Société Cigare

Establishment	Société Cigare
Address	575, Grand Alleé Est Québec, QC G1R 2K4 418 647-2000
Type	Whisky/Cigar Bar
Single Malts	Highland Park 25 Point Dhubh 30

Like many of her fellow single malt whisky lovers, CA Scotch Chick is a cigar aficionado. This little affectation isn't so odd. As with women whisky drinkers there are some pretty hot chix who like cigars: Sharon Stone, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Raquel Welch, Demi Moore, and Bo Derek, to name a few. In fact, women cigar smokers are not quite as rare as women whisky drinkers. A push by the tobacco industry to promote cigars during the 1990's not only resulted in a 50 percent increase in cigar smoking from 1993-1998 but a five fold increase in the number of women cigar smokers. 

CA Scotch Chick was introduced to cigars while in London on a business trip a number of years ago. Unfortunately, that introduction has spoiled her for life – her first cigar was a Cuban Cohiba. Being introduced to cigars through a Cuban Cohiba is like having one's introduction to single malt whisky be through a Highland Park 30. One may learn to love other varieties of whisky and cigars after the experience, but nothing will ever come close to the first time.

Like a Highland Park 30, a Cohiba is full flavored and incredibly smooth, with tastes of  honey, chocolate and spice. It is an extremely pleasant smoking experience – perfect for a woman's palate.

Cohibas were first introduced in 1968, but weren't widely marketed until 1982. Alas, these lovely cigars have never been sold in the United States because the February 7, 1962 embargo has prohibited them from entering U.S. borders. Consequently, CA Scotch Chick seizes any and all opportunities while visiting countries that do not have such silly policies to spend some quality time with these lovely cigars.

CA Scotch Chick's pre-trip research had turned up a real treat in the cigar category - Société Cigare, a cigar bar that not only stocked Cohibas, but had a pretty decent scotch list as well. It was a must for a Field Trip.

Société Cigare is a manly dark and wooded establishment on the ground floor of an old building set into the hillside along Grand Allée, Est. The CA Scotch Couple arrived during a deluge and had the place to themselves. When they deposited their coats and umbrellas in their comfy looking chairs by the whisky cabinet and informed their bartender that they were in the market for cigars, they were escorted into Société Cigare's huge walk-in humidor.

Société Cigare (the walk-in humidor is through the door on the right)

If one has never had the privilege of walking into a perfectly environmentally controlled room filled with cigars, one has missed out on one of the great sensory experiences of life. The smells of wood and spice that wafted into CA Scotch Chick's nose were gorgeous. The CA Scotch Couple inspected the Cohibas, found them to be perfect, and picked out a couple of Cohibas Coronas Especiales for their smoking pleasure.

Back at the comfy chairs by the whisky cabinet, the CA Scotch Couple were supplied with cutters, matches, and whisky menus. The menu was decent and had some interesting single malts. The CA Scotch Couple chose a Highland Park 25 and a Poit Dhubh 30 for their tasting pleasure

    The Whisky Cabinet The Whisky Menu

Both the cigars and the whiskys were wonderful. While the pour was the skimpy Canadian 1 oz, the Highland Park 25 was a perfect complement to the Cohiba, and the Point Dhubh 30 had an interesting fruitiness. 

The CA Scotch Couple spent a leisurely time watching the rain, smoking their Cohibas, and sipping their scotch. The downpour ended just as they finished their cigars, and the CA Scotch Couple strolled home through a lovely Québec evening, complete with a fiery sunset. It was a very satisfying Field Trip. 

Both CA and DC Scotch Chick have reviewed Highland Park 25. Also below is CA Scotch Chick's review of Poit Dhubh 30.