From time to time P&C Instagram page shares some nice pairing guides. I decided to collect all of them here for you:
- Aromatics are normally light and sweet. Teas with some tannic “bite” offer a pleasant counterpoint.
- Non-aromatic Burley blends have a nutty quality without too much sweetness. Any kind of whiskey or an amber ale pair well.
- Virginia/Perique blends tend to be sweet with some spice, but are usually medium-bodied or lighter. A dry red wine or a gin and tonic is a nice contrast.
- Virginia blends tend to be light and sweet, so a dry white wine works well.
- Straight Virginia blends work well with a lager. Both are light in body but the sweetness of a fine Virginia contrasts the bitterness of the beer.
- A gin and tonic is light in body, but has a bit of bitter “bite”. A creamy, sweet Burley, like Lane’s BLWB is an excellent pairing.
- Sweet mixed drinks are a surprisingly good pairing with Latakia blends, because they’re both flavorful, but the smokiness offsets the sweetness of the drink.
- Black coffee or a hefty stout (which both have deep and bitter notes) will pair well with a more full-bodied aromatic, like Lane’s BCA or Dark Red.
X One pairing we do not encourage is eating or drinking dairy while enjoying a pipe. Butterfat/milkfat does a very efficient job of coating the tongue, which will severely reduce your ability to taste.
X Pairings to avoid include dairy and other fatty foods, like chocolate and peanut butter. The reason is that the fats will coat the tongue, which reduces the ability to taste the tobacco.
- If you enjoy Burley-based “codger blends” like Half and Half or Sir Walter Raleigh, try them with a pumpkin spice latte (if you’re into that). The coffee drink will bring out the nuttiness of the tobacco.
- Hot mulled cider goes really well with a full-bodied Balkan or English blend, especially one that contains Perique.
- Here’s a strange little pairing – try munching on some candy corn while enjoying a Virginia/Perique blend. You’ll notice more of the Perique’s spice.
- Orlik Golden Sliced pairs well with hors d'oeuvre.
- Vanilla Aromatic Tobacco pairs well with session beer.
- Eggnog is the quintessential holiday beverage, but because it coats the tongue, it can really change the flavor of whatever you’re smoking. To solve that, snack on some crackers or chips to cleanse your palate. Then you can pair it with whatever tobacco you’d like.
- Hot chocolate or cocoa is creamy, sweet and slightly bitter, so a spicy Burley or Virginia/Perique blend will provide a pleasant contrast.
- Of all the usual snack foods, one of the best to eat while enjoying a pipe would be a pretzel. There’s no lingering aftertaste and it isn’t a greasy food, which can coat your tongue.
- Brandy or cognac is a great choice to pair with Latakia blends. The sweetness is capable of cutting through the smoky aftertaste and contrasts the flavor well.
- A variety of blends pair well with carbonated drinks. If you enjoy carbonated beverages and want to drink one while having a pipeful, either add some ice or let the drink sit for a bit to reduce the potentially irritating bubbles.
- Aromatic blends pair well with Champagne. Champagne will go well with almost any blend. The sweetness is muted and balanced by tartness and it has a cleansing effect for the taste buds.
- A cup of cocoa pairs well with any blend and helps to cleanse the taste buds. If you have to smoke outside during the cold weather, a cup of cocoa (not hot chocolate) is a great choice. The slight bitterness of cocoa helps the cleanse the taste buds.
- Robust Latakia blends pair well with syrupy liqueurs. Syrupy liqueurs tend to linger on the palate which can dull the taste of your pipe. But even though ruby port is intensely sweet, like a liqueur, it works well with robust Latakia blends. Just make sure to sip the port rather than gulping it.
- Hard cheeses, like Manchego, are a great palate cleanser when enjoying a pipe. Most hard cheeses have intense flavor, but they're not creamy, so the fat won't coat your tongue.
- A dry martini works well when paired with a light aromatic or a medium-bodied Virginia or Virginia/Perique blend. The bitter edge of gin contrasts well with mildly-sweet tobaccos.
- Earl Grey tea is a good choice with a mellow Burley blend. The citrusy flavor of the tea contrasts the nuttiness of Burley.
- Irish coffee is an ideal companion for a rich Virginia/Perique blend.
- Guinness Stout works great as a pairing with Lakeland Ropes and Twists, and also War Horse Bar. The body of the tobaccos and the stout is full, but the creaminess of the Guinness perfectly contrasts the boldness of the blends.
- A straight Virginia blend pairs well with green tea. The tannins in the tea will bring out the natural sweetness of Virginia.
- Oriental-forward Latakia blends pair well with espresso. The depth of flavor and slight bitterness of espresso will contrast the brightness of the tobacco while matching it in body.
- Traditional Burley blends pair well with lemonade. The acidity and sourness will bring out the nuttiness of “codger blends”.
- Maduro cigars or a heavy Latakia pairs well with strawberry lemonade.
- Pipe tobaccos of any kind pair well with beer. Just one word of caution – if the beer is very effervescent, give it a little time to rest so the bubbles don’t sting your tongue.
- Whiskey sour mix + club soda = spikey lemonade and it pairs well with Virginia or Virginia/Perique blends.
- Mellow to medium Balkan-style blends pair well with cappuccino. Balkan-style blends will work well as the bright and smoky flavors contrast well with the sweet, bitter notes of the drink.
- Smooth Burley blends pair well with ginger ale. Consider Hearth & Home Mid-Town Chatham Manor. A great pairing, as the mellow nuttiness of the tobacco offsets the sweet spiciness of the beverage.
- A light to medium-bodied Latakia pairs well with ales like Newcastle. The latakia pairs well with the sweetness and good body of the ale.
- A spicy Virginia/Perique or Dark Burley pairs well with Islay scotch. The spice will contrast well with the sweet and smoky character of the scotch.
- Bold, Virginia and Dark Fired blends pair well with aged rum.
- Hearty Burley or Latakia blends pair well with apple cider.
- Aromatic, Virginia or Virginia/Perique blends pair well with bouillon or broth. The saltiness of the broth is a delightful contrast to the tobaccos' sweetness.
- Padron 3000 Maduro pairs well with a bold Cabernet.
- Non-aromatic, slightly Aromatic and Latakia blends pair well with mulled wine.
- Aromatics are normally light and sweet. Teas with some tannic “bite” offer a pleasant counterpoint.
- Non-aromatic Burley blends have a nutty quality without too much sweetness. Any kind of whiskey or an amber ale pair well.
- Virginia/Perique blends tend to be sweet with some spice, but are usually medium-bodied or lighter. A dry red wine or a gin and tonic is a nice contrast.
- Virginia blends tend to be light and sweet, so a dry white wine works well.
- Straight Virginia blends work well with a lager. Both are light in body but the sweetness of a fine Virginia contrasts the bitterness of the beer.
- A gin and tonic is light in body, but has a bit of bitter “bite”. A creamy, sweet Burley, like Lane’s BLWB is an excellent pairing.
- Sweet mixed drinks are a surprisingly good pairing with Latakia blends, because they’re both flavorful, but the smokiness offsets the sweetness of the drink.
- Black coffee or a hefty stout (which both have deep and bitter notes) will pair well with a more full-bodied aromatic, like Lane’s BCA or Dark Red.
X One pairing we do not encourage is eating or drinking dairy while enjoying a pipe. Butterfat/milkfat does a very efficient job of coating the tongue, which will severely reduce your ability to taste.
X Pairings to avoid include dairy and other fatty foods, like chocolate and peanut butter. The reason is that the fats will coat the tongue, which reduces the ability to taste the tobacco.
- If you enjoy Burley-based “codger blends” like Half and Half or Sir Walter Raleigh, try them with a pumpkin spice latte (if you’re into that). The coffee drink will bring out the nuttiness of the tobacco.
- Hot mulled cider goes really well with a full-bodied Balkan or English blend, especially one that contains Perique.
- Here’s a strange little pairing – try munching on some candy corn while enjoying a Virginia/Perique blend. You’ll notice more of the Perique’s spice.
- Orlik Golden Sliced pairs well with hors d'oeuvre.
- Vanilla Aromatic Tobacco pairs well with session beer.
- Eggnog is the quintessential holiday beverage, but because it coats the tongue, it can really change the flavor of whatever you’re smoking. To solve that, snack on some crackers or chips to cleanse your palate. Then you can pair it with whatever tobacco you’d like.
- Hot chocolate or cocoa is creamy, sweet and slightly bitter, so a spicy Burley or Virginia/Perique blend will provide a pleasant contrast.
- Of all the usual snack foods, one of the best to eat while enjoying a pipe would be a pretzel. There’s no lingering aftertaste and it isn’t a greasy food, which can coat your tongue.
- Brandy or cognac is a great choice to pair with Latakia blends. The sweetness is capable of cutting through the smoky aftertaste and contrasts the flavor well.
- A variety of blends pair well with carbonated drinks. If you enjoy carbonated beverages and want to drink one while having a pipeful, either add some ice or let the drink sit for a bit to reduce the potentially irritating bubbles.
- Aromatic blends pair well with Champagne. Champagne will go well with almost any blend. The sweetness is muted and balanced by tartness and it has a cleansing effect for the taste buds.
- A cup of cocoa pairs well with any blend and helps to cleanse the taste buds. If you have to smoke outside during the cold weather, a cup of cocoa (not hot chocolate) is a great choice. The slight bitterness of cocoa helps the cleanse the taste buds.
- Robust Latakia blends pair well with syrupy liqueurs. Syrupy liqueurs tend to linger on the palate which can dull the taste of your pipe. But even though ruby port is intensely sweet, like a liqueur, it works well with robust Latakia blends. Just make sure to sip the port rather than gulping it.
- Hard cheeses, like Manchego, are a great palate cleanser when enjoying a pipe. Most hard cheeses have intense flavor, but they're not creamy, so the fat won't coat your tongue.
- A dry martini works well when paired with a light aromatic or a medium-bodied Virginia or Virginia/Perique blend. The bitter edge of gin contrasts well with mildly-sweet tobaccos.
- Earl Grey tea is a good choice with a mellow Burley blend. The citrusy flavor of the tea contrasts the nuttiness of Burley.
- Irish coffee is an ideal companion for a rich Virginia/Perique blend.
- Guinness Stout works great as a pairing with Lakeland Ropes and Twists, and also War Horse Bar. The body of the tobaccos and the stout is full, but the creaminess of the Guinness perfectly contrasts the boldness of the blends.
- A straight Virginia blend pairs well with green tea. The tannins in the tea will bring out the natural sweetness of Virginia.
- Oriental-forward Latakia blends pair well with espresso. The depth of flavor and slight bitterness of espresso will contrast the brightness of the tobacco while matching it in body.
- Traditional Burley blends pair well with lemonade. The acidity and sourness will bring out the nuttiness of “codger blends”.
- Maduro cigars or a heavy Latakia pairs well with strawberry lemonade.
- Pipe tobaccos of any kind pair well with beer. Just one word of caution – if the beer is very effervescent, give it a little time to rest so the bubbles don’t sting your tongue.
- Whiskey sour mix + club soda = spikey lemonade and it pairs well with Virginia or Virginia/Perique blends.
- Mellow to medium Balkan-style blends pair well with cappuccino. Balkan-style blends will work well as the bright and smoky flavors contrast well with the sweet, bitter notes of the drink.
- Smooth Burley blends pair well with ginger ale. Consider Hearth & Home Mid-Town Chatham Manor. A great pairing, as the mellow nuttiness of the tobacco offsets the sweet spiciness of the beverage.
- A light to medium-bodied Latakia pairs well with ales like Newcastle. The latakia pairs well with the sweetness and good body of the ale.
- A spicy Virginia/Perique or Dark Burley pairs well with Islay scotch. The spice will contrast well with the sweet and smoky character of the scotch.
- Bold, Virginia and Dark Fired blends pair well with aged rum.
- Hearty Burley or Latakia blends pair well with apple cider.
- Aromatic, Virginia or Virginia/Perique blends pair well with bouillon or broth. The saltiness of the broth is a delightful contrast to the tobaccos' sweetness.
- Padron 3000 Maduro pairs well with a bold Cabernet.
- Non-aromatic, slightly Aromatic and Latakia blends pair well with mulled wine.