Port and cigars

[skindiver]

What better forum to ask this question than right here,where Ken Gargett resides? A question I wish I'd asked him directly when we met at the R&J LCDH in Habana.

What do you think is a good port to enjoy with a cigar? While I'm sure there are outstanding vintage ports with corresponding price tags,I'm interested in a good port,moderately priced.

Of course,you don't need to be Ken to respond! Any suggestions would be welcome.

[Colt45]

Here's a start:

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/board_entr...me&category=all

For what it's worth, I don't like mixing any wine with cigars.

Though I will try, at some point, a cigar with champagne,

as suggested by Mr. Gargett.

[Ginseng]

» What better forum to ask this question than right here,where Ken Gargett

» resides? A question I wish I'd asked him directly when we met at the R&J

» LCDH in Habana.

»

» What do you think is a good port to enjoy with a cigar? While I'm sure

» there are outstanding vintage ports with corresponding price tags,I'm

» interested in a good port,moderately priced.

»

» Of course,you don't need to be Ken to respond! Any suggestions would be

» welcome.

Port is my preferred alcoholic cigar accompaniment and there is a range to suit any cigar. From tawnys for Juan Lopez to vintage ports for RyJ Churchills, truly, port is the drink that has the breadth of range to suit nearly any cigar made.

For everyday drinking with my smokes, I prefer "Whisker's Blake" a modestly priced Australian made by Hardy's. It's light but rich with nuts and rancio. Delicious and cheap. :-D

Wilkey

[Ken Gargett]

» What better forum to ask this question than right here,where Ken Gargett

» resides? A question I wish I'd asked him directly when we met at the R&J

» LCDH in Habana.

»

» What do you think is a good port to enjoy with a cigar? While I'm sure

» there are outstanding vintage ports with corresponding price tags,I'm

» interested in a good port,moderately priced.

»

» Of course,you don't need to be Ken to respond! Any suggestions would be

» welcome.

hi stan, hope all well.

perhaps we should have got hamlet to put a bottle or two aside.

i'm embarassed to say that i have combined the two on far too few occasions to have any definitive answer. once, it would have been unthinkable to enjoy a good dinner or lunch without finishing with a port of some nature. the problem is that port drinking is not the strong fashion it once was - time/drink driving laws/trends etc, though i have a bunch of mates who meet once a month and it goes without saying that there will be a bottle of port, 99 times out of 100 it will be a good mature VP from portugal. unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't allow smoking. at home, i am more likely to have a rum, sometimes a muscat or tokay and occasionally a tawny. work well but i have not looked at matching specifics. probably should but normally when enjoying a cigar, work is over. i rather think a good youngish VP might do very nicely with a some of the stronger cigars and perhaps a more mature one for milder cigars like a lusi with a few years. for a really good vintage like 63 or 55 or older, i might hold off for a bit so the port wasn't swamped. tawnies would make a nice allrounder.

i'll put some effort into this.

hope that you are getting to havana as often.

[skindiver]

» » What better forum to ask this question than right here,where Ken Gargett

» » resides? A question I wish I'd asked him directly when we met at the

» R&J

» » LCDH in Habana.

» »

» » What do you think is a good port to enjoy with a cigar? While I'm sure

» » there are outstanding vintage ports with corresponding price tags,I'm

» » interested in a good port,moderately priced.

» »

» » Of course,you don't need to be Ken to respond! Any suggestions would be

» » welcome.

»

» hi stan, hope all well.

» perhaps we should have got hamlet to put a bottle or two aside.

» i'm embarassed to say that i have combined the two on far too few

» occasions to have any definitive answer. once, it would have been

» unthinkable to enjoy a good dinner or lunch without finishing with a port

» of some nature. the problem is that port drinking is not the strong

» fashion it once was - time/drink driving laws/trends etc, though i have a

» bunch of mates who meet once a month and it goes without saying that there

» will be a bottle of port, 99 times out of 100 it will be a good mature VP

» from portugal. unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't allow smoking. at

» home, i am more likely to have a rum, sometimes a muscat or tokay and

» occasionally a tawny. work well but i have not looked at matching

» specifics. probably should but normally when enjoying a cigar, work is

» over. i rather think a good youngish VP might do very nicely with a some

» of the stronger cigars and perhaps a more mature one for milder cigars

» like a lusi with a few years. for a really good vintage like 63 or 55 or

» older, i might hold off for a bit so the port wasn't swamped. tawnies

» would make a nice allrounder.

» i'll put some effort into this.

» hope that you are getting to havana as often.

Ken,

No, I'm not getting to Havana nearly as often these days.We should have asked Hamlet to put a few master cases of his creations aside, nevermind the port.It seems you need to do more research in this area.Last time I was in Australia, my mate there had some great aged port,but I wasn't yet into cigars.Bloody shame,as I read so much about how the refined gentlemen of the turn of the century retired to the parlor to enjoy brandy or port with their cigars.Not that I aspire to refine myself.I'm just thinking they may have known something we don't! One,obviously was how to ditch the women for the moment!

I've been more likely to have a rum lately as well, though I'm fresh out of Bundy-thank goodness!

[Ken Gargett]

the good news is that hamlet is still hard at work, and even making a few cigars. it has taken a few trips but i now know where he keeps the secret sacred stocks. last trip, i was able to get more from him than ever before. if i was in charge, i'd sack whoever makes those cuaba salamones and have hamlet teach them from scratch - his really are spectacular.

understand the thoughts re bundy but in a week or two, they are releasing a special 5,000 bottle only, 18 year old rum. not something they'll be able to repeat for quite a few years. told it is spectacular.

[genevapics]

Quinta Sta Eufemia, Late Bottled Vintage - 2000. $20/bottle here in Delaware. Wonderful stuff. By the way, this lovely wine is from Portugal.

[cigardawg]

» » What better forum to ask this question than right here,where Ken Gargett

» » resides? A question I wish I'd asked him directly when we met at the

» R&J

» » LCDH in Habana.

» »

» » What do you think is a good port to enjoy with a cigar? While I'm sure

» » there are outstanding vintage ports with corresponding price tags,I'm

» » interested in a good port,moderately priced.

» »

» » Of course,you don't need to be Ken to respond! Any suggestions would be

» » welcome.

»

» Port is my preferred alcoholic cigar accompaniment and there is a range to

» suit any cigar. From tawnys for Juan Lopez to vintage ports for RyJ

» Churchills, truly, port is the drink that has the breadth of range to suit

» nearly any cigar made.

»

» For everyday drinking with my smokes, I prefer "Whisker's Blake" a

» modestly priced Australian made by Hardy's. It's light but rich with nuts

» and rancio. Delicious and cheap. :-D

»

» Wilkey

I'm with Wilkey on this one. Port is also my favorite alcoholic match with a cigar. I drink quite a lot of tawny, as for my palate, they better accompany a Havana cigar. I drink Whisker's Blake as my everyday, but also have Yalumba Clocktower and Galway Pipe in the cabinet as well. All Australian. I have tried some others, like Illapara (sp?) and Old Cave, but the above three are my usual Australian ports.

As for Portuguese ports, I typically stick with the better known names as that is what I can easily find. I typically have some Taylor Fladgate 10/20 year in the house, and usually either Croft, Dow, or Fonseca as well. In addition, we drink several LBVs, including the Dow, Fonseca, and Taylor Fladgate. As for Vintages, I don't buy a lot of them. However, I do enjoy both the Churchill and the Dow, though they have been youngish.

My favorite?...Yalumba's Galway Pipe. Much richer than the Whisker's Blake, with flavors of spiced/sugared raisens and figs mixed in a very light caramel. Yummmmmy.

[Ginseng]

» My favorite?...Yalumba's Galway Pipe. Much richer than the Whisker's

» Blake, with flavors of spiced/sugared raisens and figs mixed in a very

» light caramel. Yummmmmy.

Thanks, Scot. Galway Pipe is now on the list.

Wilkey

[El Presidente]

Ever since Ken put me onto Pedro Ximinez Cardinal Cisneros Sherry....I cannot think of port :-D

[skindiver]

Oh yes, those Hamlet Salomones are something special.Glad to hear you found out how to get them.I brought back 50 a few trips ago.He could make it as a stand up comic if he never rolled another leaf,as well.

Ever had an "egg" rolled by Cueto? Those monsters are great as well.Picked up some of those as well as some hoyo Gran Piramides this past trip.

Thanks to all for the port suggestions! I have a starting point now,at least.

[Wiley]

» Ever since Ken put me onto Pedro Ximinez Cardinal Cisneros Sherry....I

» cannot think of port :-D

I have to admit that the raisin thing this sherry has going on is pretty awesome. I'm still fond of ports and muscats though.