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April Pairing of the Month Contest Winner

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Congratulations to @bertbesmokin1868 on winning the April Pairing of the Month.  Below is his pairing review!

Cigar Pairing Rojas Unfinished Business with Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

 

I went with the Rojas Unfinished Business Mareva, Box Press, by Noel Rojas with one of my favorite liqueurs Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge for my Pairing of the Month for April.

This was a blind pairing but with it being an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan Binder, Nicaraguan & Mexico filler, and the bitter orange, hazelnuts, and toffee in the drink; I just knew it was going to be an amazing pairing. The cigar had caramel and semi-sweet chocolate smell to it, on the cap and foot was a smell of chocolate. I decided to go with a V-cut and immediately from the cold draw I got hints of hazelnuts, cayenne, and hay.

As soon as I got through the first third of the cigar I was hit with spices, the drink to Cigar was excellent. The cognac in the Grand Marnier brought out the woody and black peppercorn spices followed by an orange after taste that lingered in my mouth. The cigar to drink also yielded strong hints of black peppercorn which overpowered the citrus but still paired nicely with the cognac’s subtle spices. I continued to the second third, and it paired beautifully both ways from drink to cigar AND cigar to drink. The chocolate espresso and creamy coffee notes from the cigar with the spices of hazelnuts from the cognac made every puff enjoyable. The citrus aftertaste was also a big plus, almost like a chocolate orange coffee taste. Lastly, the final third. Wow, this last part took me by surprise, the creamy dark espresso, malty chocolate, and sweet cocoa notes of the cigar with the drink turned into an orange chocolate candy bar, excellent to the end. The cigars performance was fantastic, never had to re-light, and always had consistent white ash throughout the smoke.

I highly recommend trying this pair, the medium strength Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper paired with the Grand Marnier is now one of my favorites.

Cigar and Drink Information:

Cigar:
Rojas Unfinished Business Mareva by Noel Rojas

Vitola: 5 1/3 x 42 Box Press
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan & Mexico

 

Drink Pairing:

Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
Maker: Grand Mariner
Price: $30.00
51% Cognac and 49% Orange Liqueur Flavor

By @bertbesmokin1868

Author

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