Dalmore Cigar Malt was discontinued in mid-2009, causing uproar among all right-thinking, cigar-smoking whisky fans. This dram used to sit above the 12, and below the 15 in terms of both the price-point, and the age-profiles of the whisky that went into the blend, but the new version is a little different.
The whiskies that make up the reworked cigar malt are slightly older, which has pushed up the price somewhat.
But it's a great whisky, whether you drink with its intended purpose in mind or not. And if you do enjoy cigars, you'll want to know that the stick that provided the flavour benchmark for pairing is the hefty Partagas Serie D No. 4.
Tasting note~ Nose: Caramel, shortbread, biscuits, coffee and chocolates. Simple, clean and moreish. Palate: Yet more toffee, caramel edging towards the burnt cinder-toffee side of things. Flamed orange-zest, and perfectly integrated sherry. Finish: Reasonably simple, Christingles (orange Zest and clove with a touch of cinnamon), more mid-palate than palate-coating. Overall: Definitely meets the criteria of pairing with a ‘BIG’ cigar.