Name: The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

Color: Copper

Nose: Barley, maple, oak

Taste: Maple, oak, dark fruit, cream finish

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve was my second dram after the Jura Seven Wood at The Pot Still when I was in Glasgow, Scotland in May 2019. Nothing puts a smile on my face than going to The Pot Still in Glasgow and sipping whisky!

The Dalmore Distillery is located in Alenss, Scotland which is approximately twenty miles north of Inverness. The Cigar Malt Reserve is first aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then 30-year-old Oloroso sherry butts, and finally transferred in Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques. Then combination makes a nice rich whisky with a slight sweet cream finish that might go good with the smoke flavor from a cigar. I say “might” because you cannot smoke in The Pot Still.

If you have not picked up on the marketing yet, the Cigar Malt Reserve name implies it is to be paired with a cigar. How you drink a whisky, smoke a cigar, or pair the two is up to you. I enjoy a whisky and cigar combination, but it is sometimes a mixed bag when you put the two together.

Here are my thoughts;

• A good whisky on needs a glass.
• A good cigar only needs a match.
• A whisky should cost a $50 minimum to drink neat/rocks.
• A cigar should cost a $15 minimum.
• A smoky whisky can over power or not match the smoke from the cigar.
• A dark/stronger cigar flavor can be ruined by a whisky.
• A cigar with a long burn time can lead to drinking more whisky. This is good or bad depending on the day and your company.

When I put the two together I usually pair medium bodied cigar with light-medium whisky or I do not mix them at all.

Price around $135+ and very good but a bit expensive for the flavor profile. You can mix and match scotch and cigars in so many ways you do not need a specific whisky.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris