I'm a big cigar fan, this doesn't really mean that I'm considered an expert but over the years I have had my fair share of good and bad cigars.

Only recently it crossed my mind to actually make a post of some of my favorite pairings that I found worked really well with our Baton Brandy.

Before we dive into our Top 5 cigar pairings a few clarifications:

First, its all about personal preference these are cigars that I enjoyed more than others thus made a good pairing with my drinks and my palate. This does not mean you should not try them or experiment and try a few that you think would work better.

Second, I try to provide options that are easily available with one exception.

So with that said let’s start with our Top 5 Cigars & Brandy pairing.

The Cigars

5. Nub Cameroon ($8.29)

I have been a fan of the Nub line from Olivia for years. I like the short cigars a lot, meaning you can enjoy them in under 30 minutes, making them great for a nice dram of brandy and quick smoke.

Just the sweet spot. That was the tagline for the Nub concept when it first came out. It claimed that the cigar needed no time to warm up or develop, but was able to localize the most flavorful portion of a cigar and keep the smoker there from first draw to the last. Whether or not this concept is true is a matter of opinion, but we found the Nub Cameroon to burn cool, smoke well and deliver loads of nutty, earthy flavor. 

Pairing this with the brandy made sense not only because we smoke Nub often but also the earthy flavors of the tabacco complimented with the fruitiness from the brandy.

  

4. Oliva Series V Melanio ($12.99)

With a #1 Cigar of the Year title from Cigar Aficionado in 2014, it deserved a spot because we simply love this cigar. We smoke it often as the quality for the price is unbeatable.

A great wrapper with an exceptionally smooth smoke. What we like specifically it’s that it didn’t overpower the brandy, leaving a lot of room while sipping a dram to fully appreciate the honey and vanilla undertones of the drink which providing a full body mouthfeel from the smoke.

 

3. Padron 1926 #6 Natural ($26.29)

What a great cigar. Hand rolled and family owned, the  Series 6 natural smokes beautifully, 5-year aged tobacco very smooth and of full flavor and an abundance of smoke with every draw. Paired with the Baton brandy it brought more wine like flavors than any other pairing with lots of coffee and chocolate flavors.

 

2. My Father Opulencia Toro ($12.79)

The My Father La Opulencia blend is a marriage of two opulent tobaccos with splendid provenance—Mexican and Nicaraguan. The tobaccos play off each other in interesting ways. The combustion is perfect, the draw offering earthy underpinnings of chocolate and cocoa with each puff, balanced by a mid-palate oakiness and sweeter, subtle top notes of anise and nougat.

The cigar started strong but mid-through and to the end it was sweeter with a great mouthfeel along with the brandy. A great pair for a very affordable price.

 

1. Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 (~$15)

If there is a quintessential Cuban robusto, the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 probably holds that title. 

Hoyo de Monterrey is probably the hardest to find in the US, but it was probably one of the best cigars that I had the opportunity to try!

Its a great cigar that paired perfectly with our red fruit forward Baton Brandy.

Floral and nutty, this well-made cigar also shows notes of leather and toasted almond before a sweet, honeyed finish. Elegant and balanced.

I hope you enjoyed this Top 5 as much as I had putting it together. Let me know in the comments your your all time favorite cigar in the comments!