A Bold Cigar, A Gentle Bourbon

I’ve had a few of the new Rocky Patel Sapphire cigars in the humidor for about five weeks. I pulled one out on a warm evening recently to enjoy with a glass of Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon.

The Rocky Patel Sapphire was introduced in June 2026. The brand continues the “jewel” theme established with the Gold Label and Emerald cigars introduced previously. A Mexican San Andrés wrapper surrounds two binders — one from Estelí, Nicaragua, and the other from the Jamastrán Valley of Honduras. The filler is Nicaraguan, with tobacco from Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega. Much of the filler was aged six to seven years and, except for the wrapper, all of the tobaccos used were grown on farms owned by Rocky Patel.

As with so many of his cigars, Rocky Patel hides much of the cigar beneath a decorative sleeve. Removing the adornment reveals a dark brown, slightly rough wrapper encasing the sharply box-pressed stick.

Upon lighting, the smoke begins with dark coffee and espresso. The initial flavor is bold and sharp, but caramel and sweet chocolate soon join the mix. The overall profile is smooth and balanced, with the darker flavors of coffee, espresso, and chocolate countered by caramel and sweet spice. Solidly medium-bodied to start, the cigar creeps into the medium-full range later in the smoke. Smoking time was longer than expected, lasting about 75 minutes in total.

At a moderate 91.4 proof, Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon is a relatively soft and well-rounded bourbon. It offers a classic bourbon profile of mellow caramel, vanilla, and stone fruit. Not an overwhelming bourbon, Michter’s allows the Sapphire to take the flavor lead. The cigar’s coffee and espresso notes blend particularly well with the bourbon’s caramel and vanilla.

The darker, more robust flavors of the cigar took center stage in the pairing, but the bourbon held its own and provided a pleasant counterpoint. Still, I came away thinking the Sapphire could handle — and perhaps even benefit from — a more assertive bourbon. That’s an experiment I look forward to trying in the future.

Cheers!

Taming the Full Proof: Liga Privada H99 Meets 1792

The Liga Privada H99 Corona Doble is not a cigar that I smoke on a whim. The 7 x 54 stick is a two-hour commitment. This hearty cigar rewards a little anticipation and pairs especially well with a flavorful bourbon. It’s the sort of cigar I’ll think about earlier in the day, knowing that two hours of pleasurable smoking awaits. I’ve often enjoyed it with a moderate-proof bourbon, but for a recent smoking session, I decided to step things up and reach for something with a bit more punch. After some deliberation, I settled on 1792 Full Proof Bourbon.

The 1792 Full Proof is a VA ABC selection I picked up back in 2022. It’s not a bottle I reach for often, but I always enjoy it when I do. Like the Liga Privada H99, it’s not something I reach for casually.

1792 Full Proof is bottled at 125 proof. That’s the same proof as the distillate when it entered the barrel for aging and is the highest proof currently offered by 1792. The aroma has brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and baking spices in abundance. A slight alcohol burn emerges with a closely held nose, though it is surprisingly restrained for a bourbon at this proof.

But 1792 Full Proof is more than a powerhouse. Bright caramel and vanilla mingle with cinnamon and baking spice, while dark fruit and oak add depth. The finish is long and warm, with lingering caramel sweetness and spice.

After a few sips of the high-proof bourbon, I lit the H99 and settled in. 

The Liga Privada H99 Corona Doble features a shiny H99 Connecticut Corojo hybrid wrapper, from which the cigar gets its name. The leaf is a hybrid of Habano and Corojo ’99 tobaccos, grown in the Connecticut River Valley by a single farm specifically for Drew Estate. A Mexican San Andrés Negro binder encases filler tobaccos grown in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Pennsylvania.

All the examples I’ve smoked have had moderately loose draws, especially during the first half of the smoke. The cigar is on the mildly spicy side, with pepper and lightly toasted bread. As the smoke progresses, the cigar develops a richer chocolate and coffee character, with a sweet earthiness underneath.

As I began alternating between drink and smoke, the rye spice aspect of the bourbon initially stood out. But as the cigar developed, its rich chocolate, coffee, earth, and sweetness seemed to emphasize the bourbon’s fruit, caramel, and vanilla notes while softening the sting of the alcohol on the tongue.

As the cigar entered the final couple of inches, it developed a more noticeable dry leather and earth profile, with less sweetness and chocolate. In those concluding moments, something unexpected happened. Despite the cigar becoming drier and more earthy, the bourbon seemed to brighten rather than become heavier. Its familiar fruit, caramel, and vanilla notes suddenly became more vivid and pronounced. The flavors hadn’t changed so much as become more clearly defined. Once the cigar was finished, its effect on the bourbon lingered as I poured myself one final sip.

I’ve smoked the H99 in smaller vitolas, but I’ve always enjoyed the Corona Doble the most. The long smoking time offers more opportunity to appreciate its transitions and its interactions with the paired beverage. The H99 and 1792 Full Proof made for an exceptional pairing and a most enjoyable two hours. 

The H99 doesn’t require a high-proof bourbon — I’ve enjoyed it with lower-proof whiskeys in the past — but it certainly seems well suited to one with enough proof to keep up with it. At the same time, the cigar isn’t merely standing up to the 125-proof bourbon; it may actually be helping to tame it.

Cheers!

A Sweet Counterpoint: Micallef Green and Barrell Mizunara

Looking for a quick after-dinner smoke, I reached for a Micallef Green in Robusto. The Green is a flavorful cigar featuring a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés Negro binder, with Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler. At 5 x 52, the Robusto feels small in the hand and suggests a shorter smoking time — just what I was looking for.

I decided on a small pour of Barrell Cask Finish Series: Mizunara Bourbon to accompany the early evening smoke.

The Micallef Green begins with notes of cocoa, coffee, and a subtle, sweet earthiness. There’s an underlying creaminess and sweet nuttiness to the profile. Medium-bodied, the cigar offers enough complexity to maintain interest without becoming a demanding smoke.

At 116.42 proof, the Mizunara Bourbon is rich in flavor but doesn’t overwhelm the cigar. The initial sip is spicy and warming, followed by notes of raisin, black cherry, caramel, vanilla, and honey. A woody spice emerges on the finish, adding another layer of interest.

The Barrell Cask Finish Series: Mizunara Bourbon and Micallef Green proved to be a delightful pairing. Rather than simply echoing one another, the contrasting flavors complemented each other. The cigar’s coffee, cocoa, and nutty notes provided an enjoyable counterpoint to the fruit, sweetness, and spice of the bourbon. Its underlying creaminess seemed to tame the bourbon’s spice, making the Mizunara finish feel sweeter and more approachable. The result was a pairing in which neither component dominated, allowing each to retain its own character.

The Green finished in just about 50 minutes. The smoking time was exactly what I was looking for after dinner, although the combination was enjoyable enough that those 50 minutes seemed to pass even more quickly than the clock measured.

Cheers!

The Last Pour: 2026 Bishops Blend and Barrell Vantage

I've mentioned in the past the growing selection of “almost empty” bottles of whiskey taking space on my shelves. Most often it's a single pour, or less, that for some reason just wasn't finished when the bottle was last opened. These remnants tend to get passed over when I'm selecting something to enjoy with a long evening smoke as I generally don't like to switch pours mid-smoke. I've never been interested in creating an infinity bottle. So, what’s a whiskey drinker to do?

One answer came recently on a weeknight when I was sitting down with a Black Label Trading Company 2026 Bishops Blend Robusto. The small 5 × 48 stick seemed like the perfect opportunity to finish the lone pour left in my bottle of Barrell Craft Spirits Vantage Bourbon. Not only was the cigar size a match, the bourbon and cigar pairing I knew would be fitting. In fact it's the same combination I enjoyed back in July, 2023. 

The Bishops Blend (And yes, there is no apostrophe.) has been a highly anticipated annual release from Black Label Trading Company since 2016. The 2026 edition marks the 10th anniversary of the blend, which warranted a tweak to the original.

This release sports a double-wrapper, combining the usual Ecuadorian Maduro with a Connecticut Broadleaf for a barber-pole effect. The binder is Ecuador Habano, with Nicaragua, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania Broadleaf completing the filler blend. As usual the cap is pointed and the foot is closed. 

The 2026 version did not disappoint. From the start, the familiar black coffee, dark chocolate, leather, pepper, and an underlying sweetness provided a full flavored treat. In all honesty, I couldn't say definitively that this year's release was substantially changed, although I did get the impression of an enhanced, and lingering, dark sweetness in the finish.

Vantage is a blend of bourbons aged in Mizunara, French, and toasted American oak casks. This bottle is marked at 114.62 proof though I've read the proof can vary between batches.

The high proof bourbon is remarkably easy to sip. Stone fruit and espresso predominate, joined with vanilla, cinnamon, and maple sweetness. The finish brings a bit of spice along with a buttery, crème brûlée-like character

The Barrell Craft Spirits Vantage Bourbon proved, still, to be a fine complement to the Bishops Blend. Vantage’s caramel and vanilla rounded the darker cigar’s dark chocolate and maduro sweetness. The bourbon’s higher proof stands up well to the cigar's bolder espresso and chocolate notes. 

Nursing the remaining pour gave me just enough bourbon to accompany the roughly 60-minute smoke. The long, lingering finish of the Vantage bourbon allowed for slow sipping while still enjoying the flavorful pairing.

The Bishops Blend has long been a favorite smoke. I try to grab some each year when they come out, and still have examples from several past years on hand. While they do tend to lose a bit of their bold edge with time, I find they retain much of the full-bodied coffee, espresso, and pepper notes which is a testament to the blend.

Sometimes an almost-empty bottle isn’t a problem — it just needs the right cigar.

Cheers!

Crowned Heads Moonflower Toro and a Bourbon-Forward Boulevardier

Preparing for some Sunday afternoon relaxing on the screened porch, I turned to the humidor to select a cigar to light up. I spied the Crowned Heads Moonflower cigars I had picked up exactly one month earlier. I’d been anxious to try them, and now that they had reached my preferred minimum rest time, that moment had arrived.

Earlier in the day I had been thinking about making a Boulevardier to sip while enjoying a leisurely afternoon, and it still seemed like a good match for what I had in mind for the Moonflower.

The Crowned Heads Moonflower is a new regular-production cigar introduced earlier this year. A Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper grown in Namanji, double binders from Estelí and Jalapa, and fillers from Estelí, Jalapa and Condega make up the substantial 6 × 54 Toro size that I had picked up.

The Moonflower opened with sweet cream and nuttiness. The draw was more open than I prefer, and the cigar started out a bit muted. As it warmed, soft hints of white pepper and cedar joined the mix. The last half of the cigar picked up a blend of milk chocolate and coffee.

Since I expected the cigar to feature sweet and creamy notes rather than the darker, espresso-leaning profile typical of a Nicaraguan puro, I made the Boulevardier a bit more bourbon-forward, using a 2:1:1 ratio of bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth. I selected Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon as the whiskey component.

The cigar’s pepper notes were light and well-balanced. Still, I thought the bourbon-forward Boulevardier rounded that spice and helped amplify the cigar’s creamy, nutty sweetness. The bitterness of the Campari kept the combination from becoming too sweet.

The Toro provided an enjoyable 80-minute smoke, giving the flavors plenty of time to develop. The Moonflower smoked quite well despite the relatively short humidor rest. I did need to relight it once, though that was likely a result of enjoying the conversation with my wife rather than paying attention to the cigar.

The Moonflower and Boulevardier turned out to be a better match than I’d anticipated, particularly with the bourbon-forward recipe and touch of orange bitters. It’s a combination I’ll happily revisit.

I had initially thought about smoking a well-aged Foundation Wise Man Maduro Toro with the Boulevardier before diverting to the Moonflower. I think that cigar will also make an interesting pairing for the tweaked Boulevardier.

So many choices, so little time.

Cheers!

A Study in Contrasts: The Regina Pius X, a Negroni, and Old Elk Cigar Cut

As noted in the previous post, the Feast Day of Pope Saint Pius X was celebrated on August 21. I’ve had several Pius X cigars from Regina Cigars in the humidor since spring, and recently smoked a couple on consecutive days.

The cigar is a 6 × 52 Toro and sports a dark, oily maduro wrapper. The specifics of the blend are not disclosed by Regina, other than to say the cigars are blended by Noel Rojas and produced at his factory in Nicaragua. Rojas also produces the popular Rojas Street Tacos line of cigars.

The cigar band features a picture of Pius X and includes a prayer from the saint on the inside.

I had debated my beverage choice for the pairing, initially thinking that something with an Italian lean would be appropriate. To that end, the first of the cigars I smoked was enjoyed with a classic Negroni. I shared one of the Pius X cigars with a friend while we enjoyed our aperitif before meeting a group of friends at a local restaurant for an Italian meal, appropriately enough.

Regina Cigars describes the profile of the cigar simply as having “rich flavors of cocoa & coffee with gentle spice tones.” With no leaf specifics, there are few presumptions to guide my expectations.

Upon lighting the cigar, I was treated to the promised mix of bitter cocoa and espresso, with just a touch of pepper. The cigar was medium-to-full in body, with ample smoke and a consistent burn throughout. I did initially wonder how the cigar’s dark, roasted character would play with the Negroni’s bitter-sweet profile.

As it turned out, the bitterness from the Campari combined with the vermouth’s sweetness provided enough contrast to bring out a pleasing sweetness in the Pius X. Rather than competing with the cigar, the Negroni acted almost as a foil for it. It seemed to reveal a sweeter side of the cigar that wasn’t immediately apparent on its own.

After the afternoon spent enjoying the Negroni and Pius X combination, I was looking forward to trying the cigar with a bolder pairing. On the next evening, I did just that. For an after-dinner smoke, I poured a bit of Old Elk Cigar Cut Bourbon to sip with the cigar.

Old Elk Cigar Cut is a wonderful blend of bourbons finished in Sherry, Armagnac, Port, and Cognac casks. On the nose, there is an inviting aroma of caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, and spiced fruit. Sipping brings out layers of dark chocolate, toffee, and baking spices, while subtle notes of tobacco and dark fruit linger on the finish.

In this combination, the cigar retained the dark cocoa, and espresso notes I had noticed previously. However, the sweetness highlighted by the Negroni was nearly absent. Rather than the contrast noted previously, the bourbon’s oak, richness, and darker flavors reinforced the cigar’s roasted and creamy characteristics, bringing those notes further forward.

The two different beverages enjoyed with the Pius X provided an interesting study in contrasts. The Negroni seemed to reveal something in the cigar, while the Old Elk amplified something already there. The Negroni brought the cigar’s sweetness forward, while the bourbon emphasized its darker cocoa and espresso character.

I wouldn’t necessarily call one pairing better than the other. They simply offered two very different perspectives on the same cigar. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about exploring cigar and beverage pairings. The experience isn’t simply about identifying particular flavors in a cigar, but about discovering how another beverage can change the way those flavors are perceived.

In this case, the Pius X proved to be an excellent example: the Negroni revealed, the bourbon reinforced, and both made for an enjoyable cigar.

Cheers!

The Unofficial Patron Saint of Cigar Smokers

Today, August 21, is the Feast Day of Pope Saint Pius X.

Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto on June 2, 1835, in Riese, Venetia, then part of the Austrian Empire (now in Italy), he served as pope from 1903 until his death in 1914. Pius X is remembered for his pastoral care, firm leadership, and unwavering defense of Catholic doctrine.

As pope, he enacted reforms that left a lasting mark on the Church. He promoted the use of Gregorian chant in worship and became known as the “Pope of the Eucharist” for his fervent encouragement of frequent Communion, which he described as “the shortest and safest way to get to heaven.” Notably, he lowered the age for reception of Holy Communion from twelve to seven, a decision still in place today.

Pius also took a firm stand against theological Modernism, which he considered “the synthesis of all heresies.” He resisted the movement of Christian Democracy when it veered into overt political activism, seeking instead to keep Catholic social work grounded in religious rather than partisan aims.

While the Church venerates him for his sanctity and his spiritual reforms, I like to think of Pope Saint Pius X as something else as well — the unofficial Patron Saint of Cigar Smokers.

Several years ago, I wondered whether any saint officially served as the patron of cigar smokers. My search uncovered a handful of saints with connections to tobacco. For example, Saint Titus Brandsma is recognized as the patron saint of tobacconists. Yet there appears to be no widely recognized patron devoted specifically to cigar smokers.

Then I came across a humorous anecdote attributed to Pope Saint Pius X, preserved in a reader’s letter published by Cigar Aficionado. Whether historically accurate or not, it perfectly captures the pope’s reputed attitude toward cigars.

Reading of his [Pius X] defense of cigars as not being a vice, I was reminded of a story that a cigar smoking priest of the Diocese of Tulsa, who is now in training for the Vatican diplomatic corps, told me. When he was a seminarian in Rome, he learned that Pius X, who was the pope from 1903 to 1914, called a bishop onto the carpet to reprimand him for his scandalous misbehavior with wine, women and song, and to correct his wrongs patiently.

The pope offered the errant bishop a cigar from the papal humidor on his desk. The bishop declined the offer with the protestation, “I do not have that vice, Your Holiness,” to which His Holiness replied, “If cigars were a vice, I would not offer you one, for you have quite enough vices already.”

There’s no way to know if the exchange truly happened or if it’s simply an ecclesiastical folklore. Still, we do know that Pius X kept a humidor in his papal office. It is also said that he broke with the long-standing tradition of popes dining alone by inviting friends to join him at table. It’s easy to imagine that more than one of those dinners concluded with the pleasant aroma of cigar smoke lingering in the Vatican rooms.

I’ve long believed that a fine cigar, enjoyed thoughtfully and in moderation, is less about indulgence than about creating a space for conversation, gratitude, and quiet reflection. Whether shared among friends or savored alone after a busy day, a cigar invites us to slow down for an hour and appreciate the blessings we’ve been given. That seems entirely compatible with a life of faith.

His enjoyment of cigars certainly didn’t prevent his canonization in 1954 — perhaps a gentle reminder that the Church has never regarded the moderate enjoyment of life’s good gifts as incompatible with holiness. I’d like to think those quiet moments with a cigar occasionally offered Pope Saint Pius X a chance to gather his thoughts before returning to the immense responsibilities of the papacy. For that reason, at least in my own book, he remains the unofficial Patron Saint of Cigar Smokers.

Regina Cigars produces a cigar honoring Saint Pius X, and I have several waiting in my humidor. This evening seems like an appropriate occasion to light one, perhaps accompanied by a glass of Italian wine, while offering a prayer of thanks for the witness of this remarkable saint.

Cheers!

Blue Cheese, Chocolate, and a Little Imagination

The AJ Fernandez Blue Cheese is a cigar I’ve been wanting to try for some time, and finally picked one up last week during a visit to Slow Burn Cigar Co. Instead of the resting period I typically give new acquisitions, I smoked this one just a few days after bringing it home.

The cigar is the result of a collaboration between Privada Cigar Club and AJ Fernandez Cigars. Despite the name, the cigar is not infused with blue cheese. The moniker is a reference to the blue security ribbon on modern U.S. $100 bills, a theme repeated in the cigar’s band. The 6 x 52 Toro uses Nicaraguan Habano for the wrapper and binder. The filler leaves are also Nicaraguan, primarily from Estelí and Jalapa.

I opted to make this a culinary-based pairing and selected Maker’s Mark Private Select “Hint O’Chocolate II” to accompany the smoke.

The Hint O’Chocolate II is a Virginia ABC selection from 2022. The Private Select is part of the Maker’s Wood Finishing Series and was selected by, or for, Virginia ABC. It is bottled at a hearty 107.9 proof. Fruit and oak notes start the sipping experience. Notes of sweet cream and milk chocolate arrive in the finish. The mild chocolate note is brief, dispersing shortly after each sip.

The Blue Cheese smoke begins with soft chocolate, espresso, and some roasted almond. After a few puffs on the cigar, I began sipping the Hint O’Chocolate. The caramel and vanilla from the Maker’s Mark complemented the cigar’s creamy character. The bourbon’s mild chocolate was a subtle reinforcement of the same notes in the cigar.

The flavor profile remains much as it began until about the midpoint of the smoke. This is when the cigar shifts to a more earthy and dry wood profile.

I’ve seen some reviewers describe the cigar’s earthy, savory character as a tangy “blue cheese funk.” Perhaps that’s the power of suggestion, but cigar tasting notes are based more on impressions and thoughts they invoke than on actual flavor matches. My impression was less specific. Toward the end of the smoke, the earthiness remained, though now it was spiced with some black pepper. The sweeter chocolate notes from the bourbon provided contrast and remained in the lead.

I enjoyed the pairing of the Maker’s Mark Private Select “Hint O’Chocolate II” with the AJ Fernandez Blue Cheese. The flavor notes started out balanced, with some striking similarities. As the Blue Cheese developed more pepper, earth, and that elusive savory/tangy character, the chocolate-and-oak character of the Private Select became increasingly dominant.

There was nothing quite so specific as my past impressions of chocolate-covered cherries or maple-drenched French toast, but the food-themed name added to the fun of the experience.

Cheers!