Cigars & rum: meeting with Jean-Marie Cornec

Following our introduction to rum and cigar pairings , we had the chance to meet Jean-Marie Cornec , a great lover of rum and cigars . He is a very busy man since he is the president of about fifteen tasting clubs, including Rhums du monde, Les Amis du rhum, Brévinus Rhum & Cigare club, among others. He presents a large number of masterclasses for oenology clubs or for the Rotary Club for example. He also advises many wine merchants and restaurants.

Here is what we were able to remember from our conversations:

The rum cigar agreement

Talking about a rum-cigar pairing is not so obvious, because the magic happens in the nuance. There is no systematic alliance. We should not be reductive, because there is as much variety within the same rum tradition as in a range of cigars.

First, you need to know how to identify your own preferences and define what you are looking for. Do you want to obtain a smooth accord? Woody ? Spicy? It's your taste that counts, but you can still try several suggestions.

We can thus move towards a search for balance , by associating a cigar with pastry aromas with a spiced rum. We can also push the cursor all the way in one direction, aiming for a very dry and woody profile.

Of course, it is essential to have fun above all . Thus, one can do research oneself by lighting a cigar and trying some rums present in one's bar. One will then certainly be able to understand what one is looking for .

Cigar tasting

Before you begin, you should take your time to approach your cigar. More than 100 operations come into play from the seed of the tobacco to the finished cigar. It is therefore worth admiring the work done. For this, the 5 senses are used:

The view : size, cepo (diameter in 1/ ^64th of an inch), shape, color, ring…

Hearing : sound of the cigar when rolled between the fingers

The touch : suppleness, filling, dry or silky texture.

Smell : smell the foot of the cigar to appreciate the beautiful aromas of fresh tobacco.

Taste : draw on the cigar raw, without lighting it, which is too often neglected.

First serve the rum , it will air slowly and find its balance while you light the cigar, which will also find its right temperature and draw. Cigar and rum will thus come together in the best conditions.

A gentle lighting is necessary, then we can start chewing, tasting the smoke . The tasting vocabulary is similar to that of rum. We start from the center of the aroma wheel , with acid, bitter, sweet. Then we approach the vegetal , animal, floral, spicy, empyreumatic nuances. Finally, we touch on the precise notes of hay, undergrowth, straw, mushroom, fruit, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, honey…

Rum cigar alliances / pairings

In fact, Jean-Marie explains to us that there are three types of alliances:

The simple alliance : We take a rum whose characteristics we analyze (nose, mouth, acidity, evolution, etc.), then we taste it on several occasions with a different cigar.

The empirical alliance : A cigar and a line-up of rums that we try throughout the cigar. It can be a range for example, from white to the oldest, or a selection of rums of the same age and different origins.

The multi-criteria alliance focuses on the effects of the alliance, which can also be classified into 3 categories:

1+1 = 1 : The magic doesn't work. The cigar crushes the rum or vice versa, or everyone stays in their corner.

1+1 = 2 : A harmony is established. It can be of similarity : cigar and rum do not collide, they blend and go together in the same direction.

It can also (and this is even better) be one of completeness : the cigar and the rum come together and fill the imperfections of each (astringent / sweet, woody / fruity)

1+1 = 3 : A synergy is created, cigar and rum enter into harmony, sublimate each other and reveal unsuspected aromas or sensations. It is nirvana…

Some examples of rum cigar pairings

Here are some concrete examples of successful, tested and approved alliances:

Dos Maderas 5+5 (aromatic, round and complex):

Similarity : Davidoff Millenium Blend Churchill (honey, sweet caramel, light nose)

Opposition : Pitbull Carlito (wood, spices, powerful, robust)

 

Plantation Gran Anejo (Round, fruits and sweet spices):

Similarity : Ramon Allones Specially selected (candied fruit, round)

Opposition : Padron (spices, wood, roasted)

Sublimation : Flor de Copan – Linea Puros Gigantos (wood, brioche, honey, spicy)

 

Abuelo Centuria (sweet, rich and complex):

Similarity : Quai d'Orsay – Coronas Claro (fresh vegetable, wood, light roasting)

Opposition : Tatuaje – Gran Cojonu (exotic wood, pepper, earth, roasting)

Are there any rules for pairing rum and cigar?

Just like in rum , we will take care to remain curious and avoid chapels. The nuances are very fine and blind tasting provides many surprises.

Among Jean-Marie's memorable tastings, there is an Opus X Arturo Fuente with a Clément 1970. But there is also a Montecristo series A with a simple cinnamon rum from the Canaries , sheltered from the rain under a straw hut in the Dominican Republic. Because it is also a question of moment and emotion. So flutter, taste as many things as possible to touch these moments of grace that are not necessarily expected.

Pairing terroirs is obviously interesting. Cuba or the Dominican Republic are producers as well known for their rums as for their cigars. Again, it doesn't work systematically, but imagination plays a big part in the pleasure. So for a little trip to Havana from your living room, a good glass and a cigar will undoubtedly help. Cuban rums are often very light, and cigars powerful, so the alliance is not easy. But a Palma Mulata 15 can find its place next to a Ramon Allones Specially Selected .

As many rums and cigars as there are possibilities

For more powerful brands like Partagas , Bolivar , Cohiba , or very long-smoking modules like Behike , you can try an opposition with equally powerful rums, with explosive aromas, like a Hampden 8 years (wild but pastry-like in the mouth) or even a Pusser's Gunpowder Proof .

Cigars, just like rums, can also be blends of different terroirs. So you can have fun pairing a slightly aged Cachaça (vegetal roundness) with a blend of Dominican and Brazilian tobacco, a San Pedro de Macoris Robusto Brazil (dry, spicy, exotic wood). This also works with a caipirinha or a batida, because the associations with cocktails are also quite possible!

These agreements of completeness or "opposition" work with a lot of classic and well-known cocktails like the mojito or the ti'punch. By the way, on this subject, why not try a nice ti'punch with golden Depaz with a Padron from Honduras or even a modest Italian Toscano . The roundness and fruitiness of the ti'punch will perfectly erase the roughness of these dry and spicy cigars.

In general, Central American cigars are rather woody and spicy. We can then try to find harmony with a little extra touch of magic. If we start with a Villa Zamorano Corona (Honduras), a CAO Pilon Robusto (Nicaragua) or a Vegas de Santiago D8 Robusto (Costa Rica), a Rum Nation Jamaica 5 years Oloroso will go in the woody and spicy direction of the cigar, then it will sublimate it with its roundly fruity notes.

Always looking for harmony

You can also balance the cigar with a really round rum, an old solera rum like Zacapa XO for example.

Dominican Republic cigars are generally milder, with a greener vegetal on the straw. We could then think of associating this in a spirit of similarity, with a young agricultural rum with notes of bagasse. Try a Fortaleza 2 from VegaFina with a Rhum Soleil from Père Labat.

For lovers of traditional English rums, whether balanced or full-bodied, you will also find what you are looking for. A fan of the Foursquare distillery, and its rums that are both chiseled and gourmet, can smoke an Epicure No. 2 from Hoyo de Monterrey with his Doorly's 14 years old . The cigar will boost the nose of the rum with its vegetal notes, then the two will blend into a gourmet and powerful flavor on the palate.

Finally, the power and creamy notes of a Lusitanias de Partagas will both complement and soothe a Caroni Replica with pastry and gently tarry notes.

 

The lesson we learned from this interview is that the world of cigars and rums is extremely vast. Imagine the infinite combinations that can be imagined when you want to associate them. You may have noted some interesting suggestions in this article. But this is not at all a guide that claims to be official. Some of these suggestions may not suit you, and in this case know that you have not missed anything. Each taster has his own palate and his own desires, so let yourself be guided by your greed...

A big thank you Jean-Marie for your help and your taste for sharing!

Cover photo credit: Jean-Claude Limea – Others: Wikimedia commons – Cigars: https://www.cigars-connect.com/