BOURBON
Another fine drink of choice to enjoy with a cigar are the small batch and single-barrel Bourbons. These are bottled at a higher proof and have strong and complex flavors. Kentucky Straight Bourbons and Tennessee Whiskey, although usually a lighter in taste, color and complexity, also go well with cigars. Bourbon, America’s only native spirit, was born over 200 years ago in the hollows of Kentucky. Bourbon is distilled from a mash of grain containing corn balanced with barley and either wheat or rye. Each distillery has s own unique blend and some recipes are generations old. The rich amber color and characteristic sweetness of bourbon is derived from its aging in new white oak barrels, which are charred to carmelize the natural sugars in the wood and bring them to the surface.
RUM
Although a bit off the mark of traditional drinks, aged rums can be a good choice to go with cigars. They have a light, sweet profile combined with burned molasses flavors, and can smooth out a dark note in a less expensive cigar. Rum is made from sugar cane boiled down to a rich residue called molasses, which is then fermented and distilled. Light rums are clear to pale gold; dark rums are amber to a rich mahogany. Light rums are traditionally produced in the southern Caribbean islands and don’t require extensive aging, with six months in oak casks often being long enough. Dark rum results from aging the spirit from three to twelve years and, in some cases, from the addition of caramel. It is very aromatic and has a heavier, richer flavor than light rum. Dark rum is mainly produced in the tropics. In recent years, a number of specialty rums have been introduced, flavored with coconut, spices or fruit.
SCOTCH
The smoky quality of fine single malt scotch joins perfectly with a good, premium cigar. Aged single malt scotches are premium beverages that have the complexity and depth of flavor to stand up to a cigar. Traditional scotches are blends of malt whiskies (made from barley) and grain whiskey (made from cereals such as corn, wheat or barley). The proportion of each can range from 20 to 40 percent malts from all over Scotland and 60 to 80 percent grain whiskey. These aren’t what we’re talking about. We’re talking the pure and natural stuff of Scotland – Single Malts. Single malt Scotches are the product of more than 100 distilleries, each of which produces its own distinctive spirit. Though each distillery uses malted barley for the base, variants in the water, peat, atmospheric characteristics, shape of the pot-still and the aging casks are factors in determining the uniqueness of the resulting spirit. Most single malts are aged at least 8 years, some considerably longer.
A Very Brief History
Whiskey was traditionally made by turning barley into malt, infusing it in water, fermenting it into a form of beer (or wine), and then distilling it in a copper vessel shaped like a kettle or cooking pot. Malt whiskey is still made this way. In the mid-1800’s the blends of malt whiskies began to be leavened with a lighter style, made less expensively, from a variety of grains in a continuous process using a column-shaped “patent” still. These unspecified grains may include unmalted barley, wheat or maize.
Blended Scotches
Although some of the sites are surely earlier, the oldest of today’s Scottish distilleries date from the 1700’s. Many were once illegal stills. In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, production was small and irregular and the notion of trademarks was unknown. Whiskey was sold by the cask to country grocers and wine merchants. Johnnie Walker was such a shopkeeper; George Ballantine was another, the Chivas brothers were partners in a shop. These merchants dealt with lack of consistency and volume by creating their own house vattings by blending their stock; these vattings became their brands. John Dewar, who went into the business in 1806, was the first person to sell branded whiskey in bottles.
Single Malts
Scotland is still the world’s biggest exporter of spirit drinks, but the success of blends, owned by a handful of large corporations, made the few independent distillers of malt whiskey nervous. In the postwar period, Glenfiddich began to export its whiskey as a single malt, first to England, and then, in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, to the rest of the world. What seemed like a gamble became an inspiration to others. Blended Scotch is still dominant in volume, but single malts like Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, The Macallan and Laphroaig have established themselves internationally.
· Single Malt Defined: The term single malt has a very precise meaning; it indicates that all the whiskey in the bottle is the product of single distillery and has not been blended with whiskey from any other distillery. The whiskey is made exclusively from malted barley and no other grain, sugar or fermentable Only whiskey made in one of the 100-odd malt distilleries in Scotland and matured for three years in that country may rightly be called “scotch”.
· Why Single Malts Differ: While spirits such as gin and vodka can be made anywhere without influence on flavor and require no costly aging, single-malt whiskey is one of those drinks that is formed by its environment, from the local water to the shape of the stills and even the climate during maturation.
Glossary:
· Malting: Barley has to be partially germinated before it can release its fermentable sugars. It’s soaked in water until it begins to sprout, then the grains are dried over heat. This process is called “malting”. Traditionally, the Scots dried their malt over a peat fire, which gives Scotch its characteristic smokiness. A proportion of peat is usually still burned during malting.
· Mashing: To complete the conversion of starch into fermentable sugars, the malt (which has been milled after malting) is mixed with warm water in a vessel call a mash tun. The liquid drained off is known as “wort”.
· Fermentation: The sugars in the wort are now turned into alcohol during fermentation, which takes place with the addition of yeast, in a fermentation vessel.
· Distillation: This is the boiling of the fermented wort, in a pot-still. Because collected as it condenses back to alcohol. Germinating malt must be turned to aerate the grains. In the mash tun, rotating blades churn the malt.
· Pot-Still: Single malt is distilled in traditional vessels that resemble a copper kettle, or pot, with a chimney-like spout. These are known as “pot-stills”. Most other types of whiskey are made in a more modern system; a continuous still, shaped like a column, known as a column-still. Much of the flavor of the malt is retained in pot distillation because this old-fashioned system is inherently inefficient.
Influences on Flavor
· The Shape of the Pot-Still: Consider a still that is especially tall. Vapor condenses in the upper reaches of the still before it can escape, falls back, and is re-distilled. This results in a more refined, lighter spirit. A shorter still produces a richer, creamier, oilier spirit. Every aspect of size, shape and surface area seems to have some sort of effect.
· Water: The water used is very significant than in single-malt Scotch production. The character of the water is influenced not only by the rock from which it rises, but also by the land over which it flows. Water from a mountain stream that flows over rocks may pick up minerals, adding firmness and crispness to the finished whiskey. Some distilleries have water that flows over peaty, mossy, reedy, ferny or (most often) heathery moorland. This may impart grassy or herbal characteristics. Heather recognizably adds floral and honeyish notes. Some water flows over peat, and whiskies may gain their peatiness from this; other whiskies have a peaty flavor from the use of thee fuel in malting and some from both sources. Water is used to steep the grains in the handful of distilleries that have their own maltings and then again in the infusion that precedes fermentation and distillation. Some of the waters are believed to take several hundred years to filter through the mountains before emerging.
· Soil: The soil affects not only the water but also the character of the peat. If malting is done at the distillery, local peat is used in the kilning. The age of the peat deposits and their degree of grass-root or heather character all influence flavor.
· Barley: Scotland grows some of the world’s best barley for malting, much of it cultivated in whiskey-producing areas. For many years, the local Golden Promise barley was favored by malters and distillers. Its short straw stands up to the wind; it ripens early (in August), and it produces nutty, rich flavors. As the industry grew, farmers moved to varieties that give them more grain per acre and distillers to varieties that yield more fermentable sugars. Unfortunately these don’t necessarily produce such delicious flavors. When Macallan experimentally made one batch with Golden Promise and another with a higher-yield barley, the difference was startling. The lesser variety produced a whiskey that was clearly thinner-tasting, “dusty” and almost metallic. Most of the traditional malters stick with the “tried-and-true” barley for their malting.
· Temperature: A cold location makes for cold spring waters. When very cold water is available for use in the coils that condense the spirit and the ambient temperature is low, an especially rich, clean, whiskey is produced. Also, the oak casks used during the maturation of the whiskey expand and contract according to the temperature. This, too can influence the final flavor of the spirit.
· Air: As the casks expand and contract according to temperature changes they “inhale” the local air. The more traditional type of maturation warehouse has an earthen floor and a damp atmosphere. The influence of this is especially noticeable in distilleries that are close to the sea. Some single malts, especially those from rocky coasts, have a distinctly briny or seaweed character.
Specific Regions of Scotland
The divisions of the distillery regions are those between the Lowlands, the Highlands and the Islands.
· The Lowlands: this area tends to produce whiskies in which the softness of the malt itself is evident, untempered by Highland peatiness or coastal brine and seaweed.
· The Highlands: by far the biggest region, the Highlands inevitably embraces wide variations. The western part has only a few, scattered, distilleries. If they have anything in common, it is a rounded, firm, dry character, with some peatiness. The far north of the Highlands has several whiskies with a notably, spicy character. The sheltered Eastern Highlands and the Midland of Scotland have a number of notably fruity whiskies. Acknowledged as a heartland of whiskey production, the Speyside region of the Highlands is home to no fewer than half of Scotland’s malt distilleries. This area sweeps from granite mountains down to fertile countryside, where barley is among the crops. The Speyside single malts are noted in general for their elegance and complexity and often a refined smokiness.
· The Islands: the peaty soil and Islay’s position on the west coast of Scotland make it the producer of the boldest malts. The sea air permeates the soil and warehouses, imparting a singular tang. Islay is the greatest of the whiskey islands; much of it deep with peat, lashed by the wind, rain and sea. Its single malts are noted for their seaweedy, iodine-like, phelonic character. A dash of Islay malt gives the unmistakable tang of Scotland to many blended whiskies.
Choice of Cask Wood: Oak is the most widely favored for cask production. Oak staves are steamed and shaped into Bourbon casks. These are briefly charred before being hand-finished. Scotland is a mountainous country with plenty of pines but few oaks. In the early days, wood from England was used. Then the Scots began to take advantage of English taste for sherry. Empty casks could be found in great quantity in the English port of Bristol, where merchants bottled sherry from Spain. Not only were the casks inexpensive, they were found to impart a delicious richness and roundness to the whiskey. When sherry casks became hard to find, many distilleries moved to Bourbon barrels. The definition of “Bourbon whiskey” requires that it be aged in a new cask; as a robust, sweet, corn-based whiskey, it gains some of its typical character from the caramel flavors, vanillins and tannins in the wood. After one fill of Bourbon, such a cask imparts much more delicate flavors to a Scotch malt whiskey.
Maturation: While the new distillate may have some harsh, “spirity” flavors, these can be lost by evaporation. With the expansion and contraction of the cask caused by changes in temperatures, spirit flavors may be exhaled and the natural aromas of the environment taken into the cask: piney, seaweedy and salty “sea-air” characteristics can all be acquired in this way. Flavor is also imparted by the cask; sherry wood may add the nutty note of the wine and Bourbon barrels can impart caramel flavors, vanillins and tannins. Perhaps the most important influence on the flavor is that of a very slow, gentle, oxidation of the whiskey. Oxidation increases the complexity and intensity of flavor in whiskey, especially fragrant, fruity, spicy and minty notes. Traces of copper from the stills are the catalyst. They convert oxygen to hydrogen peroxide, which attacks the wood, releasing vanillin. This promotes oxidation and pulls together the various flavors present.
Alcohol Content: Malt whiskey comes off the still at an average proof between the mid or lowers 70’s and upper 60’s. During aging, it loses some of its alcohol content each year due to evaporation. It will emerge from maturation at around 60 or in the upper 50’s, depending upon the duration of aging.
BEER
Beer is almost as old as human civilization itself. The earliest known recipe can be found on clay tables from Mesopotamia (the region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in modern Iraq and Syria) that are dated to sometime around 5000 B.C., and from that region brewing quickly spread to Africa, Asia and Europe. There are known Egyptian beer recipes, and sake is simply an Asian form of beer. The Slavs brewed a beer made out of rye called kvass, and most Europeans settled on traditional barley and wheat for their malting agents, which led to what we call beer today. Drawing on the traditions of older beer cultures and the culinary frontier of the United States today, there are many possibilities to explore.
END NOTE
As your experience and taste in cigars grows, so too will your personal preferences for what goes hand in hand with a good smoke. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and don’t be afraid to come back to those experiences that are tried and true. A good cigar and a good drink are about tradition and taste. Ultimately, it’s up to you to define your own!