Two Whiskeys, One Cigar

As I prepared for Friday evening, I had a hankering for some Redbreast 12 Year Irish Whiskey. I poured a glass, grabbed a cigar and headed for the porch. For this pairing I selected the Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial in a Torpedo format. The Oliva is one of those cigars I turn to often, and the torpedo is a fun vitola to smoke.

As I headed out the door, I mentioned to Colleen that this might not be the best pairing. I knew the cigar and I knew the whiskey. But I was craving both, so onward I went. The Redbreast is a relatively mild whiskey, with a subtle sweetness of white grapes and honey. It's a good whiskey with which to start a long evening. The Oliva Serie V Maduro is a full bodied smoke featuring rich, creamy chocolate with cedar and nuttiness in the finish. The ligero leaf added to the filler gives it a bit of strength. Both were exceedingly enjoyable, but as predicted, they just didn't compliment each other. But persevere I did.

Once that pour of whiskey was downed, I still had plenty of cigar left. Heading back to my whiskey stash, I went directly for the bottle of Woodford Reserve Double Oak Whiskey. There was no risk involved in this choice, it would be a hit. This fine bourbon tops my list with smooth, sweet oak notes. A slight fruit and vanilla aspect adds to the pleasure. As expected, the match was perfect.

One of the aspects of enjoying beverages, be they coffee, beer, whiskey, or other, with cigars and food is experimenting with pairings. They may not always work, but when you find one that hits the spot like the Woodford and Serie V, it's a great pleasure. Of course, the ongoing hunt for perfection is always fun.