S5 E16 Cigar & Bourbon Pairing Review: New Riff Single Barrel + Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro

Cigar & Bourbon Pairing Review: New Riff Single Barrel + Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro
(A Harmony of Oak, Spice, and Refined Elegance)

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🥃 The Bourbon: New Riff Single Barrel

Mash Bill: 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley
ABV: ~53% (varies by barrel)
Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Aroma: The nose opens with a rush of dark caramel, brown sugar, and orange peel layered over oak char. Subtle hints of baking spice, black pepper, and toasted vanilla rise from the glass, revealing the influence of the high-rye content. A touch of mint and cherry candy adds brightness beneath the warmth of seasoned oak.

Palate: Bold yet balanced, the sip delivers waves of toffee, cinnamon, and cracked black pepper over a foundation of vanilla cream and dried fruit. Mid-palate, you find rye spice and cocoa nibs, finishing long with oak, clove, and a pleasing heat that never overwhelms.

Finish: Lingering notes of caramelized sugar, nutmeg, and toasted oak. Full-bodied with enough punch to stand up to a hearty cigar but nuanced enough to play in harmony with one.

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🚬 The Cigar: Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro

Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder/Filler: 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos
Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua
Size: 6” x 52 (Toro box-press)

Construction: The Maestro is beautifully box-pressed with seamless seams and a silky, chocolate-brown wrapper that glows with fine oils. The draw is perfect—smooth and easy with a steady burn line and firm ash. From first light to final inch, the craftsmanship lives up to its pedigree.

Aroma (Pre-light): Earthy cedar, roasted nuts, and a touch of dark cocoa. The cold draw teases notes of hay and sweet spice.

Flavor Profile:
• First Third: Opens with a wave of toasted wood, nutmeg, and creamy coffee. Subtle pepper on the retrohale ties neatly to the bourbon’s rye spice.
• Second Third: The body deepens into notes of caramel, walnut, and charred oak, echoing the bourbon’s toffee sweetness.
• Final Third: A crescendo of cocoa, leather, and sweet tobacco with a long, refined finish. The cigar never grows harsh—just richer and more resonant as it burns.

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🔥 The Pairing Experience

New Riff’s bold rye backbone plays perfectly against the Quattro Nicaragua’s nutty, wood-driven core. Each sip pulls deeper caramel and vanilla from the bourbon while amplifying the cigar’s cedar and cocoa. The Maestro’s creamy texture softens the whiskey’s spice, and in return, New Riff’s high-proof warmth enlivens every puff.

Midway through, both elements reach their stride: the bourbon’s toffee and orange zest meet the cigar’s espresso and nutmeg for a symphony of warmth, sweetness, and oak. The finish is all harmony—smooth, spicy, and deeply satisfying.