A cigar-tasting party makes an excellent gathering for beginners and seasoned smokers. This type of cigar event offers rookies the opportunity to practice essential skills, like using cigar lighters. At the same time, aficionados can explore new flavor profiles and discover innovative pairings of food, drink, and cigars.
Planning a cigar-tasting party isn’t too tricky, but there are a few areas to consider. We’ll walk you through these, starting with selecting cigars and pairing them with the perfect drink. Then, we’ll discuss the atmosphere of your event.
These simple steps cover all bases, providing a solid foundation to guide your guests through the tasting experience for each cigar you’ve selected.
Select the right cigars
Decide whether you want all your guests to smoke the same cigars or if you’ll cater to different tastes. Some smokers enjoy a full-bodied cigar, while others prefer a smoother one.
It’s beneficial to have some structure to your cigar event, like taking a systematic approach to selecting different flavor profiles.
Wrapper types
The type of tobacco used for cigar wrapper leaves can impact the flavor, so consider offering your guests a selection of Connecticut, Madura, and Habano wrappers to sample. You could even buy cigars with the same filler and binder but different wrappers for an interesting comparison.
Infused cigars
Manufacturers of infused cigars, like Drew Estate ACID Cigars, employ secret methods to enhance the blend’s flavor with various essential oils and botanicals.
Unlike artificially flavored cigars, they use plant-derived extracts to elevate the tobacco, creating unique and intriguing alternatives to traditional cigars. These often spark enthusiastic conversations at cigar-tasting events.
Drink pairings
Food and drink cigar pairings enhance the smoking experience in many ways. Snacks and beverages are a must for any party, but they deliver so much more when accompanied by a top-quality smoke.
Liquors like whisky and rum can bring out the woody, smoky elements in cigar flavor profiles and are worth a tasting evening all on their own. Full-bodied red wine can develop fruitiness, while coffee amplifies tobacco’s hints of espresso and dark cocoa.
Craft beers are also a popular choice. They come in a wide variety of options—from pale ales and those with a creamy smoke flavor, through to dark stouts that complement the darker leaves of a Maduro.
This is an area you can explore in your own time. Don’t expect your guests to agree with you, as everyone has their tastes and preferences. However, use this as a springboard for some lively debate throughout the event.
Create the right atmosphere
You want your guests to feel comfortable throughout your cigar event, so make the space inviting and welcoming.
Whether indoors or outdoors, ensure there’s enough seating for everyone and designated standing areas. This way, guests can move around and mingle with different people as the night progresses.
Consider typical party preparations, including lighting for when it gets dark, as well as suitable background music. Create a playlist of your friends’ favorite tunes, or find an existing playlist on your preferred streaming service.
Provide the necessary extras, like torch lighters and enough cigar ashtrays for everyone. This ensures your guests’ comfort and convenience while allowing beginners to experience smoking with top-quality cigar accessories.
Guide guests through the tasting process
Your cigar-tasting evening will feel more professional if you have a step-by-step process for each cigar you’re tasting.
For example:
- Examine the cigar’s visual appearance.
- Smell the stick’s pre-light aroma.
- Cut the cap and take a cold draw.
- Correctly light the foot.
- Detect the flavors in each third of the cigar.
Encourage first-time guests to try various cigar cutters. Remind them to light the cherry properly by toasting the cigar rather than applying the flame directly.
Hand out tasting cards for guests to jot down their thoughts, and encourage them to discuss each cigar and the food and drink cigar pairings you’ve suggested.
A cigar-tasting party should encourage animated discussion—and disagreement. So give everyone room to talk, including beginners, and you can be sure that you’ll all learn something new before the night is through.
Comments