CA Happy Hour: Bulleit Bourbon and Baccarat Cigar Pairing

CA Happy Hour: Bulleit Bourbon and Baccarat Cigar Pairing

By Fred Lunt

You’ve just clocked 40 hours of work this week, maybe even more. The bags under your eyes are large and the backseat of your car is looking like a cavern made of Dunkin’ Donuts cups – you are DONE. Between errands, housework, and the grindstone at work, you need a break and that’s where Happy Hour comes in. Loosen the tie or kick off the coveralls and kick back with a smooth Baccarat and bourbon cigar pairing to round out the edges of a rough week. Get ready to sip some fine bourbon on the rocks or, if you’re feeling ambitious, mix yourself a Manhattan.

The Cigar: Baccarat Churchill

Baccarat is a timeless classic – its sweet aromatic smoke has been a staple on golf courses and at picnics and poker nights for decades. With a rich, creamy profile derived from an all-Honduran filler blend and velvety Connecticut Shade wrapper, you’ll see why this cigar has been a go-to for new smokers and veteran cigar lovers alike since, well, forever.

Blend

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade Binder: Honduran Filler: Honduran

Body: Mellow Customer Rating: 85

Paired With…

Spirit: Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey

Surprised? Don’t be: this Bulleit has bold undertones, leaving room for the Baccarat’s natural sweetness. Besides – a personal favorite, Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey is one I can never recommend enough. What sets this bourbon apart from the rest of the pack is a unique blending of rye into the mash bill. While bourbons are known for having a hearty sweetness due to high amounts of corn in the mash, Bulleit yields a 28% rye content. This extra rye makes for a distinctly sweet and “gentle spiciness.” You won’t need to look hard the find “tones of maple, oak, and nutmeg”, and Bulleit notes the “finish is long, dry, and satiny with a light toffee flavor.”

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Rating: 4.7/5 Stars (Drizly)