Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Flor de Caña 12
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.
Flor de Caña 12
Flor de Caña, named after the delicate sugarcane flower, is Nicaragua’s most renowned rum brand, with a rich heritage dating back to 1890. Known for its smoothness and quality, Flor de Caña has become a global ambassador for Nicaraguan spirits. Interestingly, Oliva’s budget rum line, Flor de Oliva, pays subtle homage by using a similar font style on its packaging, echoing Flor de Caña’s iconic branding.
Flor de Caña rum is crafted with meticulous care, distilled five times to ensure exceptional purity and smoothness. Each batch is aged in charred oak barrels that were previously used to mature bourbon whiskey, imparting rich, complex flavours. Additionally, all Flor de Caña rums are produced in compliance with kosher standards, highlighting the brand’s commitment to quality and inclusivity.
The core aged range includes expressions of 12, 18, and 25 years, each offering a distinctive profile. The Flor de Caña 12, in particular, strikes an excellent balance between richness and approachability. Some of the rum in this bottle has been aged for 12 years, this rum delivers notes of caramel, toasted almonds, and subtle spices, making it a versatile choice for sipping neat or mixing in premium cocktails. It is widely praised for its smooth finish and depth of character at a more accessible price point compared to its older siblings.
Previously I had the opportunity to enjoy a bottle of the Flor de Caña 18, which offers even deeper complexity and richness, but the 12-year-old expression remains a classic favourite for many rum enthusiasts around the world.
Neat
An exceptional rum from Nicaragua’s renowned Flor de Caña distillery, this premium spirit is crafted for sipping. Equally impressive is the brand’s commitment to sustainability—Flor de Caña is both carbon neutral and Fair Trade certified. The distillery runs entirely on renewable energy and offsets its emissions by planting an impressive 50,000 trees annually since 2005.
The nose has hints of buttery toffee, cinnamon, gingerbread and apple pie. This sipping rum is smooth and warming. Toffee apple with cinnamon vanilla. There is also a hint of nutmeg and other dark spices, some black pepper too. It’s a delicious rum with a long toffee and custard finish. I would pair this with a nice, delicate yet fuller bodied cigar. Something refined, yet bold.
Flor Sparkling
This cocktail comes from the Flor de Caña website, and if the official website endorses a cocktail, I have to try it. The recipe looks a lot like an Old Fashioned, without the added sweetness and bitters. The nose is just like an Old Fashioned, a strong aroma of orange. I prefer an old fashioned though as this tastes like a watered down version of the neat drink, with some orange on the nose. Which exactly is what this cocktail is made off. Because of this diluted version of spices, honey and toffee I would pair this with a milder cigar. If you still want a premium cigar without having to resort to a Connecticut Shade wrapper, the Plasencia Alma del Cielo is a good option.
And now for the Flor Sparkling recipe:
45 ml Flor de Caña 12
Splash of sparkling water
Orange peel
Put a big rock of ice in a rocks glass. Add the liquids, stir gently and add an orange peel.
Smoked old fashioned
I love a rum old fashioned so when I saw this recipe on the Flor de Caña website I knew I had to try this. It’s easy for me as I bought this simple glass smoking device recently, and if you enjoy smoked cocktails I suggest you buy one too.
The nose is orange, it’s an Old Fashioned after all, but with a very nice smoky note as well. The bitters are a bit stronger than in a regular rum Old Fashioned due to the double dose. It throws off the balance but brings more depth to the drink. The sweetness gets stronger the further into the drink, due to the undissolved sugar. This will go great with a strong Connecticut broadleaf cigar with bold flavours.
And now for the Smoked old fashioned recipe:
30ml Flor de Caña 12
4 dashes aromatic bitters
1 tablespoon of brown demerara sugar
splash of sparkling water
Orange peel
Maraschino Cherry
Smoke a rocks glass with herbs and citrus peels. Pour all the non-garnish ingredients in the glass in the order above over a big ice cube. Stir, then express the orange peel oils, add the peel to the drink and add a cherry
Daiquiri
A daiquiri with a dark rum? Why not. I know that this cocktail is traditionally made with a white, unaged rum, but it should work with an aged dark rum as well.
The nose is mainly lime from the garnish. Where I usually love a daiquiri but deem it to sour to pair it with a cigar, it’s not the case with this Flor de Caña 12 Daiquiri. The lime is there, the sweetness is there and the buttery toffee flavour and dark spices of the rum are there, all balanced and not as citrus forward as the daiquiri’s I am used to. The cocktail has all the flavours and ends with a slightly savoury note. This is great to pair with a cigar, medium bodied, earthy or woody.
And now for the Daiquiri recipe:
45ml Rum
30ml Lime juice
22½ml Simple syrup
Lime twist for garnish
Add all the wet ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled couple glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
