Around this same time last year, Cigar & Spirits Magazine reached out to my father, Alec Bradley Cigar Co. founder, Alan Rubin, to pair a couple of our cigars with Glenfiddich and Balvenie scotches. A year later, as a second generation cigarmaker, I am honored to have been invited by Cigar & Spirits Magazine to talk about pairing an Alec Bradley cigar with bourbon. I’ve chosen to pair the Alec Bradley Coyol Petit Lancero with the Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey.

The Coyol Petit Lancero is a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, featuring an estate grown wrapper leaf from our farm in Trojes, Honduras. Coyol is definitely an enthusiast’s cigar; it has bold flavor but maintains a medium body.
The Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is on the higher end when it comes to proof, at 110. The whiskey fills the palate, but even at that proof, it’s not overwhelming and keeps plenty of room for the cigar smoke. That’s important, because I like to pair cigars and brown spirits that complement each other in flavor and mouth feel.

The Coyol Petit Lancero is more intense in flavor than the other sizes in the line due to its ring gauge and smoke concentration, imparting notes of natural sweetness and nuttiness with smooth undertones of pepper. The Russell’s hits the front of the palate with a nice rich spice note and mellows down through the center to the back of the palate with mellow cherry flavors that bounce off of the sweetness from the Coyol perfectly. Although many wouldn’t expect that a medium bodied cigar pairs well with a high-proof bourbon, the intensity of both the slim cigar and whiskey enhance the flavor of one another quite well. For anyone into cigars and bourbon, this is a must try pairing!