A Few Cigar Bar Suggestions

[jazznut]

Originally Posted by mrwood

I would like your thoughts on the contents of a cigar smoker's "beginner's bar" - maybe 5 to 10 bottles.

Tom... This request presents quite a challenge for someone like me who, unfortunately, has come to take a rather large selection of drinks in the cabinet for granted.

Regardless, I'll give it my best shot.

Blended Scotch:
Let’s face facts. Not everyone knows about or is keen to try single malt whisky. As well, many a single malt aficionado appreciates a change of pace from time to time. For these reasons, a truly excellent blended Scotch constitutes an essential part of any cigar bar. In terms of general availability and superb quality, Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old Gold Label is hard to beat. I doubt you’ll encounter any nay sayers when offering it.

Single Malt Scotch:
A tough one. Unless you’re willing to splurge in hopes of covering the waterfront, there are simply too many selections from which to choose. To further complicate matters, many prefer Sherry cask aged malts while others gravitate towards the more common Bourbon barrel matured varieties. A far better option for anyone on a bit of a budget would be to purchase a couple of ex-Bourbon wood examples – how about one Highlander and one from Islay? – along with a good bottle of Pedro Ximénez Sherry (Gonzalez Byass Noe is like condensed raisins, chocolate and coffee). This way, you can always add a tiny drop of the Spanish elixir to the bottom of the glass of either whisky – this will mimic the Sherry cask aged sorts surprisingly well – for anyone who likes wine tones in their malt, or leave the whiskies as they pour for everyone else. As for the single malts, you won’t go far wrong with a bottle of Balvenie 15 Year Old Single Barrel for the honey lovers and a bottle of Laphroaig 10 Year Old for the more medicinally minded. Laying down a few extra greenbacks for the cask strength edition of the latter is well worth the investment. And save any of the leftover Pedro Ximénez Sherry to dribble over vanilla ice cream – yummers!

Irish Whiskey:
There’s something uniquely appealing about a fine Pure Pot Still Irish. And this has to be due to the presence of unmalted barley in the mash. Redbreast 12 Year Old combines lovely sherried overtones and spicy liveliness to perfection.

Rum:
Rum can make for an exceptional accompaniment to a smoke, the natural sweetness of the cane liquor playing beautifully against the toasted tobacco tones of the cigar. Demerara epitomizes that lip-smacking quality one looks for in an aged amber Rum and, in this vein, El Dorado 15 Year Old from Guyana works for me. If you’re seeking a crisper, more vanilla-laden thrust, then C. Ferrand’s Old Reserve Plantation Rum from Venezuela is the ticket. Can’t find it? Havana Club Añejo or 7 Year Old will fill in quite nicely.

Bourbon:
As with the single malts, one is spoiled for alternatives. And there’s the question of wheat-bill versus rye-bill mashes to contend with, too. I lean towards the latter. With that issue out of the way, I’d recommend Evan Williams Single Barrel for those seeking velvety richness and Wild Turkey Rare Breed for those yearning a real dose of high-proof Kentucky bliss.

Brandy:
Endless possibilities here. You could go the French route with an upper-echelon Armagnac or Cognac, or even branch out to explore the products from California, Australia and numerous other places. For my money, Torres 20 Hors d’Age Imperial Brandy from Spain strikes a nice compromise between the raisined and voluptuous style of many other Spanish Brandies and the more intense oak veneer of the French offerings. It is a superb spirit by any standards.

Port:
The ideal post prandial pairing. Yes, Vintage Port cannot be beat. Yes, it is quite costly and can take forever to reach maturity. Yes, Late Bottled Vintage Port provides for an excellent, much more cost-effective and nearly as tasty alternative. That said, I must profess a soft spot for matching Tawny Ports with cigars. With that dark Douro berry fruit subdued by time in cask, a whole other range of flavours, both nutty and oaky, emerges. The 20 Year Old versions from Graham’s and Taylor-Fladgate are industry benchmarks for good reason.

Madeira:
I’m never less than amazed at the continuing neglect the fortified wine of this island (see the two A Rich Pour Columns in the Lifestyles section of the Cigar Weekly Magazine pages) suffers. Furthermore, an aged Madeira represents perhaps the most finely tuned accompaniment to a smoke, as the underlying baked fruit, citrus and wood nuances meld with a cigar almost magically. Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Bual or 15 Year Old Verdelho are good bets.

OK. I admit I’ve exceeded the 5 to 10 bottle quota a tad. And I haven’t even touched on Canadian Whiskies, liqueurs, dessert wines, Tequila, Gin, Vodka, or any of the myriad other possibilities including table wines, beers, coffees and teas. But it’s a beginning, and you can always trim and/or add as you wish.

I’d certainly be interested to hear of how our other drinks aficionados might go about starting up a similarly small cigar bar.

Let the recommendations roll!

(P.S. mrwood will be arriving shortly.)