Por Larranaga Petit Corona Cigar: Perfect pairing for World Whisky Day

Another month and another treat from Cigar Club LDN. This time it was a Cuban and drink pairing in the form of a Petit Corona from Por Larranaga and a miniature bottle Glasgow 1770 The Original whisky from Glasgow Distillery. This pairing seemed especially appropriate given that the virtual tasting took place on World Whisky Day. There was some added excitement as well because we were joined Steve Rankin, the head of sales for Glasgow Distillery.

The Por Larranaga Petit Corona is rated a mild to medium cigar and the wrapper was an appetising shade of milk chocolate. The gold and white band is understated but has an elegance befitting a slender cigar. Aromas of sweet almond pastry seeped from the cigar and the cold draw left a lovely note of caraway seed in my mouth and gentle sweetness on my lips.

Right from the get-go, there was a beautiful quantity of smoke that lingered just long enough to roll and dance around in the air before dissolving like a bath bomb. The flavours that accompanied the smoke were light and mouth-watering. I can best describe the taste as crisp, golden toast lightly coated with milk chocolate and a side portion of red apples with vanilla ice cream topped with crushed almonds. The gentle flavours of the cigar were the perfect match for the 1770 whisky.

This single malt from Glasgow is aged for between 3 and 4 years in virgin oak, giving it a wonderfully fruity aroma on the nose and no burn in the mouth. My first sip of the freshly poured whisky was filled with figs, oranges and honey. Over the course of the next hour, every sip was slightly different but equally creamy and smooth. It was very interesting to taste the way in which both the Por Larranaga Petit Corona and whisky altered their flavour profiles as time passed.

By the time I was an inch into the cigar the perfectly even burn was a delight to watch. I had a good strong ash that looked like a perfect stack of pennies. Rather than run the risk of dropping the ash either over myself or worse still in the whisky, I tapped it off into my ash tray where it held its shape along with the rest of the ash balls that I ended up with by the end.

By this mid-point of the Por Larranaga had shifted more to the sweeter side with notes of toffee coated hazelnuts and fresh tree sap. Where as some cigars benefit from a change of drink around the mid-point, the 1770 whisky was still a wonderful match. Over the course of half an hour in my glass, it had developed notes of honey and raspberry. It crossed my mind that the flavour profiles of the cigar and whisky were swapping places making them perfect partners.

In the final third, I was in a beautiful state of relaxation, allowing the sweet fruitiness of the cigar and clean floral notes of the whisky to wash over me as I listened to the fascinating history and ethos behind the Glasgow Distillery and the various other spirits that they offer. By the time I took my last sip of the 1770 Original and laid the Por Larranaga to rest, I was grateful that I had still another of these cigars in my humidor, yet lamenting that I had no more of the whisky left. This is definitely a pairing that I would suggest and I’m keen to see how other light and fruity whiskies that I have will work with my remaining cigar.

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Por Larranaga Petit Corona Cigar Details