Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Slipknot Iowa Whiskey
Cigars and fine liquor are a natural pairing, enhancing each other’s complexity and depth. Whether it’s a rich whisky, a smooth rum, or a refined cognac, the right drink can elevate the cigar experience, and vice versa. This synergy is so profound that some cigar brands take it a step further, aging their tobacco in liquor barrels to infuse their cigars with unique flavours.
Several iconic collaborations between cigar and liquor brands have emerged from this shared passion for craftsmanship. Maker’s Mark, for example, offers cigars housed in their signature wax-sealed tubes, while Drew Estate has partnered with Pappy Van Winkle and even crafted Kahlua-flavoured cigars in the past. General Cigars has teamed up with Sazerac, resulting in creations like Fireball cigars and Weller by Cohiba, alongside partnerships with Buffalo Trace. Diesel’s Whisky Row cigars, produced in collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries, are another fine example of this harmonious relationship.
Cuban cigars have also embraced this trend, with Cohiba famously collaborating with Martell Cognac. In Europe, Dominique London, a luxury retailer, has gone even further by acquiring a distillery in Wales, producing their own whisky, gin, rum, and other liquors to pair with their cigars.
Pairing cigars with liquor creates a world of possibilities for the discerning connoisseur, allowing both the cigar and the spirit to shine through their complementary flavours. This rich tradition continues to inspire new partnerships and innovations, providing endless enjoyment for enthusiasts.
Slipknot Iowa Whiskey
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, vocalist Anders Colsefni, and bassist Paul Gray. Known for their distinctive image, aggressive music, and high-energy live performances, the band initially settled on a nine-member lineup that included Crahan, Gray, Joey Jordison, Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root.
Their debut album, Slipknot (1999), propelled them to fame, with the follow-up, Iowa (2001), further increasing their popularity. After a brief hiatus, they released Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) in 2004, followed by All Hope Is Gone(2008), which topped the US Billboard 200 chart. They took another break before releasing .5: The Gray Chapter (2014) and We Are Not Your Kind (2019). Their seventh studio album, The End, So Far, came out on September 30, 2022.
The band has sold 30 million records globally and over 12 million in the US. Founding bassist Paul Gray passed away in 2010, and Joey Jordison was dismissed in 2013. Gray was briefly replaced by Donnie Steele, and Jordison’s departure led to Alessandro Venturella and Jay Weinberg joining the band. Other lineup changes include the departure of Chris Fehn in 2019 and the replacement of Craig Jones and Jay Weinberg in 2023, with Eloy Casagrande stepping in as the new drummer.
Slipknot and Cedar Ridge Distillery, two iconic entities from Iowa dedicated to excellence and hard work, have teamed up to create ‘No. 9 Whiskey.’ This distinctive blend features Iowa corn complemented by the added spice of rye. The whiskey is crafted from a mix of 3-4 year old straight rye and straight bourbon, all mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged at Cedar Ridge Distillery. The mashbill consists of 51% corn, 35% malted rye, and 14% malted barley and has an ABV of 45%
Neat
The nose is quite sweet with caramel, vanilla, honeysuckle, corn but there are also hints of spice and some toasted oak. The whisky has charater and bite. Jalapeno spice with cornbread, apple, marshmellow and sweet fruity and malty notes. It’s pleasant and way better than expected from a celebrity spirit. The finish has hints of chocolate with floral and malt notes. This whisky, in a Glencairn, would pair well with a strong cigar with dark flavours.
In a rocks glass, the nose is less pronounced. The jalapeno is stronger on the palate, but it’s still quite balanced and pleasant. I paired this with the Honduran made My Father Blue robusto and that was a very enjoyable pairing.
Old Fashioned
The nose is orange, and even though I had hundreds of Old Fashioneds by now, it will never cease to amaze me how much influence that little bit of oil from an orange peel can have. The sweetness is less pronounced, the pepper is mellowed out but there is way much more depth and it’s all coming from the bitters. The whole cocktail has a slight bitterness from these Angostura bitters, but not in a bad way. This will go well with a Connecticut Broadleaf or Maduro cigar due to the sweetness in those cigars.
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 one that burns the least
The name of this cocktail is a nod to the song ‘the one that kills the least’ from the band’s 5thalbum, The Gray Chapter. The aroma is limey with hints of the caramel and vanilla from the whisky. The sweetness is nice, but the lime is a bit too strong in my humble opinion, which makes pairing it with cigars a little hard. It’s not a daiquiri strength citrus though, so it can still be paired with a cigar. If you pick something medium plus or stronger, like the LOFB Serie O, you’ll have a good time.
And now for the one that burns the least recipe:
60ml of Slipknot No.9 Iowa Whiskey
45ml of Triple Sec
15ml of lime juice
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and pour the #9 Iowa Whiskey, triple sec and the lime juice. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to chill and blend the ingredients. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Optionally, garnish with a lime wedge.
