Cigar Aficionado

With its fair share of gamesmanship and the golf equivalent of trash talking over the years, the trans-Atlantic Ryder Cup tournament hasn’t always lived up to the expectations of Samuel Ryder. The man for whom the contest is named expected it “to influence a cordial, friendly and peaceful feeling throughout the whole civilized world.”  

While that might have happened, the spirit chosen as the event’s “Official Bourbon”—Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Limited Edition—is doing its part for international goodwill. With its finish in European oak, the whiskey reaches out across the ocean to effect a treaty of sorts—at least as far as drinking is concerned. 

The Bourbon is first matured in white oak from America and then finished in new European-oak casks that have been toasted rather than charred, which is typical for American whiskey. The aim is to create a profile based on the Lazio wine-growing region. Not coincidentally the capital of the region is Rome, the city that will host the biennial golf contest in late September. (You can read all about the Ryder Cup course in our July/August issue, on newsstands now.) 

With its Ryder Cup labeling, including a gift box and a coin atop the cork emblazoned with the tournament’s logo, the one-time release is intended to have souvenir value. Based on the tasty contents, you may, however, choose to keep the bottle in your collection only after you have emptied it. We put a bottle to the test, and (of course) we paired it with a fine cigar.

The Tasting:
Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Limited Edition, 94 proof, $100 (no age is given, but the Bourbon is described as “extra-aged, i.e. more than four years).

Nose: A pact is achieved between Bourbon’s creamy toffee and wine’s sweet fruit, with a whiff of newly sawn wood. 

Palate: On the tip of the tongue, the fruit takes the lead with tarter hard candy: sloe berries, black currant and plums. In the back of the mouth, the European influence melds with the Kentucky spirit, the former mellowing bringing syrupy sweetness and a graham cracker note. 

Finish: In a long finish the two sides have reached a pleasant détente, which is intermittently spiced with a spark of licorice. 

The Pairing:
Camacho Corojo Figurado, Honduras, $9.80

Initial notes of mild, slightly sweet wheat blossom into a smoke that is rich and elegant with complex layers of German chocolate cake, café au lait, licorice and orange peel, all atop a woody base. The draw and burn of this dark belicoso are lush and even. (April, 2022).

We chose this cigar for its cocoa, which mirrors a latent note on the whiskey. While that notion bloomed a bit on the Elijah Craig, what was more impressive was how the licorice and orange peel lit up the whiskey. In return, the Bourbon endowed savory qualities on the cigar.

Read Next: Two Romeo y Julieta Cigars From Winston Churchill Sell For Thousands