What We're Smoking: St. Patrick's Day
We here at Ralph’s are crazy excited to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend. There’s nothing like an excuse to kick back with friends and family and enjoy a nice stogie with a cool drink. These are the pairings that we’re looking forward to having this weekend.
Korey:
Korey, like the rest of us, immediately fell in love with Ralph’s new Candela Sweet Tip. Cigars rolled with a Candela wrapper have an instantly recognizable green color, easy to distinguish from the traditional brown or black. Its signature taste and color comes from being harvested and dried before the tobacco leaves are fully matured to lock in the natural chlorophyll content. Our cigar is characterized by a complex, floral flavor akin to green tea, with cedar and just a hint of pepper. It’s rounded off by a delicious, natural sweet tip for a tasty smoke that sacrifices none of the natural flavor or smell. Korey’s going to pair this stick with a Guinness for a uniquely contradictory taste that highlights the profile of both.
Kelly:
The Mi Amor by La Aroma de Cuba comes in an alluring San Andrés wrapper with a vintage blend of premium binder and filler tobaccos that are cultivated on select Garcia family estates in Nicaragua. But that’s not the only reason that Kelly has chosen it for her St. Paddy’s cigar. Once lit, it reveals a versatile profile of dark chocolate, almond, and espresso with a touch of coconut and just enough black pepper to give it depth. The signature Nicaraguan spice leaves Kelly, and everyone else lucky enough to try it, with a taste for more. She plans to smoke this decadent cigar with an Irish Coffee, that will bring out the espresso, coconut, and creamy depth of the cigar.
Jackson:
When it comes to LFD, the Coronado is a favorite here at Ralphs- particularly with Jackson and Ralph himself! It features a combination of Dominican long-fillers and a binder all wrapped in a silky Ecuadorian Habano leaf. It’s a medium to full body smoke absolutely full of flavor. Expect a burst of pepper at the front that transitions smoothly into a sweet tobacco with a salty-rich finish of leather and earth.
Devin and Peter:
Both of our weekend heroes chose the same stick, a fantastic special under Ralph’s Infused Line. The Vanilla Irish Whiskey is a spectacular Dominican two-wrapper- a light and creamy Connecticut that burns into an oily maduro. Its smooth, fully Dominican blend brings to the forefront the hero of this smoke- the excellently blended vanilla whiskey fusion- sweet, creamy, with the perfect kick of authentic Irish Whiskey for a St. Paddy’s smoke that will leave you wanting more. They’re gonna pair it with a lowball of Powers Irish Whiskey neat- the most popular whiskey in Ireland, for the most popular smoke at Ralph’s. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Joey:
Joey, ever on the search for the best and brightest new smokes is eager to take another crack at the H. Upmann Daytrader, the newest installment of the Banker line. Crafted to celebrate the German bankers who founded the company, these cigars pay homage to the financial world and the fantastic cigars they cherished. With a luxurious Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and a filler blend containing Dominican and Nicaraguan leaf, the stick has a medium to full body with a perfect balance of flavor. Take a puff, and you’ll be wooed by notes of cedar, pepper, and an ever-gentle sweetness. Its smooth draw and even burn only add to the depth and complexity of the flavor, keeping you engaged till the nub. Joey has a rocks glass and a bottle of Jameson Black Barrel just waiting for that first puff of smoke, with a single rock of ice that will keep his drink as cool as the Daytrader is smooth.
Caleb:
Caleb, like Korey, plans to drink a tall pint of ice-cold Guinness. But rather than a contradictory pairing, he sought a stick that would complement the smoke, taking each sip and each puff deeper than the last. That’s why he chose the Mr. Brownstone from Esteban Carreras. The company has been gaining a reputation for excellent cigars, and the Mr. Brownstone certainly does not disappoint. Its wrapper is one of the darkest and oiliest to be found on the market, with a Nicaraguan filler and binder perfectly blended, then aged and balanced to deliver a premium experience at an approachable cost. It is a full flavored cigar, with notes of smoke and hints of rich, dark chocolate. A medium to full body delivers a hearty, robust and incredibly smooth smoke that pairs just right with a dark Irish stout like Guinness.
Whether you plan to celebrate with us here at Ralph’s Cigars, on your own, or with the friends and family closest to you, we hope you do it with a stogie you love, a drink that loves you, and perhaps some hangover medication for the next morning.