Cigars and alcohol. Two luxury products that go hand in hand, and sometimes even meet on business level. Aging tobacco in whisky, rum, or cognac barrels is a practice several brands do to achieve extra flavour to the wrapper for certain lines. The famous bourbon brand Maker’s Mark has their own cigar, sold in tubes with the signature wax coating. Drew Estate works with Pappy van Winkle and used to make Kahlua cigars. Mombacho has the Diplomatico series. General Cigars works with Sazerac, which resulted in Fireball cigars, Weller by Cohiba and collaborations with Buffalo Trace. And there is the Diesel Whisky Row, a collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries. Fratello Cigars also sells craft beer. Most famous are probably the Cuban collaboration between Martell Cognac and Cohiba. Dominique London, the European retailer with more than 20 shops in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and the Canary Islands takes it one step further. They bought a distillery in Wales and produce whisky, gin, rum, vodka and liquors. They were kind enough to sponsor Cigar Inspector with samples so we can write about pairings.
Stalla Dhu Auchroisk 1997
Stalla Dhu is an independent bottler. They purchase barrels from famous distilleries and bottle them. The first- and second-generation members of the family carefully select whiskies that show promise and then age them in their own casks before bottling. Often the name of the original distillery is mentioned, and in this case its Auchroisk. The spirit was distilled 8/12/1997 and bottled in 2017. The label doesn’t mention how many bottles were bottled, but I had bottle 195. The cask number is Z97/16379 and the real whisky afficionados will find this information valuable. It doesn’t mean anything to me, just as knowing that it’s a hogshead cask. The whisky has an ABV of 47%.
Recently was at a whisky tasting where I was shocked by the difference in glass. In Glencairn glass the whisky was like liquid chocolate, in a highball glass, the same whisky was almost undrinkable, flat and not palatable. So, I am trying this whisky in both glasses, neat and diluted with some water or ice, then as an old fashioned, and as a whisky smash to see what to pair the whisky with.
Neat
My first taste of this 20-year-old whisky is in Glencairn glass. This is a perfect glass for tasting due to the shape. And in this type of glass you can pick up the 47% alcohol in the nose. It is slightly spicy because of the alcohol hit, but also fruity and woody. The spirit is light in colour with the consistency of syrup. It is quite a thick whisky but not too oily. The flavour profile releases flavours such as apple, wood and vanilla. There is sweetness but the alcohol also has character and a bit of a bite. There is a very light smoke flavour and a little bit of a burn when the liquid goes down the throat. I can even taste some liquorice. A medium bodied, woody smoke would be nice. I can see myself smoke a Trinidad Reyes with this drink or an Oliva series O. The mild brackish flavours in the drink will elevate the cigar to a higher level.
Next up was a highball glass, also known as an old-fashioned glass. In this glass the whisky has a nose that is slightly sour with fresh fruit. It reminds me of high-quality apple juice, but with some vanilla and wood as well. The whisky tastes very sweet with a hint of smoke. The whisky has a little bite in the back of the throat but not too bad. There is a lot of depth in the flavours, a little salt and spices and some oak. The sweetness is toffee-like with the apple freshness that’s also in the nose. There is a salty, spicy liquorice flavour in the aftertaste. This is a very pleasurable drink, and I almost feel ashamed to turn it into cocktails. Please forgive me. I would not pair this with a mild cigar, but a medium bodied cigar can stand up to this whisky. Something with a Corojo wrapper for its nutty characteristics would pair well. I am thinking of something from Oscar Valladares, the Leaf by Oscar Corojo or the Island Jim corojo for example would be a perfect combination.
Old Fashioned
The classic whisky cocktail, simple yet sophisticated. And on the nose this cocktail is always very strong in orange. It amazes me every time that just a small orange peel can be so overpowering in aroma, and how much flavour it adds to the cocktail. When it comes to the drink, I am surprised how well the Stalla Dhu Auchroisk 1997 stands up to the sweetness of the sugar and the tanginess of the orange peel. This cocktail has lots of character with a little bite from the alcohol. It calls for a cigar with character. I would have no hesitation to break out the best cigars in my humidor, I am talking Arturo Fuente OpusX for example. And not just any OpusX, this cocktail and an OpusX BBMF is a match made in heaven. That cigar deserves the best pairing possible, and so does this cocktail. For the Cuban smokers, bring out the Talisman, any of the Gran Reserva cigars or something illusive such as the Bolivar Gold Medal if you have them. That would be an amazing combination, pure bliss.
and now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of Stalla Dhu Auchroisk 1997
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
Whisky Smash
The Whisky Smash is a cousin of the Mint Julep and has been around since the 1880s. Or maybe even longer, but the first written recipe comes from a book published in 1887. The cocktail isn’t the best-looking cocktail. The colour is murky brownish and not very appetizing, but maybe the demerara sugar syrup I used instead of simple syrup is the culprit of that. The aroma has sweetness, there is some alcohol, the aroma of the whisky is still there. Even though the cocktail doesn’t score high in the looks department, it’s a winner when it comes to flavour. The Whisky Smash is a perfect mixture of sweetness, tangy lime, with some mild freshness of the mint and the delicate flavour of the whisky. There are notes of fruit such as a slightly sour apple. I wrote that I was sorry I had to turn this beautiful whisky into a cocktail for the sake of this article, but I have to take those words back. Yes, I realize purists might call me a barbarian but in this well balanced, gentle cocktail the Stall Dhu Auchroisk 1997 is a star. This cocktail is refined and deserves a refined cigar. Something not overpowering, something that elevates this even further. Maybe an Alec Bradley Mundial or the Alec Bradley Coyol short lancero. In the Cuban realm something with a thinner ring gauge such as the Cohiba Siglo II or in my case the Punch 48 LCDH edition.
And now for the Whisky Smash recipe:
3 lemon wedges
2 ounces or 60ml of Stalla Dhu Auchroisk 1997
¾ ounce or 22½ml of simple syrup
4 mint leaves
Garnish: mint sprig
Muddle the lemon wedges in a shaker. Add bourbon, simple syrup, mint leaves and ice, and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into an Old-Fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Inspector X
