Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – The Bitter Truth Bar Pack
Cigars and alcohol. Two luxury products that go hand in hand, and sometimes even meet on business level. Aging tobacco in whisky, rum, or cognac barrels is a practice several brands do to achieve extra flavour to the wrapper for certain lines.
The famous bourbon brand Maker’s Mark has their own cigar, sold in tubes with the signature wax coating. Drew Estate works with Pappy van Winkle and used to make Kahlua cigars. Mombacho used to have the Diplomatico series but Mombacho no longer exists. General Cigars works with Sazerac, which resulted in Fireball cigars, Weller by Cohiba and collaborations with Buffalo Trace. And there is the Diesel Whisky Row, a collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries. Fratello Cigars also sells craft beer.
Most famous are probably the Cuban collaboration between Martell Cognac and Cohiba. Dominique London, the European retailer with more than 20 shops in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and the Canary Islands takes it one step further. They bought a distillery in Wales and produce whisky, gin, rum, vodka, cognac and liquors.
Bitters
As you may have noticed, every time I pair whisky with cigars and write about it, the article has the same structure. First, I try the whisky neat in a Glencairn glass. Then I try the same whisky in a rocks glass. I do this as the type of glass can make a world of difference. I was at a whisky tasting once, the whisky was amazing in a Glencairn glass but when my friends and I bought a bottle to consume on the spot and poured it into rocks glasses, everybody was very underwhelmed. We asked for Glencairn glasses and suddenly enjoyed the whisky again.
But that’s not the inspiration for this article. After trying the whisky neat, I always make an Old Fashioned before moving on to a different cocktail for each article. The Old Fashioned is the baseline cocktail, and always made the same. With Angostura bitters, the most famous cocktail bitters in the world. But for another cocktail I needed orange bitters and cocoa bitters. I got some, and made an Old Fashioned with cocoa bitters. That was an eye opener. When a friend passed me a bottle of Peychaud’s, something I wanted but could not find, I was happy as a child because that’s an ingredient used Sazerac and according to the professionals cannot be substituted with Angostura.
This intrigued me, so I went for a hunt for different kinds of bitters, and now that I have about 20 different bitters it’s time for an experiment. I am going to dedicate a few written pieces to the Old Fashioned, but all with different bitters. The first article, with three Angostura bitters and Peychaud’s bitters, the best known bitters in the world, can be found here.
The Bitter Truth Cocktail Bitters were specifically designed for recreating classic drinks made true to the original recipe or for experimentation with modern cocktail creations. Their bitters are made the traditional way using only the best quality natural ingredients. The Bitter Truth bitters have received multiple awards and will continue to innovate the bar world. It all started during a visit to the London Bar Show in June 2006. At that show, Munich bartenders Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck gave birth to the idea of producing and distributing cocktail bitters, as they were hard to find in Germany or elsewhere if at all.
Both of them had already gained a considerable amount of experience in producing handmade cocktail bitters for the bars they were working at. Also, Stephan owned a large collection of current and historical bitters, some of which hadn’t been produced for decades. Thus, he knew how the most well-known bitters of the world tasted and was considered a specialist in this area.
Their criteria for the choice of flavours was mainly provided by old cocktail recipes that could no longer be mixed true to the original because one crucial ingredient had been missing – the correct bitters. The company sells nice tins with five bitters under the name Cocktail Bitters Traveler’s Set and Cocktail Bitters Bar Pack. I bought both, plus bottles of the two Bitter Truth bitters that are not included in either pack but for today’s article I will focus on the Bar Pack. I experimented with the Traveler’s Set earlier, which you can read here. All of the Old Fashioned cocktails in this article are made with Stalla Dhu Blair Athol Oloroso 110 Proof.
The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
Tall, dark and yes, somewhat handsome, most definitely rich and original: New bitters for a new era of cocktails!
The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters blur the lines between old world bitters and new world flavours. Deep chocolate notes are supported by classic bitter flavours and accented with a hint of spice. Cocoa butter and dark chocolate seduce the nose. Hints of vanilla, cinnamon, and bitter tones of gentian and wormwood are elicited on the palate.
The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters play exceptionally well with sweet vermouths and all kinds of aged spirits like whiskey, rum, tequila, and brandy. Add a dash to a Manhattan or Negroni to start exploring its complex flavour or use in a Tequila Old Fashioned to bring forward the spirit’s vegetal attributes.
The nose is orange but with a hint of dark chocolate on the back. The ripe forest fruit flavour of the whisky shines but with a very nice chocolate and creamy taste. It’s almost like a liquid bonbon and I would pair this with a creamy cigar, medium bodied. Something with a Honduran Connecticut Shade wrapper.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
The Bitter Truth Peach Bitters
Peach Bitters were a classic style of bitters popular in the 19th-century during the first golden age of the cocktail but became defunct when more streamline tastes were in fashion. Although peach bitters never reached the popularity of orange bitters, they were one of the wider used bitters in classic cocktails.
The Bitter Truth Peach Bitters are a contemporary interpretation of this classic style of bitters and are made from natural ingredients. The Bitter Truth Peach Bitters are fresh and fruity with intense, candied peach notes, backed by a seducing hint of almonds.
They work especially well with aged spirits such as cognac and bourbon whiskey. A Mint Julep will be lifted to new heights. The combination of fresh peach and subtle spice notes add an exquisite fruitiness and complexity to cocktails and long drinks.
The peach bitters work with the orange as the orange aroma is a bit sweeter than normal. The peach shines through in the flavours of the whisky, the peach sweetness enhances the ripe forest fruit flavours of this great whisky. The bitters make the mouth dry and give this cocktail character and remind you that you’re drinking whisky. It’s not as smooth as with the chocolate bitters and that’s why I recommend something stronger such as the Mi Querida by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust or a stronger Tatuaje.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
The Bitter Truth Olive Bitters
These olive bitters are primarily an attempt to uplift the look and texture of a Dirty Martini Cocktail. Challenged by their creativity, bartenders have found excellent uses in many aperitif-style drinks, particularly in combination with sherry, vermouths, and other fortified wines.
The impact of The Bitter Truth Olive Bitters on the bartender’s palate has been significant, resulting in a Top 10 position for “Best New Product” at the 2017 Spirited Awards during Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and voted Top 5 – Best New European Spirit and Bar Product at Mixology Bar Awards 2018, Berlin/Germany.
The Bitter Truth Olive Bitters will add Mediterranean aromas to your drinks with its delicate green olive flavours, soft hints of salt, notes of brine, mustard, sage, and thyme. They are a perfect match for all white spirits like vodka, gin, and blanco tequila.
The olive bitters don’t add anything to the aroma, it’s just orange. The whisky tastes a bit more earthy due to the olive bitter but that’s about it. After trying Four Pillars Olive gin I hoped for more from these bitters but it’s a bit of a let-down. Pair this with a nice medium bodied woody cigar and you’ll still have a good time.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters
The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters will lift your spirits to new heights like sunshine in spring and they will work fantastically in many classic and modern cocktails & long drinks – no matter what the season is.
With a golden amber colour, these bitters are peppery, with earthy-fruity aromas of marinated cucumber and cracked pepper on the nose. In taste expect fresh cucumber accompanied by a light bitterness, herbal notes of rosemary and thyme, hints of fleur de sel, and lingering floral flavours of summer blossoms and squash finish.
The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters offers new ways of mixing your favoured spirit by adding consistent savoury flavours of green cucumber to your mixed drink. Try these bitters in your favourite Pimm’s Cup, Gin & Tonic, or in a tasty Cucumber Martini.
The cucumbers and the orange marry well in the nose. The cucumber is clear in the cocktail as well, and adds a freshness to the whisky, with some spice and pepper. The bitter is also quite strong in this version of the cocktail. And therefore I would suggest a stronger cigar, not any particular flavour profile, just something strong.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
The Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters
The Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters do not fail in representing this oversized but under-used citrus fruit. With an instantaneous boost of the zingy breakfast fruit on the first sniff, you`ll get both the bitter oils but also the classic sharp tang on the tongue, followed by complex vegetal tones and a dry hop finish.
The Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters is reminding of the summers outdoors. Delicate to the nose, these bitters can stand up to aggressive drinks. Grapefruit meets with hops to create a fresh, bright citrus note and makes for a nice addition in fizzy and fruity drinks.
These grapefruit bitters are best friends to gin, vodka, Blanco tequila, and light rum and are a wonderful ingredient for drinks that may otherwise taste excessively sweet. Give a modern twist to a classic Gin & Tonic, add a few dashes to a Daiquiri or Margarita or add a new layer of complexity to cocktails that traditionally didn’t include bitters.
The nose is back to orange, unlike the version with cucumber bitters. The cocktail is stronger in citrus with both the orange and grapefruit, and less bitter. The citrus overpowers the forest fruit flavours of the whisky a bit and this cocktail required a stronger cigar. I would go for Connecticut Broadleaf or Maduro for the added sweetness.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
Inspector X
