We’re back for Episode 2 of our Drew Estate Pairings series. In this episode, we pair the Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA with our Herrera Esteli Robusto. This was a great pairing, watch the video or read the article below to see our tasting notes! Also, please comment with your suggestions on our next pairing.

Herrera Esteli Robusto

Johnny: The Herrera Esteli is the first blend from Willy Herrera after becoming part of the Drew Estate team. In typical Willy fashion, the cigar is Cuban-esqe with a spicy backbone. The cigar is creamy and medium to full bodied, perfect for fans of Cuban cigars. If you haven’t smoked a Herrera Esteli yet, I highly recommend that you try to snag a few different sizes, as they all have distinct tastes within the line. One of the most unique aspects of the Herrera Esteli is that it is one of the few cigars that tobacconists recommend to smokers of mild, medium, and strong blends. We have a Store Locator on our blog where you can find local retailers that carry the Herrera Esteli line, as it is a boutique product, made in small batches, and can be hard to find.

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA

Johnny: The Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA is a well-balanced IPA from Anderson Valley, a solar-powered brewery based in Boonville, CA. The nose offers notes of malt with a slight citrus hop character. On the palate, the malt flavor continues as well as a hop bitterness that arrives mid-tongue. The Hop Ottin’ isn’t overly hoppy and is a great choice for those looking to expand their palates into more hoppy beers.

Paired:

Johnny: The different flavors in the Herrera Esteli and Hop Ottin’ pair extremely well. The spiciness from the Herrera Esteli and the malt flavor from the Hop Ottin’ combine into something similar to a cinnamon graham cracker; bready, sweet, and spicy all at once. A great match-up, without a doubt.

Joey: Being a big hop head, I generally go for more intensely hopped, West Coast-style double or imperial IPAs, but for pairing with the Herrera Esteli Robusto, a more middle of the road IPA like the Anderson Valley makes for a great match. The even-keeled malt backbone blends well with the Herrera Esteli’s spicy, black pepper kick, especially when you’re first lighting up, and into the 1st third of the cigar. The bitterness of the IPA comes in slightly delayed and the Herrera mellows through the 2/3 point and the combinations of both are harmonious. The beer is definitely bitter, but may be interpreted as black pepper especially when you retro hale. Again, the alcohol content, though elevated, is not perceptible enough to trample on the exquisite flavors of Willy Herrera’s Cuban-esqe cigar blend. Definitely a great spring/summer pairing.