UK Cigar Scene Magazine December Issue 12 | Page 16

Whiskies and Cognacs
created with the Cigar in mind
I’m sure we all have our favourite drinks to accompany a fine cigar. I’m fairly certain it’ll
be dependent upon the time of day, or even the day of the week. Ordinarily my cigar time
is limited to weekends. Morning cigars are generally accompanied by coffee, and Sunday
afternoons is usually a time for Sherry, with the sweet Pedro Ximenez dessert wines a
particular favourite of mine for sipping while enjoying a cigar.
Both Whisky and Cognac have been traditional
after dinner drinks, and both are common
accompaniments with a fine cigar. Whilst there
is a huge choice to choose from, a few producers
have created spirits specifically for cigar smokers,
or tasters as I prefer. One smokes a cigarette, yet
we taste a fine cigar.

There are of course a number of parallels between
great cigars and fine whiskies and Cognacs. They
are all hand made products in which the integrity
of the ingredients, processes and terroir are
crucial. Just as some whiskies and Cognacs suit
certain moods, times of day or occasions, the same
is true of cigars. Over one weekend, I sat down
with two whiskies and two Cognacs each designed
with the cigar taster in mind.

The Cigar

the Cigar Malt back in 1998. It was retired in
2007, much to the chagrin of its many fans, and
bowing to consumer demand, a limited edition
replacement, the ‘Gran Reserva’ was announced,
but only around for just a year. In 2012 a cigar
malt was reintroduced, renamed The Cigar Malt
Reserve. According to Richard, a completely
different malt to his two earlier creations and
inspired by today’s fuller flavoured cigars, such as
the Partagás Serie E No 2, his preferred cigar with
this expression. I can’t help thinking the brightred box of the packaging and the red band on the
bottle’s label are very similar of the red band of the
Cuban Partagás Serie D, a coincidence or Freudian
slip?

The newest vitola to the Partagás standard range:
Serie D No.6 which joins the iconic Robusto sized
Serie D No.4 and No.5. All three have a 50 ring
gauge and but the No. 6 is the shortest in length,
at just 3½" (90mm), making this stout cigar ideal
for brief smoking breaks, whilst retaining all the
rich aromas associated with the brand. This No.6
is a delicious little stick for when time is short,
and gives plenty of thick smoke hosting cocoa and
toasted nutty notes which turn spicier towards
the nub with a distinct peppery finish. It is silky
smooth, yet has a full rich flavour and I can see
how this would work so well with strong black
coffee.

The Whiskies
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
is probably the most well-known
whisky created for cigar tasters.
Master blender Richard Paterson,
an avid cigar aficionado himself,
created the first single malt whisky
specifically for cigar smokers,
15

This became a favourite Dalmore of mine before
I started enjoying cigars, and it wasn’t until
the recent TWE Whisky Show that I got the
opportunity to appreciate it with a cigar, where
it was paired with a Partagás Serie No.4 in one
of the Sunday masterclasses. It was a welcome
respite for a pleasurable sixty minutes. Befitting
a full flavoured cigar, the 44% abv Cigar Malt
Reserve is packed with blood orange citrus, plump
red fruits, and vanilla-soaked spices—the result
of using 30-year-old Matusalem oloroso-sherry
butts alongside American white oak ex-bourbon-