Spring invites us into a refreshing world of colors, pleasant temperatures and an almost insatiable desire to be outside. It’s therapeutic. I think that we as created beings are designed to consume the sensual elements of the created beauty around us - all of them - sights, sounds, aromas, textures and tastes. And when we do, we’re happier for it. The more of these we can combine into a single experience, the more impact the experience will have on us. Think about it - the beauty of the beach, the sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean air, the soft sand under your feet contrasted with the woven bark of the palm trees and the cold tropical fruit flavors of your beverage - all five senses in a single experience…
With a little intention behind it, we can foster this kind of experience every time we enjoy fine tobacco. Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be about pairing?? Well…a pair is just two. And yes, we’ll get to that. But the big point here is that the more we can add to the pair, the bigger the impact of the experience. Include as many of the senses as you can and you’ll be glad you did.
Now to pairing. I owe my personal take on pairing largely to a wine tasting exercise my wife and I experienced a number of years ago. The person directing the class told us to take a sip of glass #1 and call out the notes we tasted. One of the notes I wrote down was “apple”. The next instruction was to take a bite of the apple slice from our plate, then take another sip of glass #1. This sip delivered no apple notes at all, but opened up the taste of other dark fruits, exactly which ones I don’t remember. We did a similar exercise with other foods: chocolate, raisins, oranges, cleansing the palate after each with cheese and crackers. My takeaway: if your cigar or pipe has amazing notes of chocolate, don’t pair it with chocolate — you’ll drown them out. Instead think in terms of what goes well with chocolate? Flavors like caramel, vanilla and graham crackers comes to mind. Many of these notes dwell in whiskies. What else goes hand-in-hand with chocolate? Coffee, with or without cream pairs beautifully with chocolate.
What about a creamy, rich, thick smoke full of baking spices? That sounds like it deserves a cup of black coffee. Earth & leather? Again I would lean towards a pairing liquid with sweetness, such as coffee with cream or a dram of non-peaty Scotch or whiskey. Another complimentary pairing for earth and leather could be a glass of wine, introducing fruity notes to the already-present elements of nature. And what can you do with a flat profile cigar or pipe tobacco that has no distinguishable flavor notes? Put it down and choose a better one…life is too short. :)
What's your favorite pairing?
—Danny Jackson