HC7 cigar pairings?

**craig** · 12-30-2008, 03:04 PM

I was about to post this in the Zaya rum thread, but didn't want to thread-jack a thread-jack ...

Last week I was picking up some wine to haul to the family stress-fest, and I bought my first bottle of rum since, well, junior high. (It was a lot easier to buy booze underage back then - I was buying rye at 13.)

I don't drink very often these days, but there is all this talk about "cigar-libation" pairings, so I thought I should see what I'm missing. Water or coffee is what I usually drink when I smoke cigars. Cognac seems to go well with cigars the few times I've had them together, but I don't have the "consumer confidence" necessary to buy cognac!

Havana Club 7 is one of the spirits that is mentioned often, so I picked up a bottle. It wasn't expensive or anything - about the same price as Johnny Walker Red - and that isn't what I would call a great Scotch. Is HC7 a case of forbidden fruit tasting better?

So, after having some HC7, I'm thinking - I wouldn't want to drink this along with most of the cigars that I smoke. About the only cigar that I could think of were Por Larrañaga Montecarlo's ...

Any suggestions, please?

Or am I missing something and should really be making some kind of cocktail with this stuff to drink it with a cigar?

BTW, my other pickup was Alberta Premium, which is about the only Canadian Rye Whisky left. I doubt anyone drinks that here, but if you do, suggestions on pairings welcome as well.

**ggiese** · 12-30-2008, 03:58 PM

I personally like to pair up either a nice reasonbly priced single malt scotch (favs: Oban 12 year, Craggenmore 12 yr, etc.) or a nice Anejo Tequila (favs: El Jimador, Patron, Suave "La Patria", etc.)

HC7 is nice, but Zaya and Ron Zacapa are much nicer paired with a smooth, creamy cigar. I personally don't think HC has the same sweetness, and is better paired with something with a bit more spiciness (favs: OpusX/Anejo, LFD, RASS, VR Famosos, etc)...