You want a cigar now, right?

I’m not a smoker and yet one of my guilty pleasures is having a cigar with a bit of scotch. Something about taking that time to slow down for a small sip and a drag and ruminate over how the flavors intermingle on your tongue that just says, “Ahhh, now THIS is the life. Where the devil are my slippers?”

But since I’m still a novice, when I attended a Glenlivet scotch tasting by Master of Scotch Rick Edwards atop the Petit Ermitage and saw him puffing on a cigar before the festivities I had to ask him what he was smoking. This of course led to which cigars he recommended with the Glenlivet 12, 15 and 18, scotches we were tasting that evening.

“Since Glenlivet is a lighter style of whiskey — soft and floral and fruity, it’s got these amazing complexities in the whiskey — if you had a heavy Maduro wrapper, it tends to overpower the Glenlivet. I would recommend a Cameroon wrapper which is a little bit lighter than a Connecticut Shade and gives you just a little bit more flavor that pairs better with the Glenlivet.”

If anything, skip over the 12 year and go straight for the 15 or the 18, he said.

Glenlivet 15: “The 15 year old is one of my favorite expressions of the Glenlivet and it’s spicy and nutty. So being a Maduro wrapper smoker, I like the Glenlivet 15 better because of the spiciness it offers and because of the nuttiness you get out of the whiskey, it pulls some of those heavier characteristics. More full body in the cigar world.”

Glenlivet 18: “The Glenlivet 18 with a cigar would complement that whiskey and the cigar a little better than, let’s say, the Glenlivet 12 year. If you’re a cigar smoker, definitely get into the 18 year old just because of the nice sherry cask influence which gives it sweeter characteristics.”

Now if you’re so inclined, my favorite places to entertain this guilty pleasure, besides my porch, include 10 Pound at the Montage and the Buena Vista Cigar Club in Beverly Hills. But for even more suggestions in L.A., check out Eater LA’s post.