CA Happy Hour: Goose Island 312 + Plasencia Reserva Original Cigar Pairing

CA Happy Hour: Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale + Plasencia Reserva Original Cigar Pairing

By Fred Lunt

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Cigar Advisor’s Happy Hour…consider it your new sanctuary: if you’re staring down one or more of life’s many trepidations, we’re here to bring you a beer or spirit and cigar pairing to soothe the savage after-work beast.

With the beginning of summer brings the promise of long days at the beach, fishing, golf outings and weddings. Of course, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing beer to cool off and beat the summer heat – and when there’s a good cigar thrown into the mix, life doesn’t get any better. This week, we’re recommending a sweet and flavorful beer and cigar pairing: one is a mellow smoke that drives plenty of flavor, without giving you cigar nausea from those harsh gamma rays; the other offers “crisp, fruity ale flavor delivered in a smooth, creamy body.” Try this stellar cigar and beer pairing to throw down on a day at the beach or an evening on the terrace.

The Cigar: Plasencia Reserva Original Robusto

With this Plasencia pick, there is more than meets the eye: it is the first cigar to be made with nothing other than tobaccos grown in accordance with the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA). “We use just Mother Nature’s ingredients,” said Nestor Andres Plasencia – in short, this 4 3/4″ x 52 Robusto is made with Nicaraguan tobaccos (Jalapa and Esteli) that were cultivated in the same style the Nicarao people used over five centuries ago…matter of fact, it may very well be the closest thing to smoking what Columbus’ crew smoked when they came ashore.

Blend

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan

Body: Mellow Customer Rating: 89

Paired with…

Beer: Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

A “immensely refreshing beer,” the 312 Urban Wheat takes inspiration from the windy city of Chicago; and much like the city, this beer is – according to Goose Island – “densely populated” with a diversity of flavors such as crisp fruit and lemon in creamy body. Our expert beer partners at the Man Guide called this “a match that’ll perk up your senses.” And paired with the Plasencia Reserva Original, this is a dynamic duo that begs to be sampled…

ABV: 4.2%

Beer Rating: 4.14/5 (Drizly)

That’s it for this week’s edition of Happy Hour – comment below after you try this beer and cigar combo. Cheers!