Orange Rusty Nail

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                                   Orange Rusty Nail

Oftentimes I’ve experimented with rum versions of classic cocktails, most often with Whisky recipes (one of my favorites is the Rum Old Fashioned).  A couple of times I created pairings with the “Rusty Nail,” but for today’s pairing I wanted to try something with a stronger orange component.  For this reason, while searching through my rum inventory, I found two great products from the Santa Teresa portfolio: Santa Teresa 1796 and Santa Teresa Rhum Orange.

The cocktail’s preparation is very simple, so it is ideal to prepare at home, combining the following ingredients directly in a Rocks glass:

  • 2 oz. Santa Teresa 1796 Rum
  • 1 oz. Santa Teresa Rhum Orange
  • ½ oz. Simple Syrup

Mix the ingredients thoroughly, then add ice and garnish the cocktail with a fresh slice of orange peel, which helps increase the intensity of the orange aromas.

As far as the cigar, I selected a Hoyo La Amistad Gold, from AJ Fernandez.  It will be my first time smoking this particular cigar, so I’m approaching it with an open mind, curious about how the cigar will be and hopeful that it’ll be a good pairing.  

I did research the cigar earlier and found out that it is a full-bodied cigar from Nicaragua, ideal for pairing against a cocktail with well-defined sweet and citric notes.  The format I selected is a Robusto (54 Ring x 5.2”) which is perfect for short-duration pairings, where the cocktail’s intensity starts strong and ends weak (due to the increasing dilution from the melted ice) while the cigar’s intensity starts somewhat mild and then increases, especially as we start to smoke the second third.

The most impressing thing about this pairing, despite its simple appearance, is the complexity of aromas and the array of flavors coming from the cocktail, all very well balanced.  The sweetness of the cocktail also matches well against, even complements, the intensity of the tobacco, making each puff very special.

To be honest, this pairing is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.  As it is often the case, simplicity triumphs over sophistication and complexity.  As far as the tobacco, I’m also pleasantly surprised by it and I will look for additional formats to continue to experiment with this brand.

I highly recommend the pairing and hope that you can replicate it at home.  If you don’t have the exact ingredients, replace them for similar ones while trying to make sure that your “Rum Rusty Nail” is heavy on the citric notes and that it has the sweet touch typical of the original recipe.

Cheers!

Philip Ili Barake

#GRCigarPairing