A bubbling pot of coffee wakes us up like a fire alarm in the morning, but imagine lounging on the front porch with your cup of joe and a decent cigar and easing into your day.
Although we spend a lot of time mixing cigars with bourbon, scotch, and beer, the bulk of cigar enthusiasts smoke them with coffee. Nowadays, we drink coffee all the time. It is no longer just a breakfast beverage. Almost everywhere you go, you can get a cup of coffee.
Table Of Contents
−- Why Do Coffee and Cigars Go Together So Well?
- Cigars and Coffee: How to Pair Them
- Understanding the Flavors of Coffee and Cigars
- What Do the Various Types of Coffee Taste Like?
- Cigar pairing is based on how the coffee is made
- Cigars that are mild in flavor and coffee that is light or medium in roast
- Cigars with a medium to full body and medium-dark roast coffee
- Cigars with a full body and strong dark or medium roast coffee
Caffeine and nicotine provide you with the best energy boost. Like a fine cigar, a decent cup of coffee is all about the taste and aroma. Regardless of what time of day you prefer a coffee and cigar, here are our recommendations for the greatest cigar and coffee combinations.
Why Do Coffee and Cigars Go Together So Well?
Coffee, like cigars, has its distinct flavor and taste. The objective is to find a mix that complements the taste and enhances the overall experience. The simplest method to integrate the two is to think about the similarities between the two, which you should love.
For example, a light roast coffee would be ideal if your cigar is sweet and mild. In this manner, you can ensure that the flavors do not clash and that the taste is pleasing to you.
A medium cigar that is moderately flavored and has natty flavors will need to be paired with a cocoa-based coffee, such as mocha.
If you choose a robust cigar, such as a Maduro Wrapper, match it with a full-bodied roast coffee to bring out the acidic flavors of both. This is because powerful cigars are more likely to have leathery and peppery aromas.
Cigars and Coffee: How to Pair Them
Understanding the varying degrees of power and complexity underlying coffee and tobacco is the secret to mixing the best cigars with the best coffee. Cigars and coffee are classified based on their flavor, balance, body, strength, scent, and finish. Coffee and cigars with complementary flavor qualities are best paired.
Take into account the intensity of your cigar and coffee. When you combine a too-powerful or spicy cigar with a quiet cup of coffee, you may miss out on the delicate natural tastes of your coffee. Consider a cigar with a Connecticut Shade wrapper if you’re sipping a medium-blonde roast coffee.
Many coffees are blended from a variety of beans. Premium handmade cigars are also created from a variety of tobaccos. Cigars, like coffee, can have a flavor profile that is either homogeneous or complex, with several flavor transitions. Some profiles are more obvious, while others are more subtle. The tasting notes in a single cigar can vary greatly from start to finish.
Understanding the Flavors of Coffee and Cigars
Cigars are classified according to their flavor characteristics: nutty, woody, sweet, smokey, leathery, herbal, and spicy. Coffee can be fragrant, bitter, mellow, acidic, gentle, or even fruity, tart, tangy, or delicate in flavor. There is plenty of room for cigar and coffee flavors to mix.
Tobacco and coffee have many similarities. Both are crops that grow primarily in equatorial or tropical climates.
Both arouse our senses. The soil and environment in which tobacco and coffee are grown impact the crop’s character and quality.
And the best tobacco and coffee growers are zealous about their products. They are farmers who take great care in the consistency and flavor of their products.
Identifying important features such as a cigar’s strength, country of origin, wrapper leaf, and shape aids in taste interpretation and determining the optimal time to smoke it: after dinner, on the golf course, or while doing yard work.
These details can also help you pair your coffee with light, medium, or strong roasts. Here are a few to think about.
What Do the Various Types of Coffee Taste Like?
Once you’ve determined the intensity and taste profile you want to combine, the next step is determining what type of coffee fits that profile. Because most flavor variances are caused by soil types or various growth conditions, where the coffee is grown has a significant impact on taste.
Cuban
Cubita coffee is the most popular Cuban coffee blend, with strong earthy tones and savory notes of caramel and smokiness. On the other hand, the Santiago mix is exceptionally smooth with a sweet buttery flavor.
Kenyan
These Kenyan coffee beans emit delicate and mild overtones and a faint fruity flavor.
Puerto Rican
A robust and potent mix with a delectably smooth, chocolaty flavor.
Colombian
These medium roast Colombian coffee beans have a nicely balanced flavor with light undertones of acid, cream, fruit, and spice.
Cigar pairing is based on how the coffee is made
Cigars and espresso
Espresso is one of the most popular coffees in the world. There are numerous locations to acquire it, or you may easily create it at home. In general, espresso has a distinct flavor and scent. The coffee produced is generally arabica, which is why it is bitter.
Coffee and cigar pairing is simple, and the best way to achieve it is to pair cigars and coffee of similar strength and flavor. The ideal method to combine espresso is with a cigar of the same strength.
Medium-bodied cigars, such as the H.Upmann No.2, or even full-bodied cigars, perform well. Light-bodied cigars should be avoided since their aroma is too mild and will be masked by the tobacco flavor.
Another tip for enjoying these duos is to have room-temperature water on hand. This is primarily because espresso is a dehydrating beverage, and you should keep your mouth moist.
Cigars and cappuccino
Cappuccino is one of the world’s most delicious and popular coffee drinks, with a wide range of flavors and scents. It is typically served with milk foam, and the coffee is blended with milk to achieve the creamy taste we all enjoy.
This coffee is ideal for smoking cigars. Because they are in the same strength league, medium-bodied choices such as Cohiba Siglo V are the best.
This drink can also be matched with cigars with a coffee fragrance or sweet overtones. In this manner, the two delectable treats will complement each other, and you will undoubtedly have a memorable taste experience.
Cigars and lattes
Latte coffees are among the lightest since they contain a lot of milk. The flavor is exceptionally smooth and delicate, which is why they are among the lightest on the market. This style of coffee is best combined with a mild cigar. The best option is a light-bodied cigar since both aromas blend well, and the final flavor will be amazing.
Light cigars are also ideal for those who do not enjoy strong fragrances, which is why they pair nicely with a latte.
Cigars and ice coffee
Coffee, in general, is a caffeinated beverage that is served hot. Ice coffee is one of the most delectable exceptions to this rule and one of the world’s most popular drinks. This sort of coffee is known for having bitter undertones. In this situation, a medium-bodied cigar with the same strength and bitterness as coffee is the best compliment.
If the coffee is blended with milk, a light or medium-bodied cigar will pair well with it because the milk reduces the bitterness.
Coffee and cigar pairing hints and tricks
Coffee and cigars might make for the perfect love story. In addition to the basic combinations described above, there are some additional tips to aid you with these combinations.
If you’re serving hot coffee, be sure it’s not too hot. This is because too high a temperature might compromise the quality of the coffee or impair your ability to taste and fully enjoy the aroma of this fantastic combo.
Putting sugar in your coffee while smoking a cigar is a contentious issue. Many coffee experts say that it destroys the taste of the coffee, but in the end, it is a matter of personal preference.
Cigars that are mild in flavor and coffee that is light or medium in roast
For decades, cigar enthusiasts have smoked Arturo Fuente Chateau Series with coffee. The nutty, approachable Dominican cigar is mixed by famed cigar maker Carlito Fuente in a superb, reasonably priced assortment of cigars that can be enjoyed with a blonde roast coffee any time of day.
The original Montecristo pairs well with light blonde roast coffees. A creamy profile of cedar, cashews and buttered toast adds a hint of spiciness while not overpowering a blonde roast coffee’s mild and nutty flavor.
Montecristo is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic in various traditional forms to accommodate the length of time you have to smoke. Because the blend is rich and well-rounded, a medium roast is also an option, although we recommend avoiding anything bitter or intense.
Cigars with a medium to full body and medium-dark roast coffee
When it comes to coffee, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is an obvious choice, especially a medium to dark roast. A diverse profile of almonds, chocolate, espresso beans, and crushed black pepper exhibits remarkable flavor transitions in various traditional shapes.
A well-aged combination of excellent Nicaraguan long-fillers is encased in an oily San Andrés wrapper leaf. The 95-rated cigar begins with a sweet and peppery flavor before transitioning to a creamy finish.
San Cristobal Quintessence cigars are also excellent with coffee. A historic interior of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos is hidden beneath a Cuban-seed wrapper. Wood, molasses, leather, and spices combine in a powerful but balanced finish. Medium and dark roast coffees keep up with Quintessence without overpowering its rich flavor.
Cigars with a full body and strong dark or medium roast coffee
The Ashton Symmetry cigar demonstrates that powerful cigars can be exceedingly elegant. A Habano Rosado wrapper leaf encases a sophisticated combination of quality Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers.
In a complex finish, elaborate aromas of cedar, coffee beans, figs, cinnamon, and spices overlay the palate. It goes well with a medium or strong dark roast. Symmetry is perfectly complemented by a double espresso or a Cuban coffee.
Fans of Nicaraguan cigars will agree that the Padron 1964 Anniversary is also delicious with a medium or dark roast. Notes of cedar, cayenne pepper, baking spices, cocoa, and wood combine to create a rich profile from an unusual recipe of aged all-Nicaraguan tobaccos. Make your next pot and pair it with this well-known blend.
Want to see how many coffee-type beverages you can drink? Try this calculator
jay
Self proclaimed cigar expert. I've been smoking since 2010. I've practically lived at a cigar lounge from 10am to 10pm and trying every new cigar that came out for years.
