Coffee and Cigars: The Pairing You Can Have at 9am
Whiskey gets all the pairing articles, and whiskey is an evening drink. Coffee is the pairing for the morning, the weekend, the office terrace, and everyone who does not drink. Here is how to do it properly, by roast and by wrapper.
One rule before anything else: the coffee should be as good as the cigar. A premium cigar next to a cup of stale supermarket blend is a mismatch before you start, so everything below assumes organic, specialty-grade, single-origin coffee, freshly roasted and brewed with some care. That is the same standard you are applying to the cigar. From there the method is simple: match the weight of the coffee to the weight of the cigar, and let the wrapper choose the roast. A light Connecticut wants a bright, lighter roast. A maduro wants something dark, or an espresso. Full-bodied cigars want a coffee that will not disappear underneath them.
Below are the four pairings we would put in front of you first, each with cigars from our own humidor at today's prices. If you already know your wrapper, the Connecticut and maduro collections are the two ends of the scale.
Shop Morning Cigars Shop Maduro CigarsHow to pair coffee and cigars
Pair by weight and by wrapper. A mild, Connecticut-wrapped cigar goes with a lighter, brighter roast such as an Ethiopian or a washed Colombian. A medium-bodied Habano or Cameroon-wrapped cigar goes with a medium roast such as a Brazilian. A maduro goes with a dark roast, an espresso or a Sumatran. The rule is that neither side should bury the other.
That is the whole method, and it is more reliable than most whiskey advice because coffee has fewer moving parts. There is no sweetness from a cask to account for, no proof, no ice. There is the roast, the origin, and how you brewed it. Get the roast in the same weight class as the cigar and the rest is preference.
Why coffee works with a cigar at all
Because they share a vocabulary. The words people use for premium cigars, cocoa, cedar, roasted nuts, caramel, earth, a touch of pepper, are the same words people use for coffee, and for the same reason: both are agricultural leaves and beans that have been fermented, dried and then roasted or aged, and those processes produce overlapping flavors. A dark-roast coffee and a long-fermented maduro wrapper arrive at cocoa and coffee notes from different directions, which is why the pairing feels obvious the first time you try it.
Coffee also resets the palate between draws in a way that spirits do not. It is hot, it has body without alcohol, and its bitterness clears the mouth. That is why a cigar with coffee tends to taste more distinct from first third to last than the same cigar with a heavy pour, and why so many people who smoke in the evening with whiskey discover they actually taste more in the morning with a cup.
Which origin goes with which cigar
Four origins cover most of what a good roaster sells, Colombian, Brazilian, Sumatran and Ethiopian, and each of them lands on a different part of the cigar scale. The bright, fruit-led character of an Ethiopian sits naturally with a Connecticut. A Colombian's balance suits almost anything mild to medium. A Brazilian's nuttiness and low acidity is the natural partner for a Habano. And the earthy weight of a Sumatran is the one coffee that keeps up with a full maduro. If you only remember one line from this guide, remember that the origin does most of the work, and that an organic single-origin coffee tells you its origin on the bag, which is exactly the information you need.
Light roast and a Connecticut: the 9am pairing
The morning cigar is a Connecticut, and the morning coffee is a lighter roast with some brightness to it: an Ethiopian, or a washed Colombian brewed as pour-over or drip rather than espresso. Both are delicate, both reward attention, and neither will flatten the other. This is the pairing for the weekend morning, the terrace, the first hour of a day you have set aside.
Three Connecticut-wrapped cigars we would put in the cup's company, from mildest up.
Macanudo Cafe Hyde Park Robusto (5.5 x 49), $12. Rated 1 of 5 on our strength scale, American Connecticut shade over Dominican filler. The name is a coincidence, but it is the right cigar for a light roast: creamy, quiet, about 45 minutes, which is roughly the life of a good pour-over.
El Septimo Yao Connecticut Torpedo (6 1/2 x 60), $28.50, or $510 for a box of 20. Rated 2 of 5, from the Emperor Collection. A big, mild torpedo that runs well over an hour, so it is the one for a morning with a second cup in it.
Atabey Ritos Toro (6 1/8 x 55), $43. Rated 3 of 5, Ecuadorian Connecticut shade over a Dominican binder and Peruvian filler. The most complex of the three and the one to pair with a Colombian rather than an Ethiopian, because it has enough body to want a coffee with a little more middle.
The whole mild end of our humidor lives in the mild to medium collection.
Medium roast and a Habano or Cameroon: the mid-morning cigar
Step the cigar up to medium body and the coffee steps up with it. A medium roast, and a Brazilian in particular, brings nuttiness, chocolate and low acidity, which is exactly the register a Habano or Cameroon wrapper works in. Brew it as a French press or a strong drip so it has some texture. This is the late-morning cigar, the one after the errands are done.
Oliva Serie V 135 Anniversary Perfecto (5.75 x 54), $12, or $136 for a box of 12. An Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan tobacco, rated 4 of 5, so it is the fullest cigar in this section and the one for a properly strong French press.
Cohiba Red Dot Robusto (5 x 49), $23, or $524.50 for a box of 25. Rated 3 of 5, African Cameroon wrapper. Cameroon leaf has a dry, toasted, slightly spicy quality that a Brazilian medium roast matches almost note for note.
El Septimo Michelangelo Robusto Extra (5 1/2 x 50), $17, or $306 for a box of 20. A medium-bodied maduro rated 3 of 5 from the Sacred Arts Collection, and the bridge between this section and the next: dark enough in the wrapper to enjoy a medium roast, gentle enough not to need a dark one.
The medium-bodied collection is the largest strength band we carry, so if this is your pairing you will not run short of options.
Dark roast or espresso and a maduro: the after-lunch cigar
This is the pairing most people already know about, and it is popular for a reason. A maduro wrapper has been fermented long enough to develop cocoa, coffee and a natural sweetness, and a dark roast or a shot of espresso has the same things in it. Put them together and each makes the other taste more like itself. Espresso is the classic; a dark-roast Sumatran, with its heavy body and low acidity, is the longer-form version for a cigar that runs past an hour.
El Septimo Sable Shamash Toro (6 x 50), $19, or $340 for a box of 20. A full-bodied maduro rated 4 of 5 from the Gilgamesh Collection. A double espresso to start, then a dark roast in a cup for the rest of the hour.
El Septimo Empress Sheba Maduro Gordo (6 x 60), $26.50, or $476 for a box of 20. Rated 4 of 5, a 60 ring gauge that burns slowly and cool. This is the after-lunch cigar for an afternoon with nothing in it, and the Sumatran is its coffee.
Ashton Aged Maduro #10 (5 x 50), $12.50, or $298 for a box of 25. A Connecticut Broadleaf maduro over Dominican tobacco, mild to medium, for anyone who wants the cocoa of a maduro without the strength. Pair it with a single espresso rather than a double.
Every dark wrapper we carry is in the maduro collection, 168 cigars at last count.
The coffee that stands up to a full-bodied cigar
A genuinely full-bodied cigar, rated 4 or 5 on our scale, will walk straight over a light roast. It needs a coffee with weight: a Sumatran, a dark-roast Brazilian, or espresso, brewed short and strong. The full-bodied collection is where these live, and the two below are the ones we would start with.
El Septimo Excepcion Esmeralda Gordo (5 x 60), $45.50, or $816 for a box of 20. Rated 4 of 5, short and very thick. An hour and a half of maduro, which is two espressos and a cup of something dark.
El Septimo Vartan The Dragon Gordo (6.75 x 58), $93, or $705.50 for a box of 8. Rated a full 5 of 5, the top of our strength scale. Only a Sumatran or a ristretto is going to be heard next to it. This is not a 9am cigar. It is a Sunday afternoon with the phone off.
The third option: tea
Tea deserves a section of its own because it is the answer for a different person: someone who does not drink and does not want coffee either, or someone whose cigar hour is late enough that coffee is unwelcome. The version we know best is Persian tea, strong black tea brewed slowly and served hot, often with a cardamom pod in the pot and sugar taken on the side. It has enough tannin and body to hold its own against a medium cigar, and the cardamom sits beautifully next to a Connecticut or a Cameroon wrapper.
The pairing rule is the same as coffee: weight to weight. A light, fragrant tea with a Connecticut; a strong black tea with a Habano; and for a maduro, a black tea brewed long enough to have some bite. The El Septimo Spain Rioja Robusto at $13.50, rated 2 of 5 with a Connecticut wrapper, is the cigar we would hand someone trying tea and a cigar together for the first time.
The practical part: size, timing, water
Match the cigar to the cup, not the pot
A single cup of coffee lasts fifteen to twenty minutes. A robusto lasts 45. So a morning cigar is either a robusto with a refill, or a short cigar with a single cup. The El Septimo Short Dream and Bullet formats at four inches and under exist for exactly this, and they sit in the Luxus Collection.
Coffee first, then the cigar
Take the first sips before you light. Coffee is hottest and most aromatic in its first few minutes, and lighting a cigar takes attention. Once the cigar is going, alternate: a draw, a sip, a pause.
Keep water on the table
Both coffee and cigars dry the mouth, and a dry palate tastes less. A glass of still water beside the cup makes every pairing on this page work better and costs nothing.
Carry the morning cigar properly
A cigar that goes to the café in a jacket pocket arrives cracked. A two or three finger travel case solves it, and it is the accessory we would buy before a humidor if the morning cigar is your habit.
The pairing chart
| Cigar wrapper and body | Coffee | How to brew it | Time of day | Our picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut, mild (1 to 2 of 5) | Ethiopian or washed Colombian, light to medium roast | Pour-over or drip | Morning | Macanudo Cafe Hyde Park, El Septimo Yao Connecticut |
| Connecticut, medium (3 of 5) | Colombian, medium roast | Drip or French press | Late morning | Atabey Ritos Toro |
| Habano or Cameroon, medium (3 to 4 of 5) | Brazilian, medium roast | French press | Late morning to lunch | Oliva Serie V 135, Cohiba Red Dot |
| Maduro, mild to medium | Medium-dark roast, or a single espresso | Espresso or moka pot | After lunch | Ashton Aged Maduro #10, El Septimo Michelangelo |
| Maduro, full (4 of 5) | Sumatran or dark roast, or a double espresso | Espresso, then a cup | Afternoon | El Septimo Sable Shamash, Empress Sheba, Esmeralda |
| Full, 5 of 5 | Sumatran, or ristretto | Short and strong | A free afternoon | El Septimo Vartan The Dragon |
If you want to work through the chart top to bottom, a sampler that spans several wrappers is the cheapest way to do it, and our guide to your first five cigars, in order is built on the same one-variable-at-a-time idea.
The bottom line
Coffee is the pairing that doubles the number of hours a cigar fits into. Light roast with a Connecticut in the morning, medium roast with a Habano before lunch, espresso or a dark Sumatran with a maduro after it, and tea for the person who wants neither. Match weight to weight, let the wrapper choose the roast, keep water on the table, and the rest is your own taste.
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Every Connecticut, Habano and maduro on this page, shipped from humidified storage in Woodland Hills, California. Free ground shipping on orders of $250 or more.
Shop Connecticut Cigars Shop Maduro CigarsFrequently asked questions
What coffee goes best with a cigar?
The coffee that matches the cigar's weight. A mild Connecticut cigar pairs with a light or medium roast such as an Ethiopian or Colombian. A medium Habano pairs with a medium-roast Brazilian. A maduro pairs with a dark roast, a Sumatran or an espresso. Neither side should overpower the other.
Is coffee or whiskey better with a cigar?
Neither is better; they suit different hours. Whiskey is an evening pairing. Coffee works in the morning and afternoon, it has body without alcohol, and it clears the palate between draws, so many people find they taste more of the cigar with a cup than with a pour. If you do not drink, coffee is the pairing.
What cigar goes with espresso?
A maduro. The long-fermented dark wrapper carries cocoa and coffee notes that a shot of espresso mirrors directly. From our humidor, the El Septimo Sable Shamash Toro at $19 or the Empress Sheba Maduro Gordo at $26.50 with a double, or the gentler Ashton Aged Maduro #10 at $12.50 with a single.
What is a good morning cigar?
A mild, Connecticut-wrapped cigar in a size that matches your coffee. A robusto for a cup with a refill, or a four-inch short format for a single cup. The Macanudo Cafe Hyde Park Robusto at $12, rated 1 of 5 for strength, is the one we would start with, paired with a lighter roast.
What can I drink with a cigar besides alcohol?
Coffee first, then tea, then still or sparkling water. Coffee is the most complete pairing because it shares so many flavors with tobacco. Strong black tea, especially Persian-style with cardamom, is an excellent alternative that suits a mild to medium cigar. Water alone works and keeps the palate fresh.
Does the roast level matter when pairing coffee with cigars?
More than anything else. Roast sets the coffee's weight, and weight is what you are matching. Light roast with mild cigars, medium roast with medium-bodied cigars, dark roast or espresso with maduros and full-bodied cigars. Origin refines the choice, but roast is the first decision.
Which coffee origin pairs with which cigar?
Broadly: Ethiopian, bright and fruit-led, with a Connecticut. Colombian, balanced, with anything mild to medium. Brazilian, nutty and low in acidity, with a Habano or Cameroon wrapper. Sumatran, earthy and heavy-bodied, with a maduro or a full-bodied cigar. Buy them as organic single-origin beans rather than a blend, so you know which one is in the cup.
Should I drink the coffee before or during the cigar?
Both. Take the first sips before lighting, while the coffee is at its most aromatic, then alternate a draw and a sip once the cigar is going. Keep a glass of water alongside; coffee and cigars both dry the palate, and a dry palate tastes less.
How long should a cigar be for a cup of coffee?
A single cup lasts fifteen to twenty minutes and a robusto lasts about 45, so either plan a refill or choose a shorter cigar. Four-inch formats such as the El Septimo Short Dream and Bullet lines are built for a single cup. A toro or gordo is a two or three cup cigar.
Does the coffee need to be organic or specialty grade to pair well?
It needs to be as good as the cigar, and organic, specialty-grade, single-origin coffee is the reliable way to get there. A blend hides its origin, and a stale or low-grade roast tastes flat and bitter next to a premium cigar. Fresh, traceable beans give you the clean, distinct flavors this guide is built on.
Can I pair a flavored or infused cigar with coffee?
You can, but the pairings in this guide are built for premium, unflavored cigars, where the tobacco itself carries the cocoa, cedar and nut notes that coffee echoes. An infused cigar brings its own added flavor, so the matching is less predictable and comes down to the particular infusion.
What accessories do I need for a morning cigar with coffee?
A cutter, a lighter and, if the cigar is leaving the house, a travel case so it arrives intact. A two or three finger case is the accessory we would buy first for anyone whose cigar hour is a morning at a café rather than an evening at home.
For adults 21+. Please enjoy responsibly.
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