We have braved the harsh dark and cold of February, and things are starting to warm up for March. The snow is melting, the days are starting to get longer, and plants are beginning to show signs of life with leaf buds and flowers. With each day, it becomes more and more clear that spring is almost here.
While it may still be a bit chilly, this is the time of year when cigar aficionados can ditch the gloves, emerge from their smoking dens, and enjoy the arrival of spring with a nice cigar in the outdoors – and nothing beats having a cigar with a delicious drink.
For this month’s Perfect Pairings, we wanted to give you a taste of spring with 5 excellent spirit and cigar pairings that will get you through the winter thaw!
Widow Jane 10-Year-Old & Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour
Coming from the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, the Widow Jane 10-Year-Old Bourbon is a blended whiskey brimming with flavors reminiscent of spring. Using no more than 5 batches of the richest small-batch straight bourbons and proofed with limestone mineral water, Widow Jane 10-Year-Old Bourbon delivers a complex tapestry of citrus zest, vanilla, baking spices, oak, and fruity sweetness.
To match the intensity and complexity of the Widow Jane 10-Year, Davidoff Winston Churchill's The Late Hour is an excellent choice. Featuring tobaccos aged in scotch whisky barrels and a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, its rich medium-full-bodied flavors of earth, spices, oak, malt, creamy caramel, and fruit-like sweetness paired with the Widow Jane are certain to put some spring in your step.
Old Forester Rye & Southern Draw Jacob’s Ladder
Old Forester is one of the most famous whiskey brands in the world, and the Old Forester Rye will awaken you from your winter hibernation and liven you up for spring. Old Forester Rye is an over 80-year-old recipe that features a 65% high-rye mash bill with 20% malt and the rest corn. This malty rye has a uniquely floral profile balancing out the other flavors of spices, pepper, sweetness, and citrus.
We recommend you pair this unique, classic rye with the Southern Draw Jacob’s Ladder. This full-bodied blend boasts Nicaraguan ligero long fillers, an Ecuadorian binder, and a zesty Pennsylvanian Broadleaf wrapper. You can expect bold flavors of roasted nuts, coffee, pepper, tobacco sweetness, and a floral, fruity aroma to completely coat your palate, an excellent profile for the beginning of spring.
Wild Turkey 101 & Crowned Heads Mother Church
Wild Turkey 101 is a high proof, high-rye straight bourbon that has been warming up enthusiasts for over 60 years. An American classic through and through, Wild Turkey 101 is a spice-forward straight bourbon aged between 6-8 years. You can expect the Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon to deliver a profile of rye spiciness with vanilla, caramel, citrus zest, oak, and baking spices to awaken your palate along with spring.
What better to pair with an American icon like Wild Turkey 101 than a cigar inspired by an American icon? Crowned Heads Mother Church, named after the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, offers a smooth yet rich medium-full bodied smoke with notes of roasted nuts, baking spices, cocoa, charred wood, and tobacco sweetness that pair perfectly with the bold flavors of Wild Turkey 101.
Benriach 10-Year-Old & Cohiba Blue
To get a taste of spring without the boldness and spiciness of bourbon or rye, the Benriach 10-Year-Old single-malt scotch is perfect for getting into the spring spirit. Matured in bourbon barrels, virgin oak, and sherry casks over a 10-year aging period, the Benriach 10-Year offers a sweeter, earthier profile with notes of stone fruit, roasted nuts, vanilla, oak, and honey that perfectly capture the feeling of spring.
To complement the earthy and sweet flavors of the Benriach 10-Year and enjoy a vibrant flavor profile that emerges on the palate like spring in April, the Cohiba Blue will make an excellent pairing.
Made primarily with Honduran tobaccos, Cohiba Blue provides a balanced medium-bodied profile of earth, coffee, baking spices, cream, and floral sweetness, pairing with the Benriach 10-Year for the quintessential springtime experience.
