What is the best combination for amplification? ;)

Renaissance_Man

So... I was initially gonna be more verbal, but I will be short now. LOL. I used to drink a lot of chocolate milk with cigars. After reading all the comments from the Non-Alcoholic Drinks post however I gradually switched to plain old iced water. I noticed a huge change in the way I perceived the cigars. Which is expected. However I also noticed that cigars with sweet aftertaste (which i like) actually taste better with some drinks and not as good with others. So I was thinking - if a cigar has a dominant flavor - say sweet chocolate or nut and you want to AMPLIFY that flavor i.e. feel it more and experience it better - do you go with a sweet drink like chocolate milk or with something totally opposite - like a lime gatorade or lemonade? Do drinks with complimentary flavors work better with cigars or drinks with totally opposing flavors? I know that in any case iced water will be the best choice to sample the real flavor of a cigar, but i want to know what i can do to AMPLIFY that flavor, to really notice it, to have it linger for longer, etc... Specific drink/cigar suggestions are also welcome if accompanied by the respective flavor that is being amplified. Thanks!

bbc020

interesting question that I don't have a real answer for, but it got me to think about how some people put salt on various types of melon...I had heard that is to bring out, or contrast the sweetness of the melon so that it is easier tasted. that being said, I don't salt my melon.

I've heard that since cigar smoke is more alkaline...more acidic beverages may "amplify" the flavor of smoke. I could be wrong as I have not done any extensive research on this.

bigbgballz

bbc020:

interesting question that I don't have a real answer for, but it got me to think about how some people put salt on various types of melon...I had heard that is to bring out, or contrast the sweetness of the melon so that it is easier tasted. that being said, I don't salt my melon.

I've heard that since cigar smoke is more alkaline...more acidic beverages may "amplify" the flavor of smoke. I could be wrong as I have not done any extensive research on this.

Some people eat water melon with feta cheese for exactly the same reason. I think you are onto something with the cigar comment, I may have to experiment and see.

kuzi16

wanna make your cigar taste better?


drink white milk

the alkalinity of the cigar will make your mouth tend to be alkaline.
milk will bring that back to a more neutral pH. or if you can find a neutrally flavored beverage that is slightly acidic it would let you taste it better. though coffee is a bit on the acidic side coffee has a coffee flavor... not a neutral flavor; it will change the way your cigar tastes, not just enhance it.

ironhorse

I mentioned it on the other topic, but I had a very nice experience with a cold bottle of lemon lime gatorade and a 5 Vegas classic. I think the acidic, but not too acidic taste of the sports drink really made it nice. I was just trying to keep myself cool and hydrated during a hot summer boat ride, didn't know that I had stumbled onto a real good cigar partner

Fourtotheflush

bbc020:

interesting question that I don't have a real answer for, but it got me to think about how some people put salt on various types of melon...I had heard that is to bring out, or contrast the sweetness of the melon so that it is easier tasted. that being said, I don't salt my melon.

I've heard that since cigar smoke is more alkaline...more acidic beverages may "amplify" the flavor of smoke. I could be wrong as I have not done any extensive research on this.

See salt and chocolate also - Great combination

I didnt beleive it until I tried it. Just a hint, not like salting your steak!

bbc020

kuzi16:

wanna make your cigar taste better?


drink white milk

the alkalinity of the cigar will make your mouth tend to be alkaline.
milk will bring that back to a more neutral pH. or if you can find a neutrally flavored beverage that is slightly acidic it would let you taste it better. though coffee is a bit on the acidic side coffee has a coffee flavor... not a neutral flavor; it will change the way your cigar tastes, not just enhance it.

somehow I knew Kuzi could shed more light on this matter.

Renaissance_Man

kuzi16:

drink white milk

Just to clarify - that means pretty much regular unflavored milk, right? Hm... I think I will try this tomorrow!

kuzi16

Renaissance_Man:

kuzi16:

drink white milk

Just to clarify - that means pretty much regular unflavored milk, right? Hm... I think I will try this tomorrow!

no
im racist.






....i hope nobody took that seriously.

ironhorse

so you mean white chocolate milk?

Renaissance_Man

ironhorse:

so you mean white chocolate milk?

Hahha - thanks, ironhorse !

T. Gervais

For non alcoholic cigar beverages, I have always been a fan of milk, yet it seems to drown out the flavor of milder, creamier cigars. Fortunately I don't really like mild cigars . I also use cold water, but if its a cold day then i like a nice hot cup of tea, something mild like chamomile. For alcoholic beverages I like to drink beer with my cigars, strength of the beer depending on the strength of the cigar.

Lasabar

kuzi16:

Renaissance_Man:

kuzi16:

drink white milk

Just to clarify - that means pretty much regular unflavored milk, right? Hm... I think I will try this tomorrow!

no
im racist.






....i hope nobody took that seriously.

Or if you are a little unsettled, you may be able to feel a little more at ease if you mix half chocolate and white in the glass... a Milklatto

Fourtotheflush

I had a 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade with a cigar the other day and it went VERY well with the cigar.

-- Arnold Palmer was what Arizona Iced Tea coined it.

Renaissance_Man

Fourtotheflush:

I had a 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade with a cigar the other day and it went VERY well with the cigar.

-- Arnold Palmer was what Arizona Iced Tea coined it.

Yeah - it seems a lot of people here have enjoyed this combination. I am slowly moving towards it as well because milk tends to get heavy and is a bit more expensive... Even though I think for a fuller bodied cigar the milk definitely helps balance the PH and give you more flavor instead of more body...

cabinetmaker

Lemon lime Gatorade (as mentioned earlier) works great, imo. I kjeep a cigar lit all day in the shop (usually not the same one, lol), and mix my own Gatorade and find it's acidic and bland enough to do the trick.

jpclotfelter

I had a 5 Vegas Classic with a Bacardi and Coke with a big squeeze of lime in it. Great combo.
I think my favorite combpo though was a Camacho Pre-Embargo with a glass of Crown Royal.