Over the past three weeks, we sponsored a Coffee and Cigars Contest, which ended on October 4. The contest asked people to go to an online form and tell us what were their three favorite coffee cigars. In other words, we asked them what what 3 cigars they like to pair with coffee, and why. Many people filled out the survey, in which they indicated their preferences for cigars that pair well with a cup of “Joe.”

As might be expected, there were widely different ideas about what cigars match well with coffee. That’s not surprising given that perceptions of flavor in cigars, coffee, and almost anything else that can be ingested, is very subjective.

Before I tell you about the results of the survey, let me say, “Congratulations” to the three contest winners who each won a bag of CP Coffee and a 5-pack of cigars:

Contest Winner Week One:  Jeff Wilson from Texas.

Favorite Coffee Cigars: Ashton San Cristóbal, Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro, CAO Brazilia.

Contest Winner Week Two: John Hicks, from Michigan.

Favorite Coffee Cigars: CAO Eileens Dream petit corona, Rocky Patel American Market Selection, and Nub Habano.

Contest Winner Week Three: Gunnar Carlson from Minnesota.

Favorite Coffee Cigars: Casa Toraño, Fuente Hemingway, and Litto Gomez Diez.

There were 135 different cigars put forth as favorites for pairing with coffee (i.e., each cigar represents a different cigar line). And, those cigars spanned the strength and body range from light to full-bodied cigars. Some people preferred a light cigar in the morning with coffee while others needed a jolt to get them going in the morning.

There were 73 different cigar brands included in the submissions, and both Cuban and non-Cuban cigars were represented.

The single cigar that garnered the most votes as the best cigar to go with coffee was the 5 Vegas Gold. Contestants had this to say about 5 Vegas Gold: “It has a nutty creaminess that enhances the flavors in most coffees.” “It doesn’t have such a strong hit of nicotine that you get burned out from a stimulant overdose with the caffeine in the coffee.” It was also said that, “The spicy creamy finish [of the 5 Vegas Gold] makes any coffee taste awesome.” So, there you have it. 5 Vegas Gold was the clear standout.

There was a tie for second place with the Padrón Anniversary Series Maduro and the CAO Brazilia going neck and neck. If you’ve tasted either of these cigars, you have to admit that both of them have a good dose of coffee and chocolate flavors. Both are packed with intense flavors and will stand up to pretty much any coffee you want to pour with them.

After Padrón Anniversary Series and CAO Brazilia came the Cuban Por Larrañaga. Incidentally, I didn’t try to separate out the exact “vitolas” of the cigars within each line. I thought that would be cutting it too fine for the purpose of this contest, but in the case of the Por Larrañaga, the Petite Corona size was most often mentioned. Tied for 4th place with the Por Larrañaga were the Padrón Anniversary Series Natural and the Oliva Serie V.

A few things became very clear to me after analyzing the results of this survey: First, many, many people like to pair coffee with cigars. Second, I am one of those people. Third, I love mornings.