La Flor de Cano Diadema Cigar and In- Heat Wheat: Pairing

The Cigar

Diadema
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Mexican
Size: 7.2 x 54
My Strength Rating: 5

This is the stick that I have a problem with. The Diadema has a strong floral note that the others do not have. I remember two years ago when I lit one up and got that big floral note and thinking there was just something wrong with that one. Well, all the others of this size tasted the same. I would not buy this size ever again. I like the other sizes in this line-up. Actually, now that I think of it this cigar might go very well with an IPA – I’ll do it later. It is hard to think of the other tasting notes because of this floral flavor. There is an earthiness but, it is not worth thinking about after that.

This cigar deserves to be paired up with this beer because the beer is not acting normal.

The Beer

In-Heat Wheat Hefe Weizen
4.7% abv
12 oz bottle
IBU 12
Flying Dog Brewery
Frederick, Maryland, USA
My Strength Rating: 4

Ok, there is something going on with this 6 pack of beer. They must have juiced this beer up with extra carbonation. Every beer that I have opened up just wants to explode and then you cannot pour a good beer, it is all foam. The cloud of foam that is in the glass looks like the pastry chef toasted the top. I have never had this beer do this before in past years.

The aroma has a soapy smell with some wheat in the background. The taste has some lemon citrus zip, wheat, and some spice. The watery edge is a little big for this beer and of course the carbonation is out of control. Once I got a chance to put all the beer from the bottle in the glass the color is a ruddy orange color. There must be something wrong with this six pack of beer – bottom of the barrel stuff maybe. But, the taste is pretty much the same.

I usually pick up a six pack or two every summer because it goes well with a cigar with its watery edge. This beer does not have the character of a hefe weizen but, it is serviceable on a hot day.

Buy: If you are looking for a Hefe Weizen, skip this beer. If you want an ok wheat beer to go with a cigar or with food knock yourself out and get a six pack. There are too many good Hefes out there to bother with this one.

The Pairing

I was hoping that the beer would control that floral note from the cigar but, it does not. The cigar does make this beer taste better. It affects the mouthfeel making it seem a little fuller. There is a better earthy structure to the beer. The beer does help with cleaning the palate from that floral note – thanks to the overdose of carbonation and that watery edge. But, the watery edge is not as noticeable during this pairing.

Don’t pair these two. Why? Because, you should not buy this cigar – period.