Tea and Cigars


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I've had regular iced tea with cigars before, but it was not one of my favorite pairings. I would think you would not want something to overpower the cigar...without getting exotic, have you tried the standard Oolong teas...? I think green teas would be a definite no. Chrysanthemum tea might be interesting as well, and it can be served hot or cold.

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I find a that a light-to-medium strength black Russian Caravan tea goes with almost any cigar... same goes for a light-to-med English Breakfast. They seem to work quite well primarily as palate cleansers (rather than accompaniment, as I would regard coffee).

IMO, green tea is a big no-no with cigars, and so is earl grey and other aromatic teas.

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I am not a tea connoisseur and would not recognize one from the other. I am a blended common commercial iced tea drinker as I don't drink soft drinks. I love iced tea with cigars in general.

Woah!... I forgot that cigars do go well with Ice Tea (probably, 'cause it is bloody cold here on the western end of oz right now)... but in summer, it is really hard to beat Ice Tea and a cigar. I am addicted to the lemony sugary powder form of Ice Tea...

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Sweetened (not killer sweet) ice tea is the way to go for me. Coffee or espresso is also preference of mine. My wife and I are wine lovers and I've tried to enjoy wine and cigars together but it just doesn't work for me. Love them both seperately, just not together! I know it sounds funny but don't count this one out.......try drinking a Dr. Pepper with a cigar, a suprisingly great combination if you ask me.

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Generally I smoke either mid-morning or afternoon. I'd say I have hot tea with my cigars 95% of the time. Even in hot weather. Mostly I drink either Assam or Cylon tea. It depends on the quality of the tea but Assam is fairly strong and can hold its own with a cigar as far as I can tell. Same with Ceylons although I find many Ceylons less strong than many Assams. (This is a broad, generalized statement. Of course, it depends on the estate, the elevation of the estate, when it's picked, how it's fermented and a bunch of other stuff that I know nothing about.)

I usually avoid flavored teas (and herbal teas). Once in a while I do have a mild Earl Grey or Bal Masque (a Mariage Freres blend) which is flavored with vanilla and lavender but they can compete with the cigar. I have also tried smoky Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong with cigars but since they each have their own distinct and potentially strong smoky aroma and flavor they can steal the show from the cigar. Others may like that smoky combination. Maybe it's like having a very smoky single malt that compliments the cigar.

I never really consciously pair my cigars and tea ahead of time. Usually it's an observation after a bad combination that goes something like, "OK, don't smoke a Quai D'Orsay with Lapsang Souchong again."

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I drink Yunnan black tea and Fujian Mountain, Jin Leung black tea, without sweetener. Hot or cold they have a nice subtle flavor that stays in the background and pairs well with most cigars that I smoke. Or, just good old mineral water.

Hope you like.

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Regular ol' Lipton with sugar on nights that deserve it HOT.

When it's warm out, or during the day, Arizona Arnold Palmer Light is great...better yet, the Arnold Palmer Green Tea - hard to find, but the king of iced teas for me!

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I've had regular iced tea with cigars before, but it was not one of my favorite pairings. I would think you would not want something to overpower the cigar...without getting exotic, have you tried the standard Oolong teas...? I think green teas would be a definite no. Chrysanthemum tea might be interesting as well, and it can be served hot or cold.

bang on mate - Oolong is a great balance for most cigars. If you've not had any, try and get hold of some Taiwanese 'Red Jade' black tea. Some of the best I've ever tried.

I am not a tea connoisseur and would not recognize one from the other. I am a blended common commercial iced tea drinker as I don't drink soft drinks. I love iced tea with cigars in general.

Ah, yeah you could - I've always thought the flavour profile of tea is enormous, much more so than coffee, for example. Fresh, young green tea, Assam or Ceylon, Oolong, English Breakfast with milk.... - almost like completely different drinks.

White tea comes out tops for me though, if you can find it :unsure:

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My goodness... a russian gaucho?!?!?! :)

I'm with you mate, cigars go very well with yerba mate... no sugar for me. Any preffered yerba mate brand or kind?

At the risk of sounding too stereotypical, I've had great success pairing cigars with mate (mate as in tea - you pronouce the "e"). With or without sugar - I enjoy it!
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