Does rum go with cigars? This is an often asked question. Usually, people think of whisky when it comes to pairing. Rum is a surprisingly good pairing, considering renowned rum and cigars are made in Cuba! Read on for more rum knowledge and pairing tips.
What is rum?
Rum is distilled from sugarcane or its by-product and aged in oak barrels. There is a wide range of rum: light, dark, spiced... So what are their differences, and what kind of cigars go well with accordingly? Let’s talk about the 2 main groups of rum: light and the dark.
Light rum
Aged less than the dark, light rum is sweeter and more subtle than the dark rum. Light rum is generally used in cocktails or mixed drinks. The classic popular cocktails such as Mojito and Pina Colada are made with light rum. If you are a cocktails fan, you can DIY a rum cocktail at home this summer! For more guides on cocktail pairing, read our cocktail recipe article!
The liquid is smooth and soft, which is best to light a sweet cigar with mild flavours to avoid overwhelming each other.
Best to pair with:
Davidoff Signature 2000
Zino Platinum Scepter Series Chubby
Montecristo Open Master
Dark rum
Rum is a clear liquid with light colour when it is first distilled. The colour of the golden dark comes from the wooden barrels during the long ageing process. Similar to cigars, with a longer ageing process, the stronger and bolder flavour of the rum will be. Sometimes the manufactory will add different ingredients for extra flavours and colours, such as spices, caramel and molasses.
Dark rum is sometimes used for a cocktail, like Painkillers and the Old Fashioned. And enjoyed most straightly because of the unique and outstanding characters. Dark rum is your number one choice if you are a robust cigars lover!
The butterscotch notes of dark rum harmonised with full-bodied, rich cigars with sweet and smokey hints. If you have a Cuban dark rum on hand, undoubtfully pair it with a Cuban cigar!
Best to pair with:
Davidoff 702 Series Aniversario No. 3
Cohiba Siglo IV
Partagás Serie D No. 4
