Davidoff Nicaragua × Ron Zacapa 23 (Rum)

When two sophisticated profiles come together in complete harmony, you get a pairing like this—graceful, layered, and endlessly rewarding. The Davidoff Nicaragua represents a bold step for a brand known for its milder Dominican blends. This Nicaraguan puro delivers medium-to-full-bodied intensity with a refined edge: white pepper, roasted coffee, leather, and a touch of dried fruit glide through each draw with impeccable smoothness and balance. It’s a cerebral cigar—bold, but never brash.

Ron Zacapa 23, a Guatemalan treasure, is aged using a unique solera system that blends rums aged 6 to 23 years. It pours like liquid velvet, exuding notes of caramel, toffee, baking spice, dried fig, and dark honey. There’s depth here, but also a luscious softness that never overwhelms. Its sweetness is elegant, more brown butter than sugar bomb—making it one of the most versatile aged rums on the planet.

The pairing is pure synergy. The cigar’s earthy spice and leathery profile play beautifully against Zacapa’s round, molasses-coated complexity. Each puff sets the stage for a rich sip, and vice versa. The pepper notes pull forward the spice in the rum, while the rum’s dried fruit teases out similar flavors buried deep in the cigar’s filler. It’s a seamless back-and-forth—a dialogue between the volcanic soil of Nicaragua and the highland cane of Guatemala.

This is a pairing for thinkers, for storytellers, for those who sit still long enough to watch the sun go down. It’s meditative without being sleepy, bold without being loud. It belongs in quiet corners of rooftop lounges or beside a flickering fire where you can lose track of time and taste.