Pairing San Cristobal de la Habana and whisky from Japan

San Cristobal de la Habana, La Punta, is a great Cuban cigar. I enjoyed it in fine weather, with Japanese whisky, at The Chedi Andermatt. The whisky:Nikka Yoichi Rum Wood Finish.

The pairings for the cigar: composed exclusively for Zigarren.Zone Social Network

Please come into the humidor of The Chedi Andermatt and enjoy the 24-second clip:

The pairing to San Cristobal de la Habana, La Punta

Marie Gerber and her team are creative and try out lots of things. Sometimes they believe that they have found the perfect combination in theory, only to realize during the practical test that it wasn't a big hit after all. On the other hand, they keep finding out in theory: "Well, that's probably nothing", and then in practice: "Wow, that's great!" Two great compositions have been created here, thank you very much!

The drink: Nikka Yoichi Rum Wood Finish 

• Japanese single malt 
• last year of maturation in the rum barrel
• Strong caramel, orange-chocolate, light smoke, oak
• Yoichi distillery from the Hokkaido region

The cigar: San Cristobal de la Habana, La Punta

The whisky:Nikka Yoichi Rum Wood Finish

Conclusion Pairing San Cristobal de la Habana and whisky from Japan

First, Marie Gerber asked me what I wanted in the walk-in humidor. It quickly became clear that I was in the mood for a Cuban cigar today. She asked me about my taste preferences and then recommended theSan Cristobal de la Habana, La Punta. Ok, I didn't know them yet.

I sat down in the lounge area outside. The weather was great, but I still wore a light jacket. Marie Gerber recommended a light whisky from Japan for parining.

The cigar service at The Chedi Andermatt is wonderful. She presented me with the cigar, cut it and lit it. The taste of the cigars in the first few minutes can be described as follows: Slightly woody, something tart, a little cocoa (bittersweet).

And that's when the whisky was served.

I'm not an experienced alcohol drinker. When I drink a cocktail, or a whisky as in this case, I can describe how it tastes to me. However, my sensory skills don't extend very far when it comes to alcoholic drinks. I made a note of this whisky: Very slightly smoky, sweetish, slightly woody, not at all spicy and it didn't burn my tongue or throat.

The combination forSan Cristobal de la Habana was terrific. I was so fascinated that I forgot to ask about the boxing date of the cigar. I can therefore only judge that it was not necessarily a fresh cigar. Perhaps it had been aged for three or four years.

The storage was very good, because the cigar was not too moist. Cuban tobacco likes that. It is better to store the cigars at around 69% humidity.

The combination: a little whisky with its slightly smoky and sweet note, then the cigar with its woody taste... a fantastic combination. Marie Gerber has put together a combination that is clear to see: Marie Gerber knows her job down to the marrow of her bones.

I can only advise and recommend you: Just go to this temple of pleasure and tranquillity.

The applicable COVID-19 measures must be observed.

Just have a spontaneous look

You don't have to be a guest at The Chedi Andermatt to enjoy this. You can drop in spontaneously and sit down in The Cigar Library. Or in the spacious outdoor area. The cigar service is first-class and second to none. The cigar prices are the same as at a specialist retailer without the typical hotel surcharge. You can also find Cuban limitadas here. Depending on the brand and availability, they may cost a little more, or even "normal".

To conclude, I will say one more time: Make you horny!

The cigar freaks from Andermatt

Tim-Martin Weber (Executive Assistant Manager) says: "We are cigar freaks!" Back then, he knew how cigars could become an incredible USP (Unique Selling Proposition) at The Chedi Andermatt. "We do something here that no other hotel does! Either we do it right, or we don't do it at all. We have opted for the former."

When Tim-Martin Weber took over as EAM, the cigars at The Chedi Andermatt were in a desolate state. Nobody cared. Condensation was running down the walls of the walk-in humidor. "I almost cried when I saw it," he said. "I came up with a crazy concept and got the GO from the management."

Such a change does not happen overnight. It takes months and years to train this philosophy of enjoyment and to inspire the staff. It needed a fresh start. The humidor was completely overhauled and some of the cigars were disposed of.

"Do you fancy cigars and would you like to take over the cigar service with a team?" Tim-Martin Weber asked Marie Gerber in January 2018. She immediately said "YES!" and he replied: "Go for it!"

And the crazy dream became reality. With a lot of attention to detail, a lot of passion, a lot of daring, many beads of sweat on the forehead and also on other parts of the body - and above all with a lot of enthusiasm and passion for cigars - the once spiritual state materialized into physical reality. As the saying goes: "If there is nothing on the inside, there is nothing on the outside. If everything is on the inside, everything is on the outside."

This is exactly how the cigar business is celebrated at The Chedi Andermatt. Should I perhaps mention that ultra-rare cigars are purchased for tens of thousands - and thousands - of euros, Swiss francs and pounds? Or that they organized a tasting for me of a 136-year-old La Corona cigar, Havana, Cuba? Or that they discovered a Cuban cigar brand and bought a box that was produced around the Spanish colonial period in Cuba and was called "La Confederacion Suiza"? I shouldn't mention something like that, should I? For us normal connoisseurs, that might make our heads twitch 😉

But: to create an insane USP, you have to be a bit insane. "Mach geil", this expression will always be with me from now on.

The Chedi Andermatt and its crazy cigar business - the 2021 series

Blog posts

• Part 1: Mach geil and the fantastic cigar business at The Chedi Andermatt

• Part 2: La Flor De Selva with 2 fantastic cocktail pairings

• Part 3: Pairing San Cristobal de la Habana and whisky from Japan

• Part 4: to be published on 03 November 2021: The Century Tasting: La Corona, Cuban cigar about 136 years old.

Cigars ZEN shipments

Exciting, funny and interesting ZOOM programs. Recorded with Vasilij Ratej and Marie Gerber.

• Part 1: Infused cigars - cigar enjoyment on a new level

• Part 2: Gilbert de Montsalvat 10 Anniversary Paring with Gilbert's best Friend

• Part 3: ADV King's Gold with different pairings per cigar third

• Part 4: to be released on November 18, 2021: Hoyo De Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan with Champagne Pairing

You can find the whole series at a glance here

Resources on the topic

• The Chedi Andermatt

• The cigar: San Cristobal de la Habana, La Punta

• The whisky: Nikka Yoichi Rum Wood Finish

• Photos: FotoWerk 132, Christian Schmid

• You can find an overview of the entire The Chedi Andermatt 2021 series here

• Cigars ZEN all shipments can be found here

• Stay up to date, short and fast: FlashCigar Newsletter subscribe