THE CIGAR PAIRING

Bonded whiskeys occupy an alcohol-content sweet spot that allows for great marriages in a range of cigars. We chose the medium-to-full-bodied New World Dorado Toro from Nicaragua (6 inches by 54 ring gauge, 92 points), with notes of cream, citrus, spice, nuts and leather, to pair with a range of bonded Bourbons and ryes. All are, of course, 100-proof whiskeys and Bourbons unless otherwise noted. Benchmark Bonded, $20 Benchmark was introduced by Seagram’s in the late 1950s. It is now made at Buffalo Trace. A big step up from the entry-level Old No. 8, a three-year-old, it has a mash bill that substitutes wheat for rye, underscoring tropical fruit, bananas, fruity hard candy and toffee. The Bourbon found new fruit notes on the Old World, which made the Benchmark more savory. Colonel E.H.…

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Cigar Aficionado (Digital) - 1 Issue, July/August 2024

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