Porters & Cigar Pairings

In the lengthy list of various beer varieties, Porters seem to have a rather high popularity, especially since the beginning of the craft beer phenomenon. Porters were originally developed in England in the 19th century using a lot of hops and a dark rich malt. They are considered cousins to stouts, which are basically just darker porters. Porters taste very similar to a stout although they are more creamy than your average stout. With its combination of robust, rich flavors and dash of sweetness, porters are a natural companion to cigars.

Ballast Point Victory at Sea – Rocky Patel Java Red


If you are in the market for a smooth, robust porter with a lot of flavor, then this popular brew from Ballast Point is perfect for you. The Victory at Sea is a bold, rich beer infused with vanilla notes and coffee beans from a local, San Diego coffee company. Each sip combines roasted coffee notes with dashes of sweet vanilla. It is a perfect, year round beer especially first thing in the morning. With its complex coffee complexion, obviously you want to go for a coffee-style cigar. The Rocky Patel Java could not be a more perfect partner for this beer. This coffee-infused smoke will go note-for-note with rich java notes and a smooth, sweet aroma.

Founder's Porter – Joya de Nicaragua Antaño

This robust porter from legendary brewery Founders can be described with one word: full. It is a full-bodied, full-flavored beer with a creamy, frothy top. It is packed with rich, heavy notes of dark chocolate, creamy, malt, and a dash of caramel. Being such a strong, full-style porter, we had to go with a fuller-style cigar. We went with one of our old favorites, the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño. One of the world's most popular full-bodied cigars, the JDN Antaño is a rich and zesty Nicaraguan powerhouse. Its combination of spice and leather with a deep, rich core makes it a great smoke to pair up with the Founders Porter. This is a great, after dinner pairing.

Stone Smoked Porter – Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu

In terms of our drink preference, the team here at Cigars.com loves beverages with smoky characteristics. From our coffee to our whiskey and especially our beers. This Smoked Porter from Stone brewery was a no-brainer for this list. It is complex, robust, and rich with notes of chocolate, coffee, and a deep smoky note. It has a wide range of food pairings from sweet dessert items to smoky ribs and pulled pork. For this beer, I went with the Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu for a few reasons. First, it is an amazing medium-to-full-bodied cigar. Second, its complex profile lends itself to pairing up with this beer. It has a rich core with subtle leather and coffee notes. It also produces a great amount of smoke, which compliments the Smoked Porter very well.

Yuengling Porter – Romeo 505 Nicaragua

The Yuengling Porter is not only the oldest one on this list, but one of the oldest in the country. Yuengling crafted this porter almost 200 years ago and continues to be one of the most popular Porter style beers in the country. It is brewed with a good amount of dark, roasted malt as well as caramel for a smooth, creamy and rich profile. Notes of dark chocolate, roasted nuts and a dash of sweetness make this the perfect everyday porter and a great one if you are just getting into the beer craze. We went with our favorite Romeo, the Romeo 505 for this pairing. Crafted by the Plasencia Family, the 505 is a Nicaraguan puro and the first Romeo ever made in Nicaragua. Its dark, rich wrapper, along with its sweet and robust profile, makes it a great partner for the age old Yuengling Porter.

Kona Pipeline Porter – Padron Damaso

Hang ten with this flavorful Porter from Kona Brewing. The Pipeline porter is crafted with high-end malts and is blended beautifully. It is named after one of the most intense surf spots in the world, the Banzai pipeline off of Oahu, Hawaii. It is a rollercoaster of a beer, with a complex profile consisting of rich coffee notes and hints of caramel and smooth chocolate. The word that kept coming into my head while I was drinking it was smooth. That made my cigar choice the perfect partner. The Padron Damaso is their first and only Connecticut wrapped cigar. It is smooth and creamy, while its Nicaraguan filler and binder add notes of nuts, vanilla, and sweet coffee. This is a smooth pairing packed with flavor and richness but still subtle.

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