Expert: M J Robbins - 2/1/2010

Question
I'm working on an article about Cigars and I was hoping I might get some help from you. I'm wondering what unusual and yet enjoyable food/drink pairings you may have encountered with cigars over your years of experience.  I'd be interested to know what sort of cigars were involved, and what you think made it a good pairing.  The wackier, the better.  I'd really appreciate your input on this.  Thank you so much.

Kyle

Answer
Basic is Nicaraguan tobaccos, dark and rich, with meat and red wine or hard liquor like Cognac.
Dominican style cigar with Connecticut wrapper goes with fish, salad and white wine or fruity drinks.
Honduran cigars - just don't not smoke after dinner...
Cuban cigars light with a $100 dollar bill after a $1,000 meal (I mean if you are going to throw money away go all the way) and have a draw poker by your side in case you encounter the 1 in 3 that's tight. Or if the Cuban cigar is tight have a pipe to stuff it in...

One of the best encounters I have had - I was eating fudge at a fair and was deciding on a cigar. I figured a Chocolate and Java would be nice to try although I do not smoke flavored cigars, usually. Oh Ho Ho Chocolate and Java cigar with chocolate fudge was Great!

As a cigar fanatic though, just like a wine fanatic would say, wine goes with more wine. I say a great cigar is best with cool water.

Best time with a cigar- Thanksgiving with 6 friends and relatives all smoking the best cigar in the world Padron 1926 #9 straight out of my $100,000 refrigerated cigar humidor. All the cigars were so perfect there was a look of amazement in all our eyes as we watched the magic of the greatest cigar dance for us - on our palette and in our eyes with the most perfect burn imaginable. I mean we would look at the cigar and look at each other with wide eyes as we smoked them down to nothing.

There is a Youtube video of us in las vegas, we are in a bar pretty drunk with wives and girlfriends too. My friend Ken is smoking a cigar and is going up and down on my friend Bruce's lap in mock love making. We were surely rolling on the floor with laughter.

Good luck I wanna read em all

Mike