Best Cigars to Pair With Tequila

July 20, 2020

Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila in 2021

When it comes to smoking cigars, half of the experience is pairing up your favorite smoke with either your favorite piece of food or your favorite beverage. Personally, I’ve always paired my favorite cigars with my favorite alcoholic drink, whiskey.

However, a trend I’ve been noticing, and indulging in myself, is paring cigars along with tequila. Tequila isn’t necessarily my first beverage of choice to pair alongside cigars. But the sweetness that each different tequila I’ve tried really brings out the best flavor in cigars I’ve paired alongside.

So, for this week’s Top 5, I picked five new cigars that I would suggest pairing alongside five different types of tequila. From Montecristo cigars to Ashton, here are our Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila in 2021.

Don’t forget to get the limited-time sampler at the link below.

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Le Careme by Crowned Heads

Hailing from E.P. Carrillo’s factory in the Dominican Republic, first on our Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila list is the Le Careme by Crowned Heads. Le Careme hails from the same genius cigar blenders who brought us J.D. Howard Reserve, Four Kicks, and Headley Grange. So, when it was first released in 2017, fans knew this smoke would be a top-notch cigar from Jon Huber and Crowned Heads.

This 5 x 50 medium-bodied Robusto is cloaked in a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper while being bound by Ecuadorian Sumatra tobaccos, and filler tobaccos that originate from Nicaragua. Some delicious flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking the Le Careme are chocolate, leather, caramel, and toffee.

The tequila I paired alongside this gem is a Clase Azul Reposado that ranges from $150-$170.00 a bottle. It is more on the expensive side, but the balance of cinnamon and vanilla from the tequila really coincides greatly with the flavors the Le Careme provides as well.

Available in five different sizes, that come in a box of 24, you can pick up the Le Careme by Crowned Heads at JR and start your cigar and tequila pairing conquest right now.

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Montecristo Epic Vintage 12

Next up on our Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila is the new Montecristo Epic Vintage 12. The tequila we decided to pair alongside this new gem was a Casamigos Reposado! Casamigos range from anywhere between $40-$100.00 a bottle.

This extremely affordable tequila has delicious flavor notes chili, peppercorn, and vanilla, which balances out to perfection once it’s paired with the Montecristo Epic Vintage 12.

Tobaccos that comprise the Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Blue were grown and harvested under a blue moon in the Dominican Republic. This 6 x 50 medium-bodied gem is cloaked in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, with filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and binder tobaccos from Nicaragua.

Some flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking the Epic Vintage 12 Blue are wood, leather, cinnamon, and cocoa. Available in two different sizes that come in a box of 10, you can now get the new Montecristo Epic 12 Vintage Blue today on our website today.

Ashton

Landing in the middle spot of our Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila is the ultimate premium cigar, the Ashton 8-9-8. The affordable tequila I was able to pair along with the 8-9-9 was the affordable and delicious Espolon Blanco tequila that gave a complex, yet delectable balance alongside the 8-9-8.

This 6.50 x 44 medium-bodied smoke is cloaked in a gorgeous golden Connecticut Shade wrapper, with binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. Some delicious flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking the Ashton 8-9-8 are nuts, cream, cocoa, and sweet spice on the backend.

Available in 12 different variations and sizes that come in 10 packs of 5, 10, or in a Cedar Chest of 25, you can now get Ashton Cigars today online or in your local brick and mortar today.

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JR Ultimate 50th Anniversary

Next up on our Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila is a new cigar that’s a part of JR’s 50th celebration this year. From the hands and minds of AJ Fernandez, we have the JR Ultimate 50th Anniversary cigar next up that would pair perfectly with one of our favorite tequilas on the market today.

We were fortunate enough to grab a bottle of Teremana Blanco Tequila, the new Tequila from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to pair alongside this delicious smoke. Both the JR Ultimate 50th and Teremana share the same earth flavor notes!

However, Teremana has other notes that aren’t like the JR Ultimate 50th, but I personally think the vanilla and citrus in Teremana coincide and compliment the medium to full-bodied profile of the JR Ultimate 50th provides.

With an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, the JR Ultimate 50th is bound by Connecticut Broadleaf tobaccos and filled with Honduran tobaccos. The flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking the JR Ultimate 50th Anniversary cigar are earth, chocolate, black cherry, and espresso on the backend.

Available in one, 6 x 54 Toro size, you can get this limited-edition celebratory cigar in a box of 10 today, only on JR Cigars website today.

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Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve

Finally, is the Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve rounding out our Top 5 Cigars to Pair with Tequila in 2021. A tequila we thought would go perfect with the flavor profile of the Rare Leaf Reserve from Aganorsa is a Milagro either in the Silver, Reposado, or Anejo. Either of these bottles will go perfectly next to this gem we love from Aganorsa.

This 6 x 54 toro is a medium-bodied Nicaraguan puro that utilizes Criollo tobaccos in the binder and filler, all while having Nicaraguan Jalapa tobaccos for the luscious wrapper. Some flavor notes you may detect while smoking the Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve are cinnamon, earth, cocoa, sweet spice, and leather on the backend.

Also available in a 6 x 60 “Titan” and a 5.25 x 52 Robusto, the Rare Leaf Reserve comes in a box of 15, which is now available online today!

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Best Cigars to Pair With Tequila

It goes without saying that at JR Cigars, we love our drinks – especially those with a dash of tequila in them.

While many people are only acquainted with this drink in the form of a quick shot or a margarita, tequila actually has a storied past and many different, high-end variations.

Today we are going to examine the history of tequila as well as the different varieties.  On top of that, we are going to look into some great cigar and tequila pairings to help you enhance your experience with this fiery and popular spirit.

The History of Tequila

The birth of tequila can be traced back to before the 16th century before any European explorers arrived on the shores of Mexico.

Indigenous tribes would ferment the agave plant, mostly grown outside the city we know now as Tequila.  When the conquistadors arrived during the 16th century, they brought with them their own drinks, such as brandy and other European sprits.

However, their supply was limited, and once they would run out, they had to look towards their surroundings to fulfill their needs.  They learned to ferment the popular agave plant during this time, and the tequila we know of today was born.

The first mass production of the drink took place around 1600, and a few years later the King of Spain gave the Cuervo family the first license to officially produce tequila.

To learn a more detailed history of tequila, feel free to check out this article from a  few years back.

Tequila Varieties

Like cigars, tequila comes in a variety of different styles.  While cigar varieties are determined by different tobaccos, tequila is quite different.  There are only two different tequila varieties when it comes to ingredients.  There is Mixtos, which is a blend of agave and other forms of sugar, and there is 100% agave tequila, which is seen as more high-end.

While looking at one of the varieties, these can further be broken down into subcategories.  These distinctions are based upon the aging and fermentation process, which can create unique flavors.  Let us take a look at the four major tequila varieties based upon these criteria.

Prepared glasses of tequila ready for drinking.

Blanco

Blanco Tequila is the most basic, and in my opinion roughest variety of 100% agave-based tequila.  Blanco gets its name from its clear complexion, looking more like a gin or vodka then your typical tequila.

It is the least aged of all the major tequila varieties.  It usually bottled right after distillation.  If it is aged, it is only for a few months and usually in a stainless steel barrel.  This process gives the Blanco a more unrefined yet complex profile.

Since many of the flavors didn’t have time to ferment or mature out, the flavor profile of a Blanco is usually pretty hefty.  Some popular brands like Espolon make a popular Blanco variety.

Due to its profile and intensity, a Blanco is best often paired with something strong and flavorful.  This is so neither the cigar nor the tequila overpowers each other.

Most Blanco tequilas have a good amount of spice to it, so matching it up with a robust, spicy smoke should work out wonderfully.  I would go with a nice, full-bodied Nicaraguan, like the Undercrown Sun Grown or the Alec Bradley Black Market Esteli.

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Resposado

This type of tequila literally means rested.  Resposado is aged for a minimum of two months, usually in an oak barrel.  This makes it much smoother and more refined than a Blanco, while still offering up a great amount of flavor.

Due to its long aging time and the use of wood barrels, Resposados start to change color, giving it the darker, an almost yellow hue that many tequila drinkers recognize.  One of my favorites is the Casamigos Resposado.  It is aged for seven months in American oak barrels that previously housed whiskey.

As stated above, a Resposado is much smoother, yet still has a wide array of distinct flavor notes.  For the Casamigos, you are looking at hints of vanilla and caramel due to the age in whiskey barrels.  I would go with a medium body smoke, something smooth with rich notes. An Ashton Aged Maduro or a Fratello Navetta Inverso would be perfect.

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Anejo

This is where we start getting into the upper echelon of the tequila world. Anejo, which any cigar smoker knows means aged, is tequila that is aged for over a year but less than three years in small wood barrels.

The gold color really begins to shine with this variety, as well as an abundance of flavors.  The Cazadores Tequila Anejo is a popular choice with great color and aroma as well as a smooth and complex profile.

For an Anejo tequila, you want something smooth but with a little body to it.  The extended aging in the wood barrels is going to give you notes of pepper and spice along with a dash of oak as well.

Oddly enough, the perfect cigar for an Anejo tequila is an Anejo cigar.  The new H.Upmann Anejo uses tobaccos aged for up to five years.  It is the perfect combination of smooth and flavorful with rich notes of chocolate along with a dash of cedar, spice, and leather.

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Extra Anejo

This variety was actually only officially established in 2006.  Extra Anejo tequila is the high-end sipping tequila that is popular today amongst connoisseurs.  The tequila is aged for no less than three years using a variety of wooden barrels.

This gives it a deep, dark color, similar to whiskey.  In fact, Extra Anejo is a great tequila for a whiskey drinker, as it shares many characteristics.  The perfect example, in my experience at least, is the Patron Extra Anejo.

Aged for several years in American, French and Hungarian barrels, this tequila is incredibly smooth and offers up fruit notes as well as hints of vanilla, oak, and dried fruit. For an Extra Anejo, you need an extra special cigar. Something that is rich and bold yet subtle and smooth.

If I have to choose the best Patron tequila cigars for pairing, I would go for a higher-end Maduro, something like the Sin Comprimiso or La Coalicion from Crowned Heads. The darker wrapper will offer you similar notes of dark fruit and sweetness while the aged tobaccos provide a smooth, creamy finish.

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Comments

One response to “Best Cigars to Pair With Tequila”

  1. I really enjoyed the article. It is always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained!

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