UK Cigar Scene Magazine December Issue 12 | Page 17

barrel-aged whiskies and premier cru Cabernet
Sauvignon wine barriques.
My second whisky was a new discovery from me,
an independent bottling from Fox Fitzgerald’s
Peats Beast Whiskies recently introduced. The
Corriemhor Cigar Malt Reserve is the based
upon Richard Paterson’s first cigar malt, that
was created to specifically complement the finest
Cuban cigars. This whisky has been matured in a
combination of American Oak and Pedro Ximenez
Sherry Casks and is bottled at 46% abv with no
added colouring and non-chill filtered. It comes
across with a creamy buttery sweetness with notes
of caramel and fruit, lighter Seville oranges and
stewed pears, and finished with Crème brûlée
which worked perfectly with the cocoa notes of the
No.6 I asked the blenders for their recommended
cigar pairings and again the Partagás Serie D No.4
was once again highlighted alongside the Serie E
No.2.

The Cognacs
I’m fairly new to Cognac and can list just a handful
tasted over the last five years so was looking
forward to the two that had been selected for
this tasting. Brandies can be produced all over
the world but only one of them can be called
Cognac. Cognac is a distilled wine produced in
the South West of France around the small city
of Cognac. The area, north of Bordeaux and east
from the Atlantic Ocean, has some 200,000 acres
of vines – a white grape called Ugni Blanc – giving
a rather thin wine, which after double distillation
in copper pot stills will produce Cognac. It is
matured in oak wood casks where the wood
elements picked up during the first year will blend
with the Cognac and make it softer and more
complex over the years.

of tobacco leaf and leather, while forest fruits
bring a welcome yet subtle sweetness to the overall
experience, while liquorice and soft spices linger
on the long drying finish.
The second Cognac
came from Sautter, one
of the great cigar stores
of London, founded
over 50 years ago in the
heart of fashionable
Mayfair. The creation
of the Sautter Cognacs
was a long held dream of
owner Laurence Davis,
and his dream became a
reality last year when the
Sautter Maduro Cognac
was introduced, created
in partnership with the historic C ognac House of
Croizet, one of Cognac’s oldest companies. Croizet
is a one hundred percent Grande Champagne
Cognac, the House style being determined by the
sixty hectares of vineyards the company owns in
Grande Champagne, considered to be the most
prestigious growth area in the Cognac region.
Blended by the Cellar Master at Cognac Croizet
and selected by Laurence to perfectly complement
fine aged cigars, expressing this region’s typical
style, showing great elegance, richness of aromas,
and great length on the palate. I found this to have
more ‘fine wine’ like notes, like an old Port, with
leather and walnut alongside discreet hints of
vanilla, dried fruits combined with dried flowers,
before liquorice and fragrant spices linger on the
long finish. I only had one healthy dram of this
and so didn’t get the opportunity to savour with
and without a cigar

My first Cognac was the Hine Cigar Reserve Extra
Old Cognac. Introduced in 1992 and created by
Bernard Hine in collaboration with Nicholas
Freeman of cigar purveyors Hunter & Frankau,
combining their lifetime of knowledge and
experience, bringing together a blend of more
than twenty five Cognacs coming from four
of the authorised zones, or crus, of the Cognac
region; Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne,
Borderies and Fins Bois. The youngest Cognac in
this blend is aged over ten years and this is said to
be their most powerful Cognac with a depth and
complexity that won’t be overpowered by a cigar.
The result? A rich, deep, spicy Cognac with notes
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