Cigar & Rum Pairing
Heavy Old Fashioned
The Rum Old Fashioned is one of the cocktails I’ve used the most in my pairings, I really enjoy it more than the original recipe.
For this pairing I grabbed a bottle of Angostura 1824 Rum from Trinidad & Tobago. It is a 12 year old rum that could be classified as “heavy” (high-congener). I don’t think this is a rum for everyone to enjoy neat: it has a lot of character, it is far from the average, but it is very peculiar and it is easy to identify it in a blind tasting. As far as the cigar, I had a wide range to choose from but, a couple of months ago I did a pairing with an Arturo Fuente and it turned out spectacular, so anticipating what the cocktail was going to taste like, I couldn’t resist the temptation. I selected a Double Chateau Sun Grown from the Gran Reserva line (50 ring x 6 ¾”) that I had in the humidor at the bar, it was the last one and it was fitting that it’d be smoked with a worthwhile cocktail.
Double Chateau Sun Grown from the Gran Reserva line
The procedure to make the Rum Old Fashioned was simple: add a tablespoon of Demerara sugar to the glass, followed by three dashes of Angostura Bitters and a splash of water to facilitate the mixing of the ingredients. While combining the ingredients, I covered the inner walls of the glass with the mixture, including some un-diluted sugar crystals; this creates a sweet base that works great with the cocktail. I then added two large ice cubes and a freshly-cut orange skin, which I pressed gently inside the glass to make it release its aromatic oils. Add 2 ounces of the Angostura 1824 and you are ready!
Heavy Old Fashioned cocktail
The cocktail came out excellent, the rum is perfectly balanced, just how I like it: smooth with a slightly sweet (but not overpowering) finish. The sweetness is enhances by the dark caramel notes and the citric notes in the background.
The cigar lit up well, just like it did the last time. This moment feels very special, the draw is phenomenal, as you’d expect from this format, like a Toro or a Double Corona.
The pairing gets even better as we approach the second third of the cigar and the tobacco becomes more intense, but not overly so, as its presence in the pairing is still elegant. Meanwhile the rum cocktail, which started a bit bold and heavy is now bringing forward the subtle sweetness. It is so well-balanced that I want to point out the importance of not using more than the tablespoon of sugar at the beginning, to avoid making it overly sweet, which would disrupt the overall balance.
It is a pairing worth repeating with friends. Practice it with different proportions until you create your perfect cocktail, all aspects are highly-customizable. You can easily make it dryer, sweeter, more bitter or more citric. As I mentioned earlier, I truly enjoy this more than the original Old Fashioned.I hope you can enjoy this pairing at home, it is super easy and rewarding. It is an ideal way to celebrate a special occasion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Cheers!
Philip Ili Barake
#GRCigarPairing
