Coffee and Cigars: The Perfect Pairing

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TODAY'S CIGAR: T.E.H. Arts - N - Craft

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:13

Welcome to the Cigar Rebel community, where indulgence meets authenticity. This is more than a podcast. It's a gathering place for those who savor life's luxuries with unapologetic passion. Here we celebrate the fine art of living through rich flavors, bold spirits, exquisite cigars, and unforgettable experiences.

SPEAKER_04 0:36

Welcome, Cigar Rebels, to the podcast. I'm Mel. Whether you are lighting up on your back porch, sitting in your favorite lounge, driving home from work, or sneaking away for a little peace and quiet with a cigar, we're glad you're here.

SPEAKER_05 0:50

Absolutely. And I'm Kevin, and tonight we're coming to you live with an episode that many of you rebels out there have been excited about, and we're excited to bring to you tonight coffee and cigars.

SPEAKER_04 1:02

Yeah, and I really do think that this is one of the few pairings that almost every cigar smoker can agree on.

SPEAKER_05 1:11

Yeah, absolutely. Bourbon is great, rum is fantastic with a cigar. Wine can be exceptional when paired appropriately, but coffee, coffee always is invited.

SPEAKER_04 1:23

Yes, so morning patio, afternoon reset, late night espresso, rainy day lounge smoke. Maybe you're doing a dessert with coffee or a dessert instead of coffee. Coffee just fits any time of the day.

SPEAKER_05 1:36

Absolutely. And cigar smokers have paired coffee and cigars many, many times, but not everybody understands or knows why, Mel.

SPEAKER_04 1:45

Right, exactly. So tonight we are going to talk about why coffee and cigars pair so well and how roast level changes your cigar experience. So, also we're going to talk about why morning cigars are different from evening cigars and how to choose the right cigar with the right cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_05 2:06

Yeah, and maybe we'll help a few of you rebels avoid pairing a delicate Connecticut with a double espresso that hits like a freight train.

SPEAKER_04 2:15

Uh yes, that poor Connecticut never stood a chance. None. So tonight is gonna be really fun. It's gonna be practical, educational, and maybe a little bit more dangerous for anyone who already owns too many cigars and too many coffee gadgets.

SPEAKER_05 2:31

I feel attacked on that one. I love the gadgets. I just recently got me this little pour-over thing that I meant to bring to it this tonight, and it's sitting on the table at home. But Mel had to laugh at me because I don't need something else to make coffee with.

SPEAKER_04 2:45

Uh, that is very true. I mean, we've got lots of different things. All right, Rebels, let's go ahead and cut, light, and settle in.

SPEAKER_05 2:52

Absolutely. But Mel, before we get too far, what are we smoking tonight?

SPEAKER_04 2:56

Tonight we are smoking the Arts and Crafts uh by the Elevated Hubador. It has a San Andreas Maduro uh wrapper, Indonesian binder, and uh this one I believe also has Nicaraguan Ecuadorian fillers.

SPEAKER_05 3:12

Yep, absolutely. And so tonight we're smoking a cigar that we picked specifically for this kind of conversation. We wanted something approachable and flavorable and pretty flexible. Um, something that could stand up to the coffee but not fight it mal.

SPEAKER_04 3:26

Exactly. So coffee, it can be light and it can be bright, it can be creamy and sweet, it can be dark and bitter, uh, my least favorite. It can be the cold brew, it can be espresso, and it can be gas station coffee that has been sitting there since Tuesday. But in desperate times, desperate.

SPEAKER_05 3:44

Yeah, we do not recommend that pairing. Don't ever get coffee from a convenience store that's been sitting there forever. There's a coffee shop around the corner everywhere.

SPEAKER_06 3:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 3:55

Um, but we do respect the hustle. Late night, needing a cup of coffee. I've done it. Driving overnight, light a cigar, get a cup of coffee to make the finish up the drive.

SPEAKER_04 4:05

So for not recommended. Exactly. For tonight's cigar, we're looking for a profile with cedar cream, toasted nuts, uh, maybe a little bit of cocoa, maybe some baking spice, uh, and enough body to really stay interesting. And so that is why we are smoking the event-only cigar by the Elevated Humidor, the Arts and Crafts.

SPEAKER_05 4:28

Yep, absolutely. So a couple of shout-outs, the Leaf and Ash podcast, good to see you on tonight. Krista, Alex with TDM Cigars. Yo, Kiltman, it's good to see you. Um, Addy and uh Kiltman says he loves coffees with cigars. But let's go ahead and get this cigar lit tonight. Our lighting is brought to you by the elevated humidor.

SPEAKER_07 4:53

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SPEAKER_04 6:12

As always, thank you to our sponsors. Now that we have this lit, what are you uh getting off of that?

SPEAKER_05 6:20

Yeah, so there's a light woodiness to it. Um, the smoke seems to be pretty creamy and a little bit of a soft spice just on the finish. It's got a very short finish. Um, but again, since it's been lit, I've taken three or four draws, so we'll see how it develops.

SPEAKER_04 6:34

Yep, I agree with that. And for those of you that had this in your rebel pack, feel free to drop in the comments how you were enjoying the cigar. Same with our live audience. So I believe everyone is smoking along with us tonight.

SPEAKER_05 6:44

Yep, absolutely. And so, Dave, good to see you. Evening. So, we got a lot of people on with us. Leslie's back in her backyard, so she is no longer in Maine, wishing she was still there. It was a beautiful view last week during the duel. Um, and for those of you guys watching live here in our live audience, we've got several different coffees brewed during joining with us tonight to make this experience a little bit better. And so, Mel, let's jump right into the topic.

SPEAKER_04 7:11

So I feel like the aroma coming off of the cigar has a sweet woodiness, maybe a little bit of hay and maybe a little bit of cocoa in there.

SPEAKER_05 7:22

Yeah, and so that really already kind of describes coffee.

SPEAKER_04 7:27

It really does.

SPEAKER_05 7:28

Right? And so, what coffee are we pairing with it tonight? What are we drinking?

SPEAKER_04 7:33

So, tonight we are really using three coffee lanes uh as the reference point. So we have the light roast or the breakfast style coffee, uh, a medium roast, and then the darker espresso style coffee as well.

SPEAKER_05 7:49

Absolutely. We're not trying to be coffee snobs tonight. Um, but for Mel and I, we both have a cup of coffee. It's more of that dark roast to pair with this to enjoy. Um, we brewed and brought with us, and then we brewed several pots here. And so, like I said, not trying to be coffee snobs, but you've got to have good variety of coffee if you're pairing with a cigar.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

Yeah, absolutely. Um, and some of you out there probably have different scales, grinders, water temperature charts, maybe a notebook. I know a couple of people that they will exclusively roast their own beans, they have their own, they have their own premise to make coffee, and everything else is not worth drinking.

SPEAKER_05 8:29

Yeah, absolutely. I and the I know the person you're thinking of. I'm not gonna mention them here tonight, but I hate going anywhere to get coffee with them because it is never going to be good. You're just prepared for griping.

SPEAKER_04 8:42

I mean, to be fair, I do have a few friends that way, but that's true.

SPEAKER_05 8:47

Um, but tonight we're gonna keep it practical.

SPEAKER_04 8:50

We want to exactly good.

SPEAKER_05 8:52

I was saying we want to help people understand how the same cigar can change depending on the cup of coffee, which is why we brewed several ones here tonight for people to move along as we smoke the cigar, right?

SPEAKER_04 9:04

And I think that's kind of the fun part.

SPEAKER_05 9:06

Yeah, absolutely. Because same cigar, three different coffees ends up being three different unique experiences.

SPEAKER_04 9:16

100%. Um, I also think that on this cigar, I have not sipped any coffee with it yet, but I'm about to. Maybe getting a little bit of soft pepper on the retrohale.

SPEAKER_05 9:28

Yeah, so definitely a little bit with the coffee, it mutes a little bit of that from what we're drinking, and the sweet and creaminess come out for me a little bit. Um, but that soft pepper is definitely there, not too much, just enough to kind of wake up the senses. And with the coffiness, as I said, that creaminess is there, and maybe a little bit of a nuttiness flavor is starting to show up as we just get maybe a quarter of an inch into this cigar.

SPEAKER_04 9:55

Yeah, 100%. Uh, but that's exactly I think what we kind of wanted tonight: a cigar that is going to give us all room to talk.

SPEAKER_05 10:04

Right, absolutely. And so a little bit of audience interaction, engagement tonight. Um, for those of you guys watching live in the chat, um, jump right in right now. Drop in the comments what you're smoking and what you're drinking tonight.

SPEAKER_04 10:17

Yes, that would be awesome. So, we definitely want to know are you drinking black coffee? Uh, do you take it with cream and sugar? Do you take it with maybe cream or of some kind, a latte, a cold brew, maybe an espresso? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 10:30

Jay says he likes an iced coffee in Texas heat. Um, definitely agree. We're drinking all hot coffees tonight. Um, Mel loves a good iced coffee. I'm not much of an iced coffee person. Um, for you rebels out there, if you have a favorite coffee and cigar pairing, go ahead and drop that in the comments as well, and we'll read a few as we go along because why not? Coffee and cigars just work.

SPEAKER_04 10:54

Yes, so let's go ahead. We're gonna start simple. And why is that that coffee and cigars work so well together?

SPEAKER_05 11:00

It's really because they speak the same language.

SPEAKER_04 11:05

Yes, so both are agricultural products. Uh, coffee starts as a seed, tobacco starts as a seed. Uh, both are shaped by where they're grown.

SPEAKER_05 11:15

Yeah. Soil, climate, elevation, rainfall, fermentation, processing, human skill, how the final product is manufactured.

SPEAKER_04 11:24

Yes, so basically we are going back to dirt again. Yeah, you know, we love talking about dirt. Yeah, we never weren't on dirt, right?

SPEAKER_05 11:32

Tobacco 101 Mel, it never ended.

SPEAKER_04 11:35

And it probably never will. But the uh that matters because coffee and cigars they share so much flavor language. The cocoa, the nuts, earth, uh, there's gonna be cream, caramel, uh, pepper, wood, all of those things, dark fruit, roasted nuts. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 11:58

And when you pair them well, those flavors can support each other, or they can bring something completely new out.

SPEAKER_04 12:05

Right. And that's that's the magic, really. This are you pairing a complementary or a contrasting or contradicting pairing? So a good coffee pairing doesn't just sit next to the cigar, it's going to change how you experience the cigar.

SPEAKER_05 12:22

Absolutely. Eric said he likes to roast his own coffee. I would love to try some of that, Eric. Um, he says, I'm a black French press guy every day. Um, I've been thinking about getting a French press. Like I said, I just got my own pour over. And he says, tonight I'm drinking an ice shaken espresso paired with a La Roma Cuba de Miamore, which is a fantastic cigar. Um, vanilla mocha is really bringing out the chocolate in the arts and craft. I love that, Krista. It's great. Um, the truth is a cigar can change how you experience the coffee in as much as the coffee can change how you experience the cigar.

SPEAKER_04 12:59

Right. So a cigar that has natural sweetness can soften bitterness in coffee. A darker coffee can pull the cocoa or earth out of a cigar. Right. And there's gonna be creamy coffee drinks can make a Connecticut even silkier if you have that pairing.

SPEAKER_05 13:17

Yeah, and the problem though, Mel, is a bad pairing can make both worse.

SPEAKER_04 13:24

Yes, and it makes them worse quickly, very quickly, and it can also give you that wrong impression from the cigar.

SPEAKER_05 13:32

Yeah, and so sometimes you smoke the cigar and you don't enjoy it, but it might be what you had actually paired it with because we've all had that moment where when you love the cigar, you love the drink, but together they taste a lot like regret.

SPEAKER_04 13:46

Yes, so I could not agree more. It happens, uh happens sometimes more frequently to me than I'm expecting, even. And so that's when you just need to cleanse your palate and leave the drink behind.

SPEAKER_05 13:59

Yeah, absolutely. Because the goal's balance and how do you make it better? If it's bad, I love your idea. Just cleanse your palate, get some sparkling water, get a glass of water, swish it around, drink, leave the drink behind, finish the cigar and come back to the drink.

SPEAKER_04 14:13

Right, because you don't want the coffee to erase the cigar, and you don't want the cigar to bully the coffee.

SPEAKER_05 14:21

That's a really good word, bully there, because a full-bodied pepper bomb can absolutely bully or completely overtake a delicate coffee.

SPEAKER_04 14:31

Yes, and a bitter espresso can completely flatten a mild cigar.

SPEAKER_05 14:36

Yeah, so Mel, let's talk about some rules when it comes to pairing coffee and cigars. Um, what's the first rule?

SPEAKER_04 14:43

So, first off, you want to match the body with body. So you're gonna do a light uh coffee with a light cigar, a medium with a medium, a full with a full.

SPEAKER_05 14:53

Absolutely. And that doesn't mean that you can't experiment a little and try different pairings.

SPEAKER_04 14:58

Yeah, I mean, definitely experiment, learn what you enjoy. Uh, but if you're trying to build a reliable pairing, uh, that's where you start. So complementary pairings can help um accentuate the flavor and not mute it. So you have to be very careful that that complementary uh does not remove or mute the flavors that you enjoy about the cigar. So it can also accentuate the flavor notes and it can bring out other notes as well.

SPEAKER_05 15:30

Yeah, absolutely. And that's the great thing about complimentary. Either what's weird is when you have complimentary and contradictory, both can help and both can hurt, right? Yeah. So let's talk a little bit about coffee and cigars from your perspective. Um, let me ask you something. Do you remember the first time you realized that coffee and cigars belong together?

SPEAKER_04 15:52

Yeah, um, I do, honestly. Um, and it wasn't even a fancy pairing event, like we weren't even being crazy or anything.

SPEAKER_06 16:01

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 16:02

Um but it wasn't premium espresso, it wasn't at a cigar lounge tasting seminar with anyone. It was just a quiet, regular morning, and it was a coffee and cigar, and it was perfect.

SPEAKER_05 16:17

Yeah, and that's normally how it happens. It's just a quiet morning at home on the deck with a coffee and cigar. Um, and so I remember one of the times we went, we were in Alaska and we went to a cigar event and doing a cigar event with them, and they brought out espresso after the meal, and it was just absolutely fantastic. I've been having cigars and coffee a little bit before, but that's the first time I'd really ventured out from just my home-brewed every morning cigar, and it was really, really good. Yep. Um, and I remember thinking, man, I've got to figure out what's the right cigar because they had particularly chosen that cigar to smoke with that brand of coffee, and it was impactful to me. That was about five years ago now. Can't believe it's been that long, but it's been a little while since we did that.

SPEAKER_04 17:07

Yeah, and I think for me, I had smoked that cigar before, it wasn't a new cigar or anything, but it really did make a big transition to how the coffee felt to me. Uh, the cream came forward, the cedar was a little softer, and the sweetness was a lot easier to notice.

SPEAKER_05 17:28

Yeah, absolutely. And Eric said, I've got to say, there's one, there is one cigar in this world better than any other with a morning coffee. And he says the Southern Draw Morning Glory, my personal favorite. Um, I do like that cigar. I think there's several others that a lot of people talk about. We're gonna talk about a few here in a little bit. Yep. Um, one of the new ones that just came out is Rojas Morning.

SPEAKER_04 17:52

I can't remember the name of the blank.

SPEAKER_05 17:54

Um, but the comments I've been hearing on it rivals that Southern Draw Morning Glory. And so I'm excited to try that one. You're talking about your coffee experience. I had a very similar experience. You smoked a cigar, you already know. You take a sip of the coffee, and suddenly you're like, this coffee tastes better. Yeah, this cigar tastes better. Um, I smoke, as many of you guys watching or have been around the Rebels long, I smoke the same cigar every single morning. I have for like almost 2,000 days. Um, Mel's been rolling it for me for years now, and absolutely love that cigar. I have the cup of coffee every morning, and we switch coffees that we brew in the morning so that I can actually get um quite a different variation. Yeah, that quiet mornings, that's what it is. Um, we have them in the humidor here at Stories. I just can't remember what it was. Um, they're gonna be releasing here in a couple of days. Uh, Alex said, okay, hear me out. Um, Hay Ginda's coffee chip ice cream and a nice Maduro cigar. I'm with you, my friend. I've never actually had that particular brand, but I've had coffee ice cream with a cigar, and it is fantastic. Um, I also like a dark chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirl in it with a cigar. That's another great dessert uh setup.

SPEAKER_04 19:14

I pretty much like any type of ice cream. Yeah, I you do like too. Except for butter pecan. I am not a butter pecan fan.

SPEAKER_05 19:20

Yeah. So getting back to the topic, when you have the coffee and cigar and you start noticing the change in the cigar, the cigar has always tasted the same, but the coffee brought out something different. You might start asking yourself, has the cigar always tasted like this?

SPEAKER_04 19:36

Right. And the cigar didn't change, but the pairing did. And that's why we talk about pairings being so important and how they can affect your cigar experience.

SPEAKER_05 19:46

Yeah, and it's one of the coolest things that comes with this hobby and this passion that we love around cigars, is people spend so much time chasing the rare cigars, the limited editions, the special releases, and something, or really sometimes the biggest flavor mail is discovered with something that's sitting in your kitchen.

SPEAKER_04 20:06

Yeah, 100%. So sitting on your deck with a cup of coffee, it can definitely change the entire experience.

SPEAKER_05 20:13

Coffee is accessible. Most people already drink it. You don't have to spend $50 to get a nice bottle, you don't have to become a mixologist and make the perfect mixing. You just need a little curiosity and a little bit of experimentation.

SPEAKER_04 20:30

Yeah, and really attention. So if you slow down and take a few minutes, coffee really can teach you how to taste cigars.

SPEAKER_05 20:40

Absolutely. Leslie of the corn said, I can remember the first time we had coffee and cigar pairing. We're at one of our local brick and mortars, and the owner served popcorn to French press with a cigar. It truly a game changer, or it was truly a game changer. I love that.

SPEAKER_06 20:54

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_05 20:56

So when it comes to coffee, here's the deal. You take a sip, you take a puff, you notice what changes more sweetness, more bitterness, more creaminess, more spice, or maybe less. And that begins to let you know what you're tasting.

SPEAKER_04 21:11

Right. And then suddenly you are building your palate without actually making it feel like homework.

SPEAKER_05 21:18

Right, absolutely. So let's talk about something a lot of cigar smokers understand instinctively, even if they've never really thought about it, the time of day, Mel, it matters.

SPEAKER_04 21:29

Yes, it absolutely does. Um, that is why uh I want to spend a couple of minutes talking about morning cigars versus evening cigars. As the first part of that is your palate in the morning is not going to be the same as your palate after you've had dinner.

SPEAKER_05 21:46

Yeah, absolutely. It's why a full body Nicaraguan cigar at 7 30 in the morning can become a bad life decision.

SPEAKER_04 21:54

Yes, especially if you have not had anything to eat and you have not had breakfast and you are smoking it on a Empty stomach.

SPEAKER_05 22:00

That's how you end up sitting very, very still, staring into space and rethinking this entire hobby.

SPEAKER_04 22:09

Yes, 100%. Do not recommend. Um, but in the morning, your palate is usually cleaner and it's going to be more sensitive. Uh, bitter flavors are going to feel uh sharper, strong tobacco can feel heavier, and nicotine can hit harder.

SPEAKER_05 22:25

Yeah, and so there's a story I think I've shared on the podcast before. Um, and so if I have, I apologize. But this was not coffee, it was um bullet rye bourbon. But I got home from a long day, had a meeting, Mel was out shopping, and so I decided I was gonna smoke something really quick. Um, I got a cigar that's probably eight or nine on the strength scale. Um, went outside, got it cut, poured me a little bit of the bourbon. I put a little rock in there because it was hot outside. I'm sitting outside smoking, and before you know it, I am just staring off into the yard. And I get up and I immediately lose it. Everything I'd had for lunch over the rail of the deck onto the backyard. I walk into the house. I actually still have been wearing, I've been wearing a suit to work, so I had the suit jacket hanging on a chair, but I still had the pants and the shirt. I was like, Oh, I'm just gonna have a cigar quick, wait for Mel to come home. I laid down on the floor and did not move until Mel got home. Um, and I was just totally cigar drunk. Yeah, and that can happen to you if you pair the wrong cigar at the wrong time of day, which is why milder medium cigars often work better earlier in the day. Now that was kind of late day, five o'clock. I'd had a little bit of a lunch, but it was 105, 90 humidity. They um when I finally looked at it, it said it felt like 111 outside, and I'm in dress shoes, pants, and a shirt. So time of the day and heat matters.

SPEAKER_04 23:56

Oh, yeah, 100%. So definitely got to keep an eye on that. Um, but I think that's sometimes like you were saying, why mild and medium cigars often are going to work better earlier in the day. And especially the cigars that are gonna have cream, cedar, nuts, uh, some soft sweetness, maybe some light baking spice, a Connecticut shade, Ecuadorian Connecticut, maybe some mild Dominican blends, um softer Cameroon blends, those are all going to be beautiful morning cigars.

SPEAKER_05 24:30

I agree, Mel, absolutely. And Richard's comment is exactly uh right. That's definitely what I mean. Uh, Richard, that was before I realized a little bit of chocolate helps with that.

SPEAKER_06 24:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 24:39

Uh, but I didn't discover that yet. And that was uh, I've been smoking a couple of months when that happened. And so when it comes to those morning cigars that Mel just mentioned, coffee often gives them structure and builds out their flavor profile.

SPEAKER_04 24:54

Right. A light cigar with black coffee can feel more balanced, a cappuccino can make a mild cigar feel richer, a latte can pull out those vanilla toasted nut notes, maybe a little bit of cream in there.

SPEAKER_05 25:10

If you take the same morning cigar and go dark roast espresso with a full-bodied Maduro, that may be a little too much too early, to be honest.

SPEAKER_04 25:23

Although we do have some friends who do start the morning with strength and they get lighter in strength and flavor intensity as the day goes on. Absolutely. But we don't necessarily recommend starting out that way.

SPEAKER_05 25:36

Yeah, absolutely. Afternoon evenings are very different.

SPEAKER_04 25:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 25:41

By then, most people have eaten a little bit in the evening. Um, your palate's warmed up, your body's more ready for strength, richer flavors, rich, richer flavors become easier to enjoy. And that's when pepper, leather, espresso, dark chocolate, earthiness, and heavier spice can truly shine.

SPEAKER_04 26:04

Yes, 100%. That evening cigar with a dark roast or espresso can feel very luxurious, but in the morning, that same pairing could feel very harsh.

SPEAKER_05 26:16

Yeah, absolutely. The practical question here, Mel, is this it's not just what cigar do I like? It is when am I going to smoke that cigar?

SPEAKER_04 26:30

Right. And what am I pairing it with?

SPEAKER_05 26:32

Yeah, and that's the simple shift that truly can begin to change everything for your flavor experience. Um, up next, Mel, I really want to talk about the three coffee lanes. Okay. And kind of what maybe a little bit more depth than we have already.

SPEAKER_04 26:46

Yeah, so tonight um we are putting coffee into three simple lanes, and that is going to be light, medium, and dark.

SPEAKER_05 26:53

Yeah, coffee people, please do not yell at us.

SPEAKER_04 26:56

Yes, we know that coffee is more complicated than that. Um, and there's different regions and processes.

SPEAKER_05 27:04

Absolutely. There's acidity, there's roast curves, there's pour over methods, there's all these things. Um, and there's even the temperature of your water. I mean, I know somebody who measures the temperature of their water before they pour it to make sure they get the right acidity. And so there's espresso ratios, there's grind size, as I said, water temperature. It all impacts. We understand that, but we want to be a little more simple tonight.

SPEAKER_04 27:31

Right, right. We don't want to lose our uh cigar audience. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 27:35

We we want to bring them to the table, not run them away.

SPEAKER_04 27:38

Yes. So going moving forward, keeping it practical. Lane one is the light roast or the breakfast style coffee. Lane two is our medium roast, and lane three is going to be that dark roast, espresso, Cuban coffee, or maybe that rich cold brew.

SPEAKER_05 27:57

Yeah, I love that Dave said the dark roast is bringing out the creamy chocolate and actually making the Maduro milder. I love that. Um, just because it makes a different smoking experience. Right. So let's start with light roast. A light roast can be brighter, sometimes more acidic, sometimes floral, and sometimes a little citrusy, usually lighter bodied, stronger caffeine content, however, although the difference is pretty minor when it's compared to medium roast.

SPEAKER_04 28:26

Right. Uh so what cigars are gonna work for that?

SPEAKER_05 28:30

Yeah, so really milder cigars, right? Connecticut shade, a creamy Dominican cigar, a smooth Ecuadorian Connecticut, maybe a mellow Cameroon that you mentioned earlier. You want a cigar that won't just crush the brightness of that coffee.

SPEAKER_04 28:47

Right. And this is where cream and cedar, uh, some toasted almond, hay, that light sweetness, um, they work very beautifully together. And so uh the coffee is going to wake up your palate, and the cigar is going to smooth all of the edges.

SPEAKER_05 29:05

Yeah, and this is what I call the porch coffee, right? This is the watching the world wake up. This is the before emails or meetings ruin your personality cigar, right?

SPEAKER_04 29:18

So before we get to lane two, I see a comment of someone asking how a chai latte would pair with a cigar, and I feel like we both have yeah, some good feedback on that.

SPEAKER_05 29:29

So why don't you go first?

SPEAKER_04 29:31

So we have poured chai and cigars multiple times, and again, choosing the right cigar, it is fantastic.

SPEAKER_05 29:39

Yeah, absolutely. I do love that. Um, I love chai. I actually keep a um pre-brewed chai um in the cabinet, and so there's no sweetener or anything added to it. Um, you're able to heat that up and pour it in there, and then I pour just a dash of a vanilla creamer in there, or I drink it straight. Either way, the chai and the spice really accentuates a phenomenal cigar if it's paired right. Um, it will overpower a Connecticut. Um, a nice Habano or a kind of thick Maduro leaf goes really well with that. Um, I really enjoyed it with the Agonorsa Supreme Leaf when I smoked that a while back, which was fantastic. I also really like it with the Bighorn by Big Sky. Um, both of those just pair really beautifully with the chai. Um, there's been a lot of them I've smoked. I'll smoke just about anything with the chai because I absolutely love it. However, those are two that pair really, really well with it. Yes. So that's a great catch out there. So lane two, man.

SPEAKER_04 30:41

Yes, so lane two is going to be medium roast. So this is probably the most flexible coffee for cigar pairings. A medium roast can bring out uh caramel, it can bring out chocolate, maybe nuts. It's going to have a balanced acidity and it's going to have enough body to stand up to more cigars.

SPEAKER_05 31:03

Absolutely. And this is where medium body cigars really truly begin to shine. Habano, risotto, cameroon, sumatra, some corojo, depending on the blend. Right. Um, often something balanced with Nicaraguan and Dominican blends combined.

SPEAKER_04 31:18

Right. And you can pair a medium roast with cigars that have cedar, baking spice, cocoa, leather, roasted nuts, I mean, even earth.

SPEAKER_05 31:30

Yeah, and that's really what makes the medium roast coffee the everyday pairing lane. Right. Um, when it comes to medium roast coffees, there's a lot of them out there. I'm not blending or roasting my own like Eric. Uh, but I have fallen in love with the Dutch Brothers bagged coffee. Um, I just love their medium roast and their dark roast. It's what one of the things I'm drinking tonight. Um, and it's very, very good. So a good way to experiment, and this is not in the notes, this is a freebie for you guys out there tonight, is buy some of those small bags at wherever you pick up your groceries so you can try out different blends. And sometimes I'll even have this, I'll make two pots of coffee in the same day and have try different ones. And I love it.

SPEAKER_04 32:13

Yeah. So if you're new to pairing cigars and coffees, I would recommend starting with a medium roast coffee and a medium-bodied cigar and just see what happens and go from there.

SPEAKER_05 32:26

Yeah, this pairing is truly the perfect pairing, especially for a phenomenal morning experience. Um, regardless of the complementary notes or the contradicting flavors, it seems to work together very, very well, both the cigar and the coffee. Um, Alex had mentioned anything with the PA broadleaf and a medium roast that pairs really well. The sweetness of the tobacco plus the aroma of the coffee really hits well. Um, I agree with that. Um, the cigar I smoke in the morning um typically pairs very well together with uh medium or dark roast. It's a um Ecuadorian habano with Dominican fillers, and it's just fantastic to really kind of pair that well together. Yeah, um, Duane al said that he agrees with Dave that he prefers a dark roast coffee and am getting the same notes from that.

SPEAKER_04 33:20

So yeah, that's awesome feedback. We're gonna move on now to lane three, which is going to be the dark roast espresso, the Cuban, or the cold brew.

SPEAKER_05 33:29

Yeah, and so the perfect mid-afternoon, early evening, or after dinner pairing. This is almost dessert.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

Right. So this is where the Maduro, the broadleaf, maybe an escro or a fuller Nicaraguan blend, a richer Dominican blend, uh, those bolder cigars are what's gonna make sense here.

SPEAKER_05 33:50

Yeah, because dark coffee has bitterness, it has roast, it has intensity, and it has body. A mild cigar can completely disappear into that and be truly muted.

SPEAKER_04 34:03

Right. But a fuller cigar can meet it where it's at and really elevate the entire experience. So dark roast coffee's uh common tasting notes are dark chocolate, uh, molasses, espresso, some of those ones you were mentioning.

SPEAKER_05 34:18

Yeah, that black pepper, a really damp earth, leather, charred oak. Um, and those flavors can really line up beautifully. And as I mentioned a little earlier, this truly can be an early evening pre-dinner meal treat or an after dinner dessert. Um, and sometimes I like to have dessert before dinner, so that's the perfect pairing. Yeah, um, and this is the no, I'd like to call this nobody talk to me for 90 minutes. I need to let the day wash away cigar pairing.

SPEAKER_04 34:49

Yes, for all the rebels out there, this is not just a perfect pairing, this is the self-care for your day.

SPEAKER_05 34:57

Absolutely. Um, all right, Rebels, let's hear from you again. Um, are you team light roast, medium roast, dark roast, or maybe an espresso? Um, we'd love to know.

SPEAKER_04 35:08

Yep, go ahead. Drop it, drop your feedback in the comments and tell us what cigar you would like to pair with it. So I would like to see if we have morning, if we have more of the morning Connecticut people or maybe espresso and uh Maduro rebels out there.

SPEAKER_05 35:27

Yeah, and so you already know the Maduro people are gonna be loud because that's just their personality.

SPEAKER_04 35:32

Um that's okay. Yeah, absolutely. Nothing wrong with that. Um, but now it's time to go ahead and talk about what makes a pairing good. Yeah, because yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 35:44

No, go for it. I was gonna say I was gonna jump in, but you go for it.

SPEAKER_04 35:47

Because sometimes people think that pairing means matching the exact same flavor, and coffee tastes like chocolate, cigars taste like chocolate. So that's done, that's it, you you've you've done it, but that can work, but that's also not the only way to do it.

SPEAKER_05 36:06

Yeah, and so really what you want to do when you're pairing coffees and cigar, much like you're pairing a cigar with anything, a bourbon, a rum, but talking coffee tonight is you want to think about complimentary, you want to talk about contrast, or you want to talk about the third category, which is the bridge. So, Mel, why don't you walk us through some of that?

SPEAKER_04 36:25

Right. So, uh complement is when the coffee and the cigar are going to share those similar flavors. So a Maduro with an espresso, a cigar with cocoa, and a dark roast with cocoa, uh, maybe those will all reinforce each other.

SPEAKER_05 36:42

Yeah, and that's really the easy one, right?

SPEAKER_04 36:44

Yes, and contrast is going to be when they're different, but in a way that is going to create balance. So, for example, you can do a creamy Connecticut with black coffee, and the coffee is going to bring the bitterness and the structure, and the cigar is going to bring that cream and that softness.

SPEAKER_05 37:03

So it's almost almost like a sweet and salty type of balance. You get the bitterness and the creaminess at the same time, and they pair beautifully.

SPEAKER_04 37:11

Yes, that's going to be a classic pairing. Um, the bridge is when one shared flavor connects two different profiles. So maybe that coffee has caramel, maybe the cigar has cedar and baking spice. Both have that nuttiness. Um, and the nuttiness from those two components is what creates the bridge.

SPEAKER_05 37:34

Yeah, and that's the kind of thing that makes someone sound smarter when they're sitting around a lounge and talking. Well, it's talking about how that nuttiness between both bridge the cigar together, right? That's where you might risk sounding a little snobbish.

SPEAKER_04 37:48

Well, I mean, and it helps when you have people taste what's happening and everybody's sharing that too.

SPEAKER_05 37:53

Yeah, and that's really the point, right? Because everybody's sitting around, talking about their smoking, what flavors they're getting. It's becoming a bigger and bigger topic when you're sitting around. And we're really not trying to make you rebels out there sound pretentious. We're trying to help you enjoy your cigar more.

SPEAKER_04 38:09

Right. The goal is cigar experience education, and a good pairing should do at least one of four things. It should make the cigar taste better, it should make the coffee taste better, it should either have real flavor you didn't notice before, or it should create a moment.

SPEAKER_05 38:30

Yeah, and that last one might be the most important, Mel. It might, or really, it truly is the goal when we get right down to it. Hopefully, one of the three creates the fourth.

SPEAKER_04 38:43

Right.

SPEAKER_05 38:43

Right?

SPEAKER_06 38:44

Right.

SPEAKER_05 38:44

Like it's all designed around how do we get to the place where we create the right moment.

SPEAKER_04 38:49

Right. And when it comes to coffee and cigars, they are not just flavor, both are about ritual.

SPEAKER_05 38:56

I love that comment, right? Because the morning cigar with coffee hits different because it's quiet. The world has not gotten loud yet. Right. You're waking up, the world is waking up. And many people already have the ritual of a cup of coffee in the morning. Why not add a cigar and make it a better morning?

SPEAKER_04 39:16

100%. And the evening uh espresso with a cigar is going to hit differently because all of the work is done. So the day is going to slow down, you're not going to be rushing, and you're not preparing for the day. You're really winding down from it.

SPEAKER_05 39:31

And that's why coffee and cigars are really bigger than a pairing chart. They're about pace.

SPEAKER_04 39:37

Yes, and presence. Um, but on that thought, after the break, we are going to talk a little more about coffee, rituals, and experience, and then also our top five cigars to pair with each roast.

SPEAKER_00 39:52

We fell in love with cigars not because of the flavors or smoking experience or perceived status, but because it allows barriers to fall between other humans and build deeper connections. For that reason, we've been super intentional to curate a space where people can find community and enjoyment with others, and cigars just happen to be the way we're doing it. For that reason, we are thought to be the one and only cigar retail store and lounge in downtown Loveman. A good story is one of the most powerful tools used to connect with another human. Sharing stories fades out differences and highlights similarities found in the details or with the storyteller. Over the years, we have seen some of the best stories told over cigars, and thus, new friendships are made, passion shared, encouragement given, and so much more. The impact storytelling has on the human connection is why we've decided to name our store and lounge our story. Because behind every good cigar in conversation is an even better story.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

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SPEAKER_04 41:59

As always, thank you to our sponsors. Let's go ahead and take a look at upcoming shows.

SPEAKER_05 42:04

Yep. So next Monday night at 7 o'clock, we're coming to you with an episode America 250 Celebration Cigars and More. I'm really excited about that episode. And we're going to be smoking the McAuliffe Black Firecracker.

SPEAKER_04 42:17

On July 6th, we are doing Cigar School 101, How to Cut and Light a Cigar the Right Way. And we are smoking the Paladin, Connecticut by Hootin Young.

SPEAKER_05 42:26

July 13th, we have Mobile Cigar Lounges, and we're going to be live here at Stories with our guests from Simple Man Mobile Cigars. And we're going to be smoking the Lone Star Attitude by the Elevated Humador.

SPEAKER_04 42:37

And then on July 20th, we are doing boutique and craft cigars. What is the difference if there is one? And we're going to be smoking the Intemperance Treachery by Roma Craft.

SPEAKER_05 42:47

Yep, excited about all of those upcoming episodes. If this is your first time watching tonight, go ahead and click that subscribe button. Also, you can click notify and it'll notify you a few days before and the day of that the podcast is coming up. That way you don't miss anything. And as always, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Cigar Rebels. And if you're watching or listening to this on replay, you can always hashtag replay fam and let us know what you're smoking and pairing with it. And just keep us updated that you're out there. So we love to know new things that you might be smoking that we need to be trying. And as always, you can catch the podcast anywhere you stream, Apple, Spotify, or Amazon. So now let's check in on the cigar. What are you getting so far?

SPEAKER_04 43:30

So I'm about halfway through, and I probably have uh picking up some notes, maybe of some cocoa, some roasted nuts, and it's probably the creamer that I put in my coffee, but it's enhanced a little bit, some spice in there for me, just on the tip of my tongue.

SPEAKER_05 43:47

Yeah, so I've got that spice in the tip of my tongue. I'm getting that nuttiness that's drawn out. Um, the coffee is really enhancing the chocolatey notes of the Maduro in a very positive way, it's not muting. It but it's on the palate, it's not there. But on the finish, like after I've taken a draw, it just it almost feels like that dark chocolate. I like to suck on dark chocolate, and that's kind of what that flavor more of a feeling is than a flavor, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_04 44:15

Right.

SPEAKER_05 44:16

Um, Dave said halfway through the LEART and craft, um, some charred salted meat comes through. Love that. Yeah, um, I'm not picking that up, but I love that that's there. I know other people have said um that saltiness with this cigar. So let's jump right back into the topic.

SPEAKER_04 44:31

Yep. So I want to talk about something that doesn't show up on pairing charts, and that is going to be coffee rituals and the cigar experience. Uh, because coffee and cigars is not just about the flavor, they're really both about slowing down.

SPEAKER_05 44:50

And the reality is in our culture and society, we just don't slow down enough anymore.

SPEAKER_04 44:55

No, we don't. And I think most of us spend the whole day moving from one thing to the other. So there's phones, there's emails, there's meetings, there's errands, there's notifications, and all of that is just on repeat.

SPEAKER_05 45:06

Yeah, absolutely. And today's level of connection, it never ever stops.

SPEAKER_04 45:12

Yes, we're all exhausted.

SPEAKER_05 45:15

That's so true.

SPEAKER_04 45:16

But coffees and cigars, they force you to slow down and kind of enjoy the moment.

SPEAKER_05 45:23

Yeah, especially cigars, right? You cannot rush a cigar. Well, I mean, you can.

SPEAKER_04 45:28

Yeah, but it'll kind of punish you a little bit for that. I do feel like patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to experiencing the flavors, the rituals, and the peace of your cigar.

SPEAKER_05 45:41

Yeah, absolutely. A cigar is one of the few things that lets or maybe forces you to have patience. It demands patience. And a coffee can truly be the same way grinding the beans, making a pour over, pulling an espresso shot, using a French press, all of that takes time, effort, and focus.

SPEAKER_04 46:03

Right. And I think there's also something that's really calming about that.

SPEAKER_05 46:08

Yeah, and when you combine that coffee ritual with a cigar, the whole experience just feels more intentional.

SPEAKER_04 46:18

Right. Because you're no longer really just consuming something, you're participating in it.

SPEAKER_05 46:23

Okay. That's a little deep.

SPEAKER_04 46:26

Well, it sounded better in my head, but with, I mean, this is still Monday here. It's still Monday night after a crazy weekend.

SPEAKER_05 46:32

No, no, I I like it. I like it. Uh, because most coffee and cigar pairings that I've had um are not always the most expensive thing to do, because truly the best pairing is what you have in the house and what's already in the humidor. Right. Right? They're the ones where I wasn't in a hurry. I simply had on hand and I chose to take a few minutes to experience them.

SPEAKER_04 46:59

Right. And no matter where you're enjoying it, it could be the back porch, it could be an early morning, or a lazy late Saturday morning where there's no meetings, no deadlines, it's just coffee and a cigar.

SPEAKER_05 47:13

And that's where memories truly happen. And honestly, Mel, that may be the best pairing advice of the night. Just slow down.

SPEAKER_04 47:22

Right. The coffee is gonna taste better, the cigar is gonna taste better, and the whole moment is going to get better as well.

SPEAKER_05 47:30

Really, and in a moment where we're going, so in a moment, we're gonna give you some pairings, but the reality is what we're really trying to communicate tonight is to take those moments, to have the moments to enjoy them. I often will smoke a cigar while I'm working, and I'm not really enjoying it. Right. So, like today, mid-afternoon, and had a busy morning. I told them, you know what? I'm gonna make a second cup of coffee. I made a cup of coffee, so this is my third or fourth cup today, which is probably not good for me. Um, and I just sit on the deck, watched the leaves blow, had a cigar with coffee. It was fantastic.

SPEAKER_06 48:12

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 48:13

As I mentioned, in a moment, we're gonna give you our top five cigars for each roast category. And I know that that's too simple for some of you coffee enthusiasts, but it's what we got tonight.

SPEAKER_06 48:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 48:27

But first, we need to talk for a moment about the cigars that most of you rebels don't like when we talk about, but they deserve to be talked about. The infused cigar.

SPEAKER_04 48:38

Yes, so infused cigars don't do not want to leave that out there. You're going to do the infused cigar with a sweet coffee and honestly, palette honesty.

SPEAKER_05 48:49

Yeah, absolutely. Because coffee and cigar conversation must include coffee, infused cigars, sweet caps, flavored cigars, all of that.

SPEAKER_04 48:58

Yes, I used to love, it was probably about a year and a half ago at this point, and I have kind of I don't smoke it as much anymore, but I used to love the Macanudo, espresso and cream with a coffee in the morning or for dessert.

SPEAKER_05 49:10

Yeah, we have a lot of our members and a lot of our fans that absolutely love a full-bodied Maduro, but they've taken many a picture with an espresso and cream by Macanudo and a cup of coffee on their deck.

SPEAKER_06 49:22

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 49:23

And what I have to say is there's nothing wrong with enjoying what you enjoy, and that honestly needs to be said more often.

SPEAKER_04 49:30

Yeah, 100%. Um, that was a recommendation pairing to me from someone when I tried it, and I loved it at the time. I don't know that my palette would be the same today, but a year and a half ago that was a go-to for a while.

SPEAKER_05 49:44

Yeah, and if you like a coffee-infused cigar with coffee, enjoy it. If you like a traditional cigar with a black coffee, enjoy it. If you like a sweet latte of Connecticut, enjoy it. The hobby should be enjoyable. Right. But there's a difference between enjoying sweetness and confusing sweetness with complexity.

SPEAKER_04 50:03

That is a hundred percent correct. A sweetened pairing can be very delicious. Um, it can also, the sweetness can cover up the flaws. So it can cover up that bitterness, it can cover the harshness, it can make the cigar feel smoother than what the cigar really is.

SPEAKER_05 50:22

Yeah, same with coffee. Put enough cream and sugar and coffee, and you had a lot.

SPEAKER_04 50:29

That's that's very true. So our recommendation is really pretty simple. Try both. Smoke a cigar with black coffee, uh, then try it with a creamy coffee, and then try it with a sweet coffee and just see what happens.

SPEAKER_05 50:43

Yeah, absolutely. And that's how you begin to learn your palate. Sorry, my mic fell off.

SPEAKER_04 50:50

Oh. So for so far, he's putting his mic back on really quick. Uh, so um I do not know where it was. That's that's really the bigger theme tonight is coffee and cigars are a great way to develop your palate because the changes are easy to notice.

SPEAKER_05 51:09

Yeah, absolutely. Sorry, guys. I dropped my mic. I knocked it, I talked with my hands, I knocked it off my shirt.

SPEAKER_04 51:14

I thought for a second you dropped some ash on your shirt, and I was like, just get it later.

SPEAKER_05 51:18

No, no, I was like, No, I can drop my mic. Sorry, back to the topic. Um, the truth is you do not need an expensive setup or a perfect brew process. You need a cigar, a cup of coffee, and a little attention.

SPEAKER_04 51:32

Right. So, okay, Rebels. Uh, here are our top five cigars, according to Kevin and I, to pair with each roast category.

SPEAKER_05 51:42

So big up first is the top 10 um cigars. We said top five cigars, I did top ten, sorry. Uh top ten cigars for a light roast coffee. Um, these are coffees that are Ethiopian, Kenyan, Panama, uh, blonde roasts, light roasts that really reward nuance, creaminess, cedar and almonds, and floral notes in cigars.

SPEAKER_04 52:05

Okay. So number one on this list is going to be the David Off signature number two or the Grand Cru. Number two is Velvet Smooth or Velvet Gold. Number three is the Crown Head Mill Diaz. Number four is the Sombra Misa Brulee. Number five is the My Father Connecticut. Number six is the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente. Number seven is the Montosa Connecticut or the Maduro.

SPEAKER_05 52:32

I love both of those cigars. They pair perfectly with coffee. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 52:37

Number eight number eight is the elevated humidor garage force Connecticut. Number nine is the La Giana Maduro and again another fantastic pairing.

SPEAKER_05 52:47

I all these are good, but that La Giana and those Montosa are fantastic.

SPEAKER_04 52:52

And then number 10 is the Macanudo espresso and cream or the Macanudo coffee. There's the infused. Total side note, too, is on that Sambermisa brulee. Do you find that cigar to be very sweet? Oh, that's sweet. I find that cigar to be very sweet.

SPEAKER_05 53:08

Okay, Steve Sokka will not agree with this comment. It is a sweetened cigar, hands down.

SPEAKER_04 53:14

I feel like it's very sweet.

SPEAKER_05 53:16

But he absolutely says it is not. He says it's just the tobacco. Uh, he made it, he knows, but I would disagree. Yeah. All right, let's jump to a couple of quick comments before we go to medium roast cigars. Uh, Leslie said she met a lady on our trip who told her she takes the factory smokes, places them in a mason jar with a shot of liquor. Example, fireball, and allows them infused for a couple of weeks. She said she's intrigued. I know a lot of people have done that. Um, one of our tobacconists at Stories likes to do that often. Um, it definitely works. I'm not a fan of it, but some people really, really love it. And so, again, if you enjoy it and try it, you should do it.

SPEAKER_06 53:51

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 53:51

Um, Alex said coffee and tobacco genetically are distant cousins. I agree with you 100%. If you can grow tobacco, you can grow coffee and so forth. And any coffee goes with any cigar. I would agree, but just trying to help with a little bit of pairing tonight. And then Leslie, take those factory smokes and leave them in a container with coffee grounds. Wait until you taste that. Um, I have tried that as well, and I think that is a fantastic way to infuse that a little bit. So let's talk the top 10 medium roast cigars: Colombian, Guatemalan, Costa Rican standard specialty coffees. This is where most premium cigars perform best. So, Mel, why don't you give us that list?

SPEAKER_04 54:32

Yeah, so we are going to have the Romacraft Intemperance uh EC, the Gorofalo Sun Grown or Natural, the Olivia Series V Milano, the My Father Les Beju 1922.

SPEAKER_05 54:45

So, the interesting thing about that cigar is it's a phenomenal cigar, but I enjoy it the most with a cup of coffee. On its own, it's an okay cigar to me. I know people love it, but to me, it's just okay. With a cup of coffee, it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_04 55:00

Yes, uh, I agree. Uh, the McAuliffe Blue or the McAuliffe Purple, the Crown Heads Blood Medicine, the Rocky Patel number six, the elevated humidor ladybug, or the LSA Lone Star Attitude, the CAO Speed Chop, and the Big Sky Bighorn.

SPEAKER_05 55:18

Yeah, and I mentioned that Big Sky cigar earlier. Fantastic with the chai as well. Yep. Um, jumping into the dark roast or espresso, you're talking about a French roast, a Vienna roast, a dark Colombian, a nice um French press. Dark roast really demands richer, darker tobacco for the best pairings, both complementary and contradictory. And so, Mal, why don't you give us that top 10?

SPEAKER_04 55:42

So Placentia Alma series, the Liga Pravada number nine, the Olivia Series V Maduro, the My Father, I always have a hard time.

SPEAKER_05 55:52

La La LilTac. La LilTac.

SPEAKER_04 55:56

I always want to add like an extra A or I between that L and T, and I know that's not how you say it. Uh, the Bandolero, really any series.

SPEAKER_05 56:04

Yeah, absolutely. The the A, the T or the C, all of those pair perfectly with a rich espresso. Um, we were in here in this room maybe about a month ago, and somebody ran across to the coffee shop across the street and got an espresso, and we were smoking that. Oh man, it was phenomenal.

SPEAKER_04 56:21

Yes, the EPC Encore, the McAuliffe black, red, or green, the Roma Craft My Stranza or the Neanderthal.

SPEAKER_05 56:30

You love that pair.

SPEAKER_04 56:32

I do, yeah. The Neanderthal and Coffee, the Elevated Humidor Garage Force Maduro, the Racy's Cubana C5 Black, and I'm gonna add one more on here just because I can't leave it off as the M81 in the Petite Corona or in the Corona.

SPEAKER_05 56:47

The M81, one of Mel's favorites. I agree, it performs fantastic with a cup of coffee. Hopefully, you rebels can see with these lists that you can increase cigar body along with the coffee roast intensity in order to increase your flavor profile, your enjoyment of the cigar.

SPEAKER_04 57:08

Right. All right, so we're going to go ahead and we're gonna bring this podcast home. Coffee and cigars are they work because they share a language, so they are going to share agriculture, fermentation, aroma, roast, curing, flavor, and honestly, ritual.

SPEAKER_05 57:27

Yeah, absolutely. It's like Alex said, they're cousins, right? They're they're truly um agrimonically, I think that's how you'd say that. They're cousins. Um, but the pairing works best when you're intentional and not haphazard about it.

SPEAKER_04 57:44

Yeah, so light coffee, mild cigars, medium coffee with medium cigars, dark coffee with fuller cigars, and that really is that starting point.

SPEAKER_05 57:55

Yeah, but like we said, it's not a prison sentence. You don't have to stick to that. Feel free to explore and find your perfect pairing.

SPEAKER_04 58:03

Right. None of this is the law or anything by any means. Definitely experiment, try different pairings, take notes on what you like, what you don't like, figure out really what your palate is enjoying.

SPEAKER_05 58:16

Yeah, because morning cigars usually work better when they're smoother and more approachable. Evening cigars can carry more richness, strength, and complexity. Right.

SPEAKER_04 58:26

And if you remember only one thing from tonight, the right pairing should make the moment better. So not just the cigar, not just the coffee, but the moment.

SPEAKER_05 58:39

Yeah. And tonight's winter wasn't a specific coffee, it was truly paying attention.

SPEAKER_04 58:44

Right. And that's how you become a better cigar smoker, not by memorizing the tasting notes and honestly, not by chasing what everyone else likes. It's learning by your own palate.

SPEAKER_05 58:56

Yeah, and coffee is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to build your palate and then determine what cigars you like best at what time of day. Um, there's so much more to discuss on this topic, Mel. We really just don't have time tonight. We're out of time. So, Mel, what are your final thoughts on the arts and craft by the elevated humidor in this coffee pairing?

SPEAKER_04 59:18

So, for me, it paired really well. I did more of a dark roast and more of a boulder coffee with this, and um it really did bring out, I think I mentioned that, a little bit of that spice and um, yeah, there's definitely a subtle pepper, especially on the retro hell. Yeah, it's got a lingering sweet finish though.

SPEAKER_05 59:38

Yeah. And in this final third, and I don't know if any of the other people smoking it with us, either you rebels that got the rebel pack or those here in our live audience. Um, but it's honestly, even without the coffee, got a little bit of a bittery coffee note to it. Yeah, like it's uh that I think the coffee kind of enhances. Um, and again, I am drinking coffee, so it influences me a little bit, but I definitely think it's there.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:02

Yeah. And now that you say that, I feel like I can taste it as well. You know, power of influence. All right. Um, well, thank you guys all for joining us today. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review, share with your cigar friends, and hit us up with any topics you would love for us to dive into on future episodes.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:20

And if you're watching or listening on replay, as I mentioned earlier, drop us a comment with hashtag replayfam. Click on the notify button so that you're notified of any future episodes. And don't forget to follow us on social media at Cigar Rebel. Um, next week we have a great episode for you, Rebels. As we mentioned early, America 250 celebration cigars and more. We're gonna be smoking that McAuliffe Black Firecracker in celebration of the 4th of July. But for tonight, Mel, that's our show.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:49

Yes, and we will see you next Monday at 7 p.m. Central Time. And until then, thank you guys for tuning in. And don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review. And until Monday, keep your cigar lit, your ash long, and your palate curious.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:05

Good night, Rebels.