Does rum go with cigars? This is an often asked question. Usually, people think of whisky when it comes to pairing.  Rum is a surprisingly good pairing, considering renowned rum and cigars are made in Cuba! Read on for more rum knowledge and pairing tips.

What is rum?

Rum is distilled from sugarcane or its by-product and aged in oak barrels. There is a wide range of rum: light, dark, spiced... So what are their differences, and what kind of cigars go well with accordingly? Let’s talk about the 2 main groups of rum: light and the dark. 

Light rum 

Aged less than the dark, light rum is sweeter and more subtle than the dark rum. Light rum is generally used in cocktails or mixed drinks. The classic popular cocktails such as Mojito and Pina Colada are made with light rum. If you are a cocktails fan, you can DIY a rum cocktail at home this summer! For more guides on cocktail pairing, read our cocktail recipe article! 

The liquid is smooth and soft, which is best to light a sweet cigar with mild flavours to avoid overwhelming each other. 

Best to pair with: 

Davidoff Signature 2000

Zino Platinum Scepter Series Chubby 

Montecristo Open Master

Dark rum 

Rum is a clear liquid with light colour when it is first distilled. The colour of the golden dark comes from the wooden barrels during the long ageing process. Similar to cigars, with a longer ageing process, the stronger and bolder flavour of the rum will be. Sometimes the manufactory will add different ingredients for extra flavours and colours, such as spices, caramel and molasses. 

Dark rum is sometimes used for a cocktail, like Painkillers and the Old Fashioned. And enjoyed most straightly because of the unique and outstanding characters. Dark rum is your number one choice if you are a robust cigars lover! 

The butterscotch notes of dark rum harmonised with full-bodied, rich cigars with sweet and smokey hints. If you have a Cuban dark rum on hand, undoubtfully pair it with a Cuban cigar!  

Best to pair with: 

Davidoff 702 Series Aniversario No. 3

Cohiba Siglo IV

Partagás Serie D No. 4

We all know the excitement of opening up a new box of cigars and the pulse to give them a try. However, we would suggest you sit tight and age them with patience. Read on for the reasons and home ageing guides!

Does ageing cigar make it better?

Usually, cigars are aged by their manufacturer before they are released to the retail markets. However, not all of them have been aged sufficiently. Dry mouthfeel and bitter flavour are usually discovered in a freshly-rolled cigar.

With the ageing process, the nicotine inside a fresh cigar will be mellow down and eventually fade away. Allow you to experience the main characteristics of the cigar without the harnesses of the herbaceous flavour.

Which cigars do we need to age? Which to enjoy now?

If you discover the mentioned characteristics in your first stick from the new box, age the remaining box for a short period (about 3 months to half a year) to help balance out the nicotine contained. 

Some cigars won’t be able to improve with time. The maturing ability depends on the quality of the tobacco leaves. Some would grow and mature with time; for example, the Davidoff Cubans are well-known for their ability to age well, like wine.

How to age your cigars?

The house you choose for the precious sticks is the key to the ageing process. For beginners, we suggest a cedar-lined humidor with an average humidity of 68% and an average temperature of 21°C. Remember to change the position of your cigars once in a while, this help to allow the sticks to breathe and balance the humidity level. Also, check on the sticks every month to observe if there are cracks (too dry), mould (too wet) or bugs (too wet and hot).

Do you age your cigar in cellophane or tubo? 

Up to you to leave it on or off! But better to separate the stock of cigars from different regions or sticks infused with flavours if you have taken off the cellophane. They might affect the flavours of other cigars, as cigars will absorb flavours like sponges.

How long before I could enjoy my aged cigars?

There’s no exact formula for the time you should age your cigar. After all, cigar enjoyment is a subjective lifestyle that varies for different people. Some enjoy the flavour bought from the fresh cigars, some prefer their sticks aged. 

Start by enjoying one stick after receiving your parcel, and mark down your feelings and the aroma on your cigar journal. Come back after half-year to test how the cigar has developed, and repeat the process until you are satisfied. Usually, cigars with larger RG and full-bodied require a longer ageing process. 

Ageing a cigar is appreciating the time taken to complete this true beauty. Not only time but the extra effort is invested in perfecting the experience. Or save all those procedures and discover the nextCIGAR vintage vault. Our vintage vault includes Habanos and Davidoff Cubans, ageing up to 13 years. Carefully handled and aged by our expert teams, serving you vintage and venerable cigars to your doorstep.

Habanos S.A announced their price will be increased worldwide in early May, including all brands under their portfolio and no exceptions in regions. The company has stated that the main reason for price hikes is the growing imbalance between supply and demand. 

Reasons behind:

We all know the demand of cigars has been rising recently, especially after the lockdown. The unstoppable demand has caused limited editions and highly sought-after formats always stay empty on shelves. Customers are fighting for a spot on the waitlists for Cuban cigars. 

Cigar is a form of art that requires years to mature and a hundred pairs of hands to contribute to this ultimate handmade product. The production can’t be increased in just a snap. This luxury product’s supply chain is deeply affected by the pandemic. The factories in Cuban are forced to close or operate at about 50% of their maximum capacity due to preventive measures. The supply chains between countries are still disrupted by flight regulations. Making cigars harder than ever to arrive at your doorsteps.  

Not to mention political instability issues inside the country, thus affecting the production & the manufacturing of the raw materials, tobacco leaves. This handcrafted product is facing an underproduction situation. 

What brands and regions have been affected?

All brands under Habanos S.A will be affected, including Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta. Especially Cohiba and Trinidad. And the price of the selected brands will be set uniformly at a global level, even for Cuba’s retail stores. 

“Habanos, S.A. has decided to reinforce this positioning and to set Cohiba prices uniformly at a global level. This decision applies similarly to the Trinidad brand, which consolidates its position among the elite of Habanos’ brands, becoming the boutique Habanos brand par excellence.”

Retailers are bound to follow the price indicated by the distributors. The price adjustment will be taken into effect shortly according to the local regions’ tobacco regulations.

What about the future?

The price hike indeed changed the buying behaviours of customers. More customers reach their hands towards premium New World cigars, such as Davidoff, Padron, Plasencia etc. . The roaring demand has already caused a shortage of several New World series. Would this force the New World brands to propose another price hike? This is an unknown. 

So better stock up and age your favourite smoke. This might be a good investment when the cigars’ price goes up with ageing.