Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Strange Nature Barrel Aged

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.

Strange Nature: A Bold Twist on Gin Tradition

Strange Nature offers a daring reinterpretation of classic gin, crafted from an unexpected source – New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Distilled from grapes rather than grain, its base spirit brings a distinctively local character, rich with natural fruit and floral notes. Nature flavours the strange.

This one-of-a-kind gin captures the vibrant essence of its wine roots – aromatic and expressive, balancing tropical zest with fresh herbaceous tones. It’s a flavour profile that’s unmistakably tied to its origins.

The journey begins with 0% alcohol Sauvignon Blanc wine from New Zealand. Using cutting-edge spinning cone technology, the alcohol is carefully removed while preserving the wine’s original aromas and flavours. This pure white spirit is then redistilled with a single botanical: juniper – the heart of all true gin.

Strange Nature’s grapes are grown on a remote riverbed between mountain ranges, in glacially carved soils kissed by cool coastal breezes. The result is a wine – and now a gin – that’s both delicate and bold, familiar yet strikingly original.

With no added botanicals beyond juniper, Strange Nature proves that simplicity can be sublime. All the complexity comes from its remarkable grape-based spirit, delivering an unexpected gin experience that’s clean, aromatic, and truly extraordinary.

Embracing the Golden Age of Strange, the gin has been gracefully aged for nine months in used French and German wine barrels. The aging process has resulted in a gin that preserves the signature flavours of Strange Nature while unveiling elegant characteristics and intriguing complexity. Layers of citrus, berries, and spice, elevate the sipping experience.

Neat

The nose reveals that this gin is made from grapes, from Sauvignon Blanc to be precise. There is a hint of white wine fruitiness combined with lemon and blackcurrant. The wine aroma can also come from the nine months of aging in French and German wine casks.

This is smooth with lemon zest, blackcurrant, spices and a hint of pineapple. It tastes a lot like the regular Strange Nature, just a bit smoother and nuanced. I expected more from the barrel aging to be honest. I would pair this with a milder cigar, nothing outspoken but something that compliments the nuances of the gin.

Gin & Tonic

The Gin & Tonic with the Strange Nature Barrel Aged has the same nose as the neat spirit, just more diluted due to the tonic. The wine notes in the nose are more pronounced though.

The cocktail shows the fresh and slightly sour notes of a Sauvignon Blanc, which by the way is not my favourite style of wine, but with some juniper, spices and blackcurrant. This will go well with a nice woody cigar, something with an Habano wrapper. I smoked this with a West Tampa Black, which was also a great pairing.

And now for the gin tonic recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml of gin

4 ounces or 120ml of Tonic water

Fill a Copa or Collins glass with ice.
Add the gin, then the tonic and stir gently.

Barrel Aged Last Word

The sweetness and fruitiness of the maraschino liqueur and the herbal notes of the Green Chartreuse completely overpower the aroma of the gin and the fresh lime juice. The cocktail is quite confusing but in a good way. The blackcurrant and the Maraschino cherry work well together, the liqueur also provides enough sweetness to balance the sour freshness of the lime while the Chartreuse adds warming herbal notes. This is a cocktail that has a lot going on, which is nice for a change. I would pair this with a medium to full bodied cigar with earthy notes, quite full flavoured. Montecristo if you want to go Cuban, or maybe Partagas. For non-Cubans there is a plethora of options.

And now for the gin tonic recipe:
22½ml Gin
22½ml Green Chartreuse
22½ml Maraschino liqueur
22½ml Lime juice
Add the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a brandied cherry

Barrel Aged Sazerac

The nose has a lot of anise, even though the glass was only rinsed with absinth and there is no absinth in the drink at all. The lemon from the garnish is the strongest aroma though.

The Peychaud’s bitters overpower the smooth gin, but the sugar balances the bitterness. The white wine flavour of the gin, and the juniper notes, provide a nice backdrop for the bitters. It’s a decent cocktail, less spicy than a Sazerac with rye as the standard cocktail is made with. This will go well with a stronger cigar, with a nice woody and peppery flavour profile.

And now for the Barrel Aged Sazerac recipe:
Absinth to rinse the glass
1 sugar cube
½ teaspoon cold water
4 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
75ml Barrel Aged Gin
Lemon peel as garnish
Rinse a rocks glass with absinth. Muddle the sugar cube with water and the bitters in a mixing glass. Add the gin and ice, stir for 15-2o seconds. Strain into the prepared glass. Add the lemon twist.