S5 E12 Bourbon & Cigar Pairing Bliss Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon & LADC Mi Amor #cigarsdaily

When it comes to pairing bourbon with cigars, balance is everything. The right match highlights each element’s strengths without overwhelming the palate. The Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond bourbon and the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor cigar come together in a way that delivers both harmony and intrigue, making for an elevated tasting experience.

The Bourbon

Ben Holladay’s Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond is a small-batch wheated bourbon crafted in Missouri, adhering to the Bottled in Bond standards: distilled in one season, aged a minimum of four years in bonded warehouses, and bottled at 100 proof.

Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: McCormick Distilling Company
Distillery: Holladay Distillery
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 100
Age: 6 Years
Mashbill: 73% Corn, 15% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
Color: Amber

On the nose, it opens with warm vanilla, honeyed oak, and orchard fruit, layered with subtle baking spice and caramelized sugar. The wheat mash bill softens the edges, offering a smoother introduction compared to a high-rye bourbon.

The palate is silky and rounded, bringing flavors of toasted caramel, ripe stone fruit, and soft wheat bread with a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon. At 100 proof, it carries enough structure to stand up to a cigar without becoming overly aggressive. The finish is long and mellow, with lingering notes of vanilla cream and gentle oak spice.

The Cigar

The La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, blended by José “Pepín” García in Nicaragua, is a medium-to-full bodied cigar wrapped in a dark Mexican San Andrés Maduro leaf. It is known for its depth, richness, and smooth delivery of flavors.

Size: 5.2″ x 56 “Duque” Robusto
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

Nose: The Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper gives off a rich, earthy scent with notes of dark chocolate, barnyard/hay, cedar, hints of molasses a dried fruit, A classic tobacco scent, slightly sweet and organic, often associated with well-aged tobacco.

Cold Draw: Cocoa and coffee, sweet tobacco, mild peppery spice, and some nutty undertones.

First light draw, the Mi Amor offers earthy espresso, dark cocoa, and pepper spice, with hints of sweet cedar and roasted nuts weaving through. The San Andrés wrapper contributes a natural sweetness that rounds out the more robust notes, while the Nicaraguan fillers provide backbone and complexity.

Retrohale: Rich, roasted notes that mirror the espresso and chocolate found in the retrohale once lit.

The Pairing

The beauty of this pairing lies in how the bourbon’s soft wheat sweetness complements the cigar’s dark, earthy richness. The vanilla and caramel notes from the Ben Holladay bourbon play beautifully against the Mi Amor’s cocoa and espresso, creating a dessert-like synergy reminiscent of chocolate-covered toffee or mocha latte.

Meanwhile, the cigar’s San Andrés wrapper, with its natural sweetness, highlights the bourbon’s stone fruit and honey tones, giving the pairing an unexpected vibrancy. The bourbon’s proof ensures it won’t get lost beside the cigar’s strength, while the wheat foundation smooths out any rough edges, preventing palate fatigue over the course of the smoke.

Half: As it progresses, the cigar develops layers of dark chocolate, leather, and subtle fruit undertones, maintaining excellent balance without overwhelming harshness. The retrohale adds a peppery zing that keeps the palate engaged.

The finish is where the magic lingers: the bourbon leaves behind vanilla-oak spice just as the cigar closes with chocolate and pepper, creating a layered, evolving aftertaste that keeps the taster coming back for more.

Final Thoughts

Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond bourbon and the Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor cigar form a refined pairing that balances softness with strength, sweetness with spice, and creaminess with richness. For enthusiasts seeking a memorable bourbon-and-cigar moment, this combination is an ideal choice.

This is not a flashy, overpowering duo—it’s a thoughtful, well-constructed partnership that rewards a slow pace and an attentive palate. Both the bourbon and the cigar shine on their own, but together, they create a memorable harmony that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

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