What Stood Out This Week - Pours and Smokes

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This week I took some time to enjoy a few selections from the collection that really stood out. Instead of chasing new releases, I focused on what I actually reached for — and a few of them delivered excellent experiences.

I paired my personal barrel pick — the Altschuler 17 Year French Oak Finished Bourbon at 104 proof — with a Joya de Honduras Cabinet Selection Ligero Aged 17 Years, a Luxury Cigar Club exclusive. The bourbon brought rich oak, brown sugar, vanilla, cedar, baking spice, and dark fruit with zero heat. Paired with the Joya’s aged cedar, dry cocoa, leather, roasted nuts, and mature tobacco… it was the perfect pairing.

I also paired the Wild Turkey 12 Year 101 Japanese Release with the El Mago Solstice Sumatra 6x48 from Mardo Cigars. The Wild Turkey showed nice extra maturity with brown sugar, caramel, vanilla crème brûlée, charred oak, and leather undertones. The El Mago delivered cream, breadiness, cedar, and restrained spice with a perfect draw and razor sharp burn. They complemented each other beautifully.

Finally, I enjoyed the Por Larranaga Picadores (Hermosos No. 4, 5x48) from 2017 paired with Foursquare Dominus. This mature Barbados rum (aged 3 years in ex-bourbon and 7 years in ex-cognac casks at 112 proof) brought rich caramel, Demerara sugar, vanilla, toffee, dark fruit, oak, tannins, and warm spices. The cigar offered salted caramel, floral honey, cream, soft wood, and tea spice with a refined medium body. Rum and Cuban cigars continue to be one of my favorite approachable combinations.

After more than 20 years of collecting, these quiet, satisfying moments of discovering great pairings from my own basement are what I enjoy most.

Have you had any standout pours or smokes lately? Let me know in the comments — I read every one.

If you enjoy relaxed, experience-based content about aged spirits and cigars, I’d appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel and joined the journey.

As always — pour thoughtfully, draw slowly, and savor the journey.

-- Greg