With so many options to choose from, picking a whiskey to drink and a cigar to smoke can be tough decisions — especially if your budget is limited. Thankfully, American Whiskey Magazine content editor and Whisky Magazine regular contributor Maggie Kimberl has a tried and tested methodology she's been teaching for over a decade that will help you learn how to pair cigars and whiskey like a PRO!
Whether you prefer cigars from Cuba, Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic, and Scotch, Japanese, or American whiskey, this guide to pairing whiskey and cigars is for you. Instead of telling you which whiskies she thinks will work well with particular cigars, Maggie's approach will teach you the skills you need to make the decision for yourself, to suit your taste and budget. The great thing about this methodology for pairing cigars and whiskey is that it works for Scotch, bourbon, and, well, any style of whisky you like!
Maggie met up with Jodie Fileatreau, artisanal distiller at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, and Christopher Coates, editor-at-large of Whisky Magazine, in the cigar lounge at the Louisville Thoroughbred Society, one of Kentucky's best places to enjoy whiskies and cigars. In this guide, the trio pair a non-Cuban Partagas Petit Robusto with three whiskies from Heaven Hill: Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey, Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Let us know in the comments if you have your own tips and tricks for pairing whiskey with cigars and what your favourite pairings are!
