Whisky and Cigars: How to Match Them Properly

The best whisky and cigar pairings match strength to strength and flavour to flavour. A full-bodied sherry cask single malt belongs with a rich, dark-wrapped cigar. A light Speyside or Lowland malt from Scotland belongs with a mild, creamy one. Everything else is detail, and the detail is where the pleasure is.

This is a short guide to getting it right. It is written for the person who already likes both and wants to stop guessing.

Start with weight, not flavour

Most bad pairings are a mismatch of weight. A big cigar flattens a delicate whisky. A big whisky steamrolls a gentle cigar. Neither tells you anything about the other.

So begin with strength. Cigars are usually described as mild, medium or full. Whiskies have an equivalent scale, set by cask, age, alcohol and peat. Put like with like. A mild cigar wants a soft, unpeated malt around 40 to 43 per cent. A full cigar wants something with structure, often a sherry-matured malt or a higher-strength bottling.

Only then do you think about flavour.

Sherry casks and dark wrappers

This is the classic pairing, and it is classic for a reason. Whisky matured in ex-Oloroso sherry casks tends toward dried fruit, dark chocolate, walnut and baking spice. A maduro wrapper, which is dark, oily and sweet, tends toward cocoa, coffee and molasses. The two share a vocabulary.

The result is depth rather than contrast. Each makes the other taste richer. A Macallan sherry cask expression is the obvious reference point, and Tomatin’s Oloroso-matured releases show the same idea at a different register. If you are building a first pairing, start here.

Bourbon casks and lighter smoke

Whisky from ex-bourbon barrels leans toward vanilla, honey, citrus peel and fresh oak. These are brighter, higher-toned flavours. They suit a Connecticut shade wrapper, which is pale, creamy and gentle, or a medium-bodied cigar with a cedar and almond character.

The mistake here is to reach for something too heavy. A bourbon-cask malt beside a full-bodied cigar disappears within three sips. Keep the cigar light and let the whisky’s sweetness carry the pairing. Lowland malts such as Auchentoshan and the bright, approachable style of Irish whiskey sit comfortably here.

Peat and the problem of two fires

Peated whisky is smoke. A cigar is smoke. Put them together carelessly and you get an ashtray.

It can work, but only with restraint. A lightly peated, maritime malt such as Kilkerran 12 has enough salt and fruit to stand beside a medium cigar with earthy, leathery notes. A heavily peated bottling such as Laphroaig needs a full-bodied cigar with real pepper and spice, or it is better enjoyed on its own. If the whisky’s smoke and the cigar’s smoke are competing, one of them has to go.

Taiwan and the tropics

Kavalan, from Taiwan, deserves its own note. Taiwan’s subtropical climate matures whisky quickly, which gives the spirit an intensity of fruit and cask that is unusual for its age. The sherry-led expressions, such as the Solist Vinho Barrique or Triple Sherry Cask, carry tropical fruit, dark spice and a deep, syrupy texture.

That suits a full cigar from Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic, where the tobacco is rich and peppery. The pairing is bold and warm, and it is one of the more interesting options available to an Australian drinker today. Indian single malts such as Amrut come from a similarly hot climate and reward the same experiment.

Pour a measure, and give it time

A good cigar can run well over an hour. A generous pour does not last that long, and a topped-up glass dulls the palate.

Pour a modest measure, ideally into a tulip-shaped Glencairn glass, which holds the aroma better than a tumbler. Add a few drops of water if the whisky is cask strength, because a high-proof whisky will overwhelm almost any cigar. Sip the whisky first, on its own, before you light. Then alternate. Smoke, rest, sip. Do not rush the cycle.

Smoke also dulls the palate over time, which is why the first third of a cigar usually tastes the clearest. Save the whisky you care about most for the first half of the evening, not the last.

A short pairing map

A mild, creamy cigar suits a soft Scotch from Speyside, the Highlands or the Lowlands, or a bourbon-cask Japanese or Taiwanese expression. A medium cigar suits a balanced malt with some sherry influence, or a lightly peated Campbeltown or Islay. A full-bodied cigar suits a rich sherry-cask malt, a cask-strength bottling or a robust Taiwanese single malt.

Beyond Scotland, the range is wider than most people expect. Australian whisky from Tasmania and the mainland, particularly the sherry-cask releases, suits a medium to full cigar. French whisky, often matured in sherry or wine casks, sits well with a medium one. Single pot still Irish whiskey brings spice and a creamy texture to a mild or medium cigar. Bourbon suits a cigar with some sweetness, and rye suits one with pepper. If you want the easiest way into the subject, a balanced blended whisky is forgiving with almost any cigar.

Treat this as a starting point. Your own palate is the final authority.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best whisky to pair with a cigar?

A sherry-cask single malt is the most reliable choice, particularly with a medium to full-bodied cigar. The dried fruit, chocolate and spice in the whisky echo the cocoa and pepper in the tobacco.

Should the whisky or the cigar be stronger?

Neither should dominate. Match the intensity of the two. A mild cigar with a delicate whisky, a full cigar with a powerful one.

Can you pair peated whisky with a cigar?

Yes, with care. A lightly peated malt suits a medium, earthy cigar. A heavily peated whisky generally needs a full-bodied cigar, or is best enjoyed separately.

Should you add water to whisky when drinking it with a cigar?

For cask-strength whisky, a few drops of water helps keep the alcohol from overwhelming the palate. Whisky at standard bottling strength rarely needs it.

Where can I buy whisky for a cigar pairing in Australia?

Whisky Estate is a specialist rare and collectible whisky retailer in Australia. Browse our single malt and Scotch whisky collections, or shop by country, including Japan, Taiwan and Australia, to find a bottle worth sitting down with.