IPA, short for (India pale ale) is a very popular style of craft beer. Highly regarded for its focus on hops and bold forward taste, there’s a history behind the name, going back to the British Empire and its colonies. The origins of IPA date back to the late 1700s when London-based brewer George Hodgson began exporting a potent pale ale to India. The voyage to India was treacherous for unpreserved beers.
However, the introduction of extra hops and higher levels of alcohol worked wonders at preserving the beer and resulted in an entirely unique flavor profile. Today’s “IPAs” have evolved into their own unique, complex taste profile that simply can’t be compared to their origins. For fans of the crisp, embracing taste that many IPAs deliver, we’ve put together a list of what we feel is the best premium cigar and IPA pairings.
Half Acre Tome Hazy IPA & Oliva Serie V Double Robusto Box Pressed
Half Acre Tome Hazy IPA is a highly popular pale ale brewed in Chicago, Illinois. The beer pours a murky, hazy, golden color, followed by rich tasting notes of dark spice, wheat, malts, and some fruity components on the backend. A medium-bodied strength profile and some dryness on the finish will have you calling for another round.
Oliva Serie V Double Robusto Box Pressed is a handmade premium cigar of the finest pedigree. Dressed to kill in a gorgeous Sun-Grown Habano wrapper, this oily and dark leaf plays host to a Nicaraguan binder and bold Nicaraguan Ligero long-fillers grown in the black volcanic soils of the country’s fertile Jalapa Valley region. The end result is a medium-to-full bodied smoke with rich flavors of black pepper, earth, coffee, leather, and caramel. Half Acre Tome Hazy IPA & Oliva Serie V Double Robusto Box Pressed is ideal for outdoor barbecue gatherings, and a relaxing day at the golf course.
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA & Romeo y Julieta Devocion Toro
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA is a very popular craft beer that’s brewed in three locations: Berkely, CA, Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC. The beer pours with a frothy white head and golden amber color. The flavor is very light with some herbal tea, white peach, and orange citrus notes, backed by a spicy bitterness, which pairs perfectly with a bolder, full-flavored premium cigar
Romeo y Julieta Devocion Toro perfectly fits the profile that any great IPA demands. The cigars give a nod to the care and devotion that goes into the making of every Romeo y Julieta cigar This limited-edition masterpiece is flawlessly handcrafted at the ’prestigious Flor de Copan factory in Honduras using Dominican pilotico and Honduran filler leaves, a beefy American binder, and a stunning, seamless, Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.
Notes of earth, leather, and cinnamon progress into a white pepper finish that matches up marvelously with the slightly bitter taste of Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA.
Lagunitas Hazy Memory Hazy IPA & Foundation The Wise Man Maduro Robusto
Lagunitas Hazy Memory Hazy IPA is a New England-style beer brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California. This highly rated IPA pours a hazy amber color while its flavor profile is laced with luscious notes of blueberry, citrus, oats, and wheat, followed by a peppery finish. It’s a great all-day IPA that pairs splendidly with a bold, full-flavored premium cigar.
Foundation The Wise Man Maduro Robusto is an exquisite partner to Hazy Memory thanks to an award-winning flavor profile of leather, pepper, bittersweet chocolate, and hints of warm honey. This decadent cigar features a stunning clay red San Andres Mexican wrapper paired with a vintage Nicaraguan Corojo 99’ binder and long filler tobacco from the three top growing regions in Nicaragua.
This rich and enticing medium -to- full-bodied smoke was awarded the number 3 Cigar of the Year in Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars for 2018.
Great Lakes Hazecraft IPA & H. Upmann Nicaragua Heritage by AJ Fernandez Robusto
Great Lakes Hazecraft IPA is an American-style beer brewed by the Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland, Ohio. It pours with minimal foam at the top, and as the name denotes it boasts a vibrant, yet hazy yellowish-orange color. Top notes of ripe stone fruit, reveal flavors and aromas of tangerine, citrus, and pine in a bold, yet smooth pale ale that you can savor over and over.
H. Upmann Nicaragua Heritage by AJ Fernandez Robusto utilizes the finest hand-selected Cuban-seed Nicaraguan binder and long filler tobacco all grown on AJ’s farms in Nicaragua.
Then after further aging, these estate-grown tobaccos are covered by a gorgeous Brazilian wrapper leaf that has been triply fermented for added smoothness. Rich complex flavors of earth, oak, leather, and dark fruit, around a core of signature Nicaraguan spice, make this fabulous AJ Fernandez blend a perfect partner for the Great Lakes Hazecraft IPA.
Dogfish Head Hazy O! & NightShade by Drew Estate Robusto
Dogfish Head Hazy O is a taste sensation that offers juicy tropical notes of citrus, mango, and pineapple. This wildly popular beer is brewed with four types of oats, and a continual current of hops that impart balance and complexity without amounting to an overwhelming bitterness. A very approachable beer, Dogfish Head Hazy O is best paired with a premium cigar that will compliment yet never overpower its uniquely captivating flavor profile.
NightShade by Drew Estate Robusto is expertly handcrafted at the iconic La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate factory with the finest aged blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers, covered by an Indonesian binder and a very dark, and oily Connecticut Habano wrapper.
Bold, hearty flavors of white pepper and earth, meld seamlessly with lush nuances of bittersweet chocolate, espresso, and black cherry. Dogfish Head Hazy O and NightShade by Drew Estate Robusto are the ideal pairing for a hot, sunny day at the beach or any other type of fun in the sun outdoor gathering.
