New releases - Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

The Highland distillery of Dalmore has released a revised version of a classic whisky from their collection. The previous incarnation of the Cigar Malt was retired in 2007. This new version is named the Cigar Malt Reserve and is back by popular demand.  It is aimed at whisky connoisseurs and cigar aficionados alike and has been created primarily to be paired with cigars, particularly the more robust styles such as Partagas. Naturally, the whisky can also be enjoyed minus the cigar if you don't smoke.

The Cigar Malt Reserve has been created by Dalmore's Master Blender Richard Paterson and has been matured in a combination of three different casks to create a rich flavour profile - these are ex-Oloroso sherry, ex-American oak bourbon and ex-Cabernet Sauvignon red wine casks. Although no age is stated on the label, all of the whiskies included are rumoured to be between 12 and 14 years of age. The CMR is bottled at a strength of 44% ABV and is now available in specialist whisky retailers and within the travel retail sector, costing £70 a bottle.

The Dalmore distillery is located in the northern Highland town of Alness and overlooks the imposing Cromarty Firth. It was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson and has had an interesting history, including being used during the First World War by the Royal Navy to manufacture explosives. The current capacity of the distillery is four million litres per year. Dalmore is currently owned by the famous whisky name of Whyte & Mackay, which is now a subsidiary of the Indian company United Spirits - they own the famous Whyte & Mackay blended whisky brand, plus the distilleries of Fettercairn, Jura and Tamnavulin. United Spirits took over in 2007.

Our tasting notes
The colour is golden amber and the nose is full of sweet aromas which battle for attention.  There are notes of heavy malty cereals (think of malt extract), juicy sultanas, honey, caramelised almonds, stewed apples and golden syrup.  These are joined by further aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, plus a hint of milky coffee and a whiff of burnt matchstick. It smells 'thick' if that is possible and leaves you in no doubt that you are going to be tasting a sweet whisky ...

On the palate, this feels initially creamy, rich and sweet.  Notes of velvety caramel, golden syrup and crumbly Muscovado sugar offer plenty of sweetness, which is heightened by further notes of honey, vanilla, sweet malted barley and juicy sultanas.  Just when a sugar overload is looking on the cards, some much needed spicy and more bitter notes arrive - think of zesty orange peel and a good serving of gripping and tannic wood spices, such as oak and cinnamon bark.  This creates balance and a pleasing dryness as you go in to the finish.

The finish is slightly short and is overly sweet.  There is plenty of the sugary/syrup notes present and only a hint of the tannic, drying wood spices - these begin to add balance, as on the palate, but never seem to quite achieve it.  Add in some orange zest and a hint of chocolate and coffee right at the end.

What's the verdict?
This whisky has all of the classic Dalmore hallmarks and won't let down the many fans of the distillery or Richard Paterson's work.  It is rich, sweet and velvety on the palate and a definite purchase if you like that style of whisky.  However, while the whisky is good we have a couple of points to raise.

1 - The price is almost double that of the original Cigar Malt and it seems slightly high for something which is 12-14 years old.  It could be more justified if it were a limited edition or at a higher ABV and/or cask strength.  Ultimately, only you can decide if it is worth the cost, as with any other whisky purchase.

2 - We shared our sample with someone who regularly smokes cigars, as we very rarely do. He commented that a heavier, spicier cigar, such as the recommended Partagas, could easily overpower the whisky.  The whisky would need to be richer and spicier itself, or at a higher ABV, to combat this intensity of flavour.  As it stands, our colleague recommends having the Cigar Malt Reserve with a medium-light cigar such as a H. Upmann or Romeo y Julieta, which he feels would match the whisky very well.

Whisky and cigar matching > Glenmorangie and Cuaba

The drinking of whisky and the smoking of cigars have a long history together. This pastime has enjoyed something of a revival in the UK in the last year and numerous events are being held to match certain whiskies with certain cigars and discuss the flavour combinations. Such an event was recently held in London. Unfortunately, we couldn't go but we know a man that could - Chris Maclean (pictured, left). Chris likes the odd cigar here and there, is a whisky lover and also writes the Drink Station blog, which specialises in soft drinks. So what better man to write a review of the evening for us? A big thanks to Chris from us both. We hope you enjoy his review.
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I was recently invited to a cigar and whisky tasting event at Boisdale of Belgravia. I’d heard a lot about this place, and as the self-proclaimed ‘embassy for Scotland’ it doesn’t disappoint. Founded in 1988 by Ranald Macdonald, Boisdale aims to showcase the very finest Scottish produce in London, in an almost defiantly Scottish atmosphere. The cigars were provided by Hunters and Frankau, a historic 220 year old company, being the sole official UK agents for Havana cigars and purveyors of the coveted ‘English Market Selection’ seal of quality. The Glenmorangie whiskies to be sampled were the Original 10 year old, the cask strength Astar (57.1% ABV), and the Signet.

We made use of the sizeable Cigar Terrace for this event. This is a purpose-built outdoor roof space that is covered, heated and comfortably furnished in the warm Boisdale tartans. The Cuaba cigar was a real talking point, even before any matches were struck. Cuaba is named after the highly combustible bush that the Taino Indians used to light their ‘Cohiba’ or cigar, and is made at the Romeo Y Julieta factory in Havana.

The Distinguidos cigar we were to sample is a large cigar (162mm long x 52 ring guage), with a very distinctive torpedo shape, being pointed at both ends with a bulbous middle. This double taper is known as a ‘doble figurado’ and although now rare, was in fact the shape that all Habanos were rolled in up until the mid 1930s. At this time the straight sided ‘Parejo’ shape took over, and it is said that the main reason for the change in shape is that young men of the time found straight sided cigars easier to light correctly.

The unusual torpedo shape of this cigar also creates a unique flavour profile. Whilst the taper at the cut end acts as a funnel to concentrate the flavours as they travel towards the mouth, the second taper at the lit end offers a rare occasion to taste the outer wrapper and binder leaf of the cigar when it is first lit and the early smoke is drawn through. I took a few moments to light the cigar and taste the outer leaves on the first of several draws: tangy, nutty (almonds, marzipan), sharp. The effect was much like an aperitif, stimulating and enlivening the palate. This worked well with the opening dram of Glenmorangie Original 10 year old, reflecting the clean vanilla, honey and almond flavours found here.

As the combustion burnt slowly outwards to reach the widest part of the cigar, I noticed that the draw on this cigar was consistent and even, creating a fine ash that held together, and with the leaves packed tightly but not so much as to inhibit the draw. The flavour then filled out significantly at this point, settling first then gaining richness and weight, with tangy ripe fruit and sweet spices coming through. Several guests talked up the Glenmorangie Astar at this point, with its creamy, spicy intensity providing much more impact, vigour and a long cleansing finish.

Into the final third of the cigar and somebody quietly pushed a dram of Signet in my direction. Cuaba is described as a Medium to Full flavour cigar by the Hunters & Frankau team, and this was beginning to make sense. Leather, earth and black pepper notes from the tobacco found an equal in the Glenmorangie Signet, with its unusual proportion of highly roasted ‘chocolate malt’ and fresh casks creating a viscous malt with mouthcoatingly dark flavours. The cigar really dovetailed with the whisky at this point, with each enhancing the experience of the other.

The debate between the Signet and the Astar continued apace, with some guests enthusing over the addition of a few drops of water to the Astar, which opened up the fragrance and fattened up the texture in the mouth. I had met my match in the Signet however, with its bittersweet composure offering a fine pairing with the cigar in terms of balance and intensity, at the bottled strength 0f 46% ABV.

This was a special evening during which the combined artistry of the cigar maker and distiller could be appreciated and explored at leisure, in fine company and surroundings. I can highly recommend catching up with the Hunters & Frankau team at one of these events, where cigar and whisky novices and enthusiasts are equally welcome. Thanks to Dan Pink and Jimmy Mcghee of Hunters & Frankau for providing the cigars, and to Adam Williams of Moet Hennessy for the whiskies.

JCLM writing for Whisky For Everyone

Explain about ...Cigars and whisky

A marriage made in heaven?
The association between whisky and cigars has a long history and is one that remains strong. Many people enjoy a dram of whisky with a cigar as an evening pastime, as part of a celebration or just for enjoyment. We recently had the opportunity to learn more about cigars at a beginner’s class operated by Hunters & Frankau, the UK’s leading independent importer for Cuban cigars.

Hunters & Frankau have been trading since 1790 and you can learn more about them and their range at www.cigars.co.uk. As we knew nothing about cigars before the class, we decided to write this post to show some basics that were learnt and will help us understand more. We hope this helps if you find yourselves in a similar position to us! We will concentrate on the Cuban cigar industry, although tobacco is grown and many of the same practices are followed in other countries around the world. Here goes ... it's a long one!

Why Cuba?
Cuba is regarded by many as the spiritual home of cigar production and is renowned for producing some of the world’s finest cigars. It is home to some of the world’s best known cigar brands such as Romeo y Julieta, Montechristo and Cohiba. Cuba is a Caribbean island that lies between the southern tip of Florida, USA and the island of Jamaica. Cuba’s climate and fertile soil gives it ideal conditions for growing tobacco plants and the island has a rich heritage connected with tobacco. When Christopher Columbus landed on Cuba in 1492, he was greeted by the natives and was offered cohibas (the Spanish word for cigar) and tobacco plants as gifts. It is believed that the cohibas formed part of the island’s ceremonial festivals. Columbus cannot have realised the immense effect that his ‘discovery’ would have on the world!

The tobacco plant
Tobacco plants have large flat leaves and in the cigar industry these leaves are graded. The plant is split in to three sections – the leaves at the base are called volado, the leaves in the centre are seco and the leaves at the top are ligero. Each type of leaf has its own properties and is used in different parts of the cigar and cigar making process. It is believed that all of the native tobacco plants on Cuba are directly descended from the plants that were around when Columbus arrived over 500 years ago. The Cuban Black Tobacco (Latin name tabaco negro cubano) was a wild plant before it was first farmed and cultivated in the 16th century. It is grown in defined regions (similar to the ‘denomination of origin’ system in wine – ie: Champagne, Chianti, Rioja etc), and each has an exceptional soil and micro-climate to produce high quality tobacco. These are called the Vegas Finas de Primera and there are four –

*Vuelta Abajo (on the far western tip of Cuba and regarded as producing the best tobacco in the world)
*Semi Vuelta (still on the western peninsula but further inland)
*Partido (further east and the closest region to Havana, Cuba’s capital)
*Vuelta Arriba (this is split in to two areas – one in Central Cuba called Remedios, which is the oldest growing area in Cuba and one on the eastern peninsula called Oriente).

Different types of cigars
There are two methods of making a cigar – by machine or by hand. The machine made cigars are named mecanizado in Cuba and the hand made cigars or totalmente a mano, fall in to two categories – tripa larga and tripa corta. The tripa larga are known as long filler cigars in English and are made from complete tobacco leaves. Tripa corta cigars are also known as short fillers and are made using chopped tobacco leaves or picadura in Spanish.

The anatomy of a cigar
A cigar is made up of three parts – the filler, the binder and the wrapper. Each part uses leaves from the different parts of the tobacco plant to fulfill different functions. The filler forms the main body of the cigar and is made using a combination of the three classification of leaf from the tobacco plant – the volado, seco and ligero. These give the cigar its main flavour profile. The volado leaves from the base of the plant are mild in flavour, the seco leaves from the middle are more flavoursome and the ligero leaves from the top have the most intense flavour. This is due to the ligero undergoing more photosynthesis and being younger and fresher than the lower leaves on the plant. It results in the ligero having more sweetness and a darker colour than the volado and seco when they are dried.

The blend of the three filler leaves is then secured with a binder leaf. This holds them together and these binder leaves are taken from the top part of the plant, but undergo a slightly different treatment to the filler ligero leaves. The final part is the wrapper leaf, which contributes little flavour but is secured tightly in order to present the cigar in the best way. These wrapper leaves are grown in a different way and produce the most expensive tobacco. They are grown for a majority of the time under a muslin cover and this filters the sunlight and traps heat, allowing the leaves to grow larger and finer. By contrast, the leaves for the filler and binder leaves are grown in the open and under direct sunlight. In summary, five leaves are used to produce a cigar – three fillers for flavour, one binder for structure and one wrapper for presentation.

How cigars are made by hand?
Once fully grown, the tobacco leaves are harvested and graded depending on their role in the final cigar. The leaves are harvested in stages, with the base leaves being taken first and the others being taken over the following 30 days, finishing with the youngest top leaves of the plant. The leaves are taken to a casas de tabaco or curing barn and are hung in pairs on large racks. This removes moisture, with the leaves turn golden brown over time. The wrapper leaves take around 25 days for this to occur. The binder and filler leaves are given about twice as long.

The leaves are then placed in piles and undergo natural fermentation (similar to a garden compost heap), removing many impurities. The ligero filler leaves and wrapper leaves take around 30 days for this to happen, with the seco and volado filler leaves and the binding leaves taking 25 days. Following this, the leaves are sorted by size, texture and colour before the filler and binder leaves undergo a second fermentation stage. The times vary with the volado and binders having a further 45 days, the seco around 60 and the ligero having up to 90.

They are then gathered in to bundles and wrapped in hessian to be aged. These bales are called pacas. The volado are aged for a minimum of nine months, seco for 12-18 months and ligero for two years. The wrapper leaves do not undergo a second fermentation but are packed in similar bales after the sorting process. These bales are called tercios and are made from the bark of palm trees. wrapper leaves are aged for a minimum of six months.

Before the cigar is made, the leaves must be moistened, checked for classification and stripped of their stems. The leaves are then passed to a ligador or master blender, who constructs the complex blend for the brand of cigar that is to be made. The exact ratios of each type of leaf that goes in to the blend is a closely guarded secret that only the ligador knows. The blend of leaves is then passed to the torcedores, the highly skilled craftsmen and women who hand roll the cigars (torcedoras for the ladies!).

Firstly, in the production of tripa larga (long filler) cigars the binder leaves are laid out and the whole filler leaves are folded and aligned to allow the passage of smoke to travel along the length of the finished cigar. The most flavoursome ligero leaves are placed in the centre and are then wrapped in seco and then volado leaves on the outside. It is also constructed so that the intensity of flavour will increase as the cigar is smoked. These filler leaves are then tightly rolled using the binder leaves to ensure that they are compressed evenly along the length of the cigar.

The dimensions follow strict guidelines for length, girth and weight. After 30 minutes in a wooden mould, the tocedor then applies the delicate wrapper leaf by stretching and straightening the leaf to ensure a perfect tension and appearance. Finally, a small piece of tobacco leaf is used to cap the head (the end that goes in your mouth) of the cigar, is cut off before smoking, and the other end is guillotined to size. A torcedor can produce 100-150 cigars a day. The completed cigars are then sent to be labeled, tested for quality, sorted and boxed.

The production of tripa corta (short filler) cigars is similar but they use the trimmings/parts of leaves left from the leaves used in tripa larga production, rather than the whole leaves. The bunch of trimmings is rolled tightly using a flexible mat and then the binder and wrapper leaves are applied in the regular way. In machine made cigars the three leaves are in much smaller pieces and are specifically blended. They are then tightly packed together and bound with a binder leaf and finished with a wrapper leaf by the machine.

Different sizes
Cigars come in all shapes and sizes and there are over 70 just from Cuba alone. The length ranges from four inches (100mm) to 9 inches (230mm), although most are between 5 and 7 inches. The other important measurement is the diameter or girth. This is measured by a system called the 'ring gauge' and this is measured in fractions of an inch (64ths of an inch to be exact!). The common range is between 23 (ie - 23/64ths of an inch or 9.1mm) and 52 (52/64ths of an inch or 20.6mm), although cigars are produced that are smaller and larger than this.

The length, diameter and shape of a cigar will effect the final taste and experience - a big, fat, long cigar will burn slower, be richer and softer in flavour and give cooler smoke to the palate whereas a thinner, shorter cigar will burn more quickly, give sharper flavours and hotter smoke on the palate. Each size has its own name or vitola, although it can get very confusing as a) the name given in the factory is different to the name that goes on sale and b) each factory has a different name for the same size of cigar.

Cigar and whisky matching
As stated at the beginning, the marriage of cigars and whisky is historical. Rumour has it that it all began during the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s, when the British and Spanish were fighting to defeat the French - the British supplying the whisky from Scotland and the Spanish bringing their love of cigars from Cuba, which was part of their expanding empire. The trend has continued as the British moved from traditional pipe tobacco to cigars and then took the practice of combining whisky and cigars around the globe with the spread of the British Empire.

The most important thing to consider when matching whisky with a cigar (or indeed anything else - cheese, desserts etc) is to not have one that overpowers the other. A balance is needed so that one compliments the flavours and aromas of the other and vice versa. For example - a robust cigar matched with a light, fresh whisky would completely cover the subtle, vibrant notes in the whisky. Likewise, a very peaty whisky matched with a milder, creamier cigar would do the same. Generally, most cigars would seem to go well with a sherry cask matured whisky (these have extra sweetness and fruitiness that can deal with the strength of the tobacco) or a lightly peated/smoky whisky (these exhibit a similar strength of smoky flavour to the cigar). A more robust strong cigar would need a heavier, smokier whisky to combat its higher levels of aromas and flavour. Considering these factors when buying whisky and cigars will help, as will the advice of the people in the stores where you choose to buy them.

Check out the experts
We are new to the world of cigars and have tried to lay down some of the basics in this article. As we have found, once you dip your 'beginners' toe in to the water then you discover a lot more beneath the surface. The cigar industry can seem quite daunting from the outside but this is no different from the world of whisky, where a little basic knowledge can get you a long way. As in the whisky world, there are many people out there writing about and reviewing cigars. We have discovered numerous excellent blogs and sites, so check out some of these for much more information and expertise than we can offer - Cigar Jack, World of Cigars, Cigar Chick, CigarFox, Tobacconist University, Cigars4Women and our personal favourites Cigarblog and Cigar Inspector. In addition, our friends at the excellent WHISKYhost blog offer regular whisky and cigar matchings, including good combinations and tasting notes.

* Please note that all images used in this article have been taken from Google images.