How to Pair Coffee and Cigars! Camacho American Barrel Aged & Moka Pot Espresso

After doing a ton of Google and YouTube searches on pairing cigars and coffee I was left.. Disappointed. 

Read below or check out our video:

The overall theme basically boiled down to pairing up roasts to the flavor strength of the cigar. Generally it boiled down to this:

Light roast = mellow cigar

Medium roast = medium flavor cigar

Dark roast = full flavor cigar  

The problem for me with that line of thinking is it completely ignores that the most flavorful coffees out there are done in a light roast. On top of that it ignores the complexity of flavor found in cigars. 

When it comes to the strength of flavor in coffee, the way the coffee is brewed is more important than the roast. For example if you do a pour over on a light roasted coffee you get a light bodied cup of coffee that is bursting with flavor. Take that same bean and use it on a french press and now more of the oils are being extracted and the cup now has a fuller body and mouth feel. Ever use a Moka Pot with a light roast? That coffee comes out dark as night! It also tastes and feels much like espresso but with the boldness you would expect from a dark roast. 

For me I like to make sure my coffee and cigar complement each other. A bold cigar calls for a bold cup of coffee!

For simplicity's sake let's reframe the pairs like this:

Mellow cigar, pair with a nice pour over in a 1:15 coffee to water ratio.

Medium flavor, French press should work well, same ratio as above to be safe

Full bold stick? Espresso or Moka Pot, perhaps make it a nice cortado. 

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