CAO Cigars & Flying Dog Brewery Pairing Pack Upcoming Reviews

Posted by Shawn

July 7, 2014

CAO Cigars recently paired up with the Frederick, Maryland brewery Flying Dog to pair the CAO “Art of Craft” sampler pack with certain Flying Dog beers. The CAO â€œArt of Craftâ€ cigar pack will be available alongside each corresponding beer exclusively at 36 Total Wine stores throughout Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and California beginning July 1. See fullÂ Press Release here.

Each beer has their own unique flavors and characteristics just like theÂ cigars do.Â Each beer has different ingredients just like each cigar blendÂ has its own ingredients (different types of tobacco). Typically a cigar is paired with a dark liquor or occasionally a light rum or tequila. I usually pair a cigar with a dark rum, whiskey, or bourbon in the fall and winter. Then in the spring and summer, I transition to more craft beers to pair with my cigars. This new pairing collaboration will be a good way to end the work day for me. I will tryÂ to reviewÂ each pairing over the next week or two. I start working 12 hour days this week, but will try to get one or two in the week and the rest on the weekend.

One other nice thingÂ about the “Art of Craft” cigar pack is, itsÂ a buy three get one free. Also a nice heavy metal bottle opener accompanies the cigars free of charge a well. So a free cigar and cutter is another way to peak ones attention when scanning the B&M shelves.

Pairing and Initial Thoughts

OSA Sol and Snake Dog IPA: This is going to be my least favorite pairing as I don’t care too much for an IPA beer or the OSA Sol cigar. I will be doing this one first and hopefully I can get more (flavor) from the cigar than the first few times I had it. “The zesty spice of OSA Sol meets its match with the citrus and resinous hop aromas and flavors of Snake Dog.” This description sounds promising and I hope it will alloy meÂ to enjoy the OSA Sol and an IPA more.Â Â Â

CAO Mx2 and Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout: The MX2 was a cigar I strayed away from for a while. When I did finally get to try it, it was a pretty good smoke and kicked myself in the rear for not trying it any sooner. “Dark and dry is the name of this pairingâ€™s game with Mx2â€™s rich notes of earth and Pearl Necklaceâ€™s dry, roast, and slightly bitter character.” I really think this is going to be a good pairing as the cigar is pretty bold and the Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout’s ABV is 5.5%, so its not an overly stout beer, but a bit stronger than most. This will be my second review and is the one I am looking forward to the most.

CAO Brazilia and Gonzo Imperial Porter: The Brazilia is another one of my favorite CAO cigars. The Gonzo looks to be right up my alley as well as its described as “dark, rich and malty” on RateBeer.com. “Both big and bold, the bitter coffee and chocolate flavors in CAO Brazilia are mimicked by the same robust notes in Gonzo.”Â From the looks of it, thisÂ is going to be a good pairing as well, I just hope the strength of the beer doesn’t overpower the flavors in the cigar.

CAO Gold and Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA: This pairing will have me on the fence about. I like the Gold, but not a whole lot. I like a Belgian beer every now and then, but not an IPA. Hopefully the light body and medium flavors in the Gold with pair well with a Belgian beer that I usually describe as being “crisp and fresh”. “The wildly complex hop bitterness and fruity sweet Belgian yeast notes in Raging Bitch are soothed by CAO Goldâ€™s caramel creaminess.” Sounds like a good pairing for the end of a hot summer’s day.