Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Auchentoshan Dark Oak

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 used to have the Diplomatico series but Mombacho no longer exists. 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.

Auchentoshan Dark Oak

Auchentoshan Distillery is a single malt whisky distillery located in the west of Scotland. The name Auchentoshan is derived from the Gaelic “Achadh an Oisein,” which translates to “corner of the field.” Often referred to as “Glasgow’s Malt Whisky” due to its proximity to Glasgow, it is also known as “the breakfast whisky” because of its sweet and delicate nature.

The distillery was established in 1823 by a corn merchant named John Bulloch, who managed it alongside his son. After their bankruptcy in 1834, the distillery was sold to Alexander Filshie, a local farmer. It remained in Filshie’s family until 1877 when a poor harvest forced them to sell it. In 1877, John and George MacLachlan, distillers from Glasgow, acquired the distillery. During the Second World War, the area around the distillery was damaged, and a bomb crater behind the distillery now serves as a pond for cooling water.

Eadie Cairns purchased Auchentoshan in 1969 and completely rebuilt it. Cairns sold the distillery to whisky blenders Stanley P Morrison (later Morrison Bowmore Distillers) in 1984. Suntory invested in Morrison Bowmore in 1989 and fully acquired it in 1994. In May 2014, Beam Inc. and Suntory Holdings Limited merged to form Suntory Global Spirits, the current owners of Auchentoshan and other Morrison Bowmore holdings.
Auchentoshan is unique among Scottish distilleries for its practice of triple distillation. The distillery features a modern stainless steel semi-Lauter mash tun with a copper canopy. Unlike the typical Scotch whisky production process, which involves two copper stills, Auchentoshan uses a third still, known as the “Intermediate Still,” resulting in a final spirit strength of 81% ABV (162 proof). This triple distillation, along with the use of unpeated malt, gives Auchentoshan a more delicate and sweet flavour than many other Scotch whiskies. The whisky matures primarily in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts, with some expressions maturing in French wine casks.

Auchentoshan Dark Oak is triple distilled for smoothness, then mellowed in American bourbon, Spanish Oloroso, and finally, Pedro Ximenes sherry casks for its rich depth of flavour. A lively, yet refined expression that dances on the tongue with notes of vanilla and red fruits. The whisky was released in 2019 as a travel retail exclusive.

Neat

In a Glencairn glass the nose is sweet, honey, chocolate, fruit and spices without any trace of ethanol. The whisky feels warm with raisins and dark chocolate as the dominant flavour followed by some soft barley. The pleasant finish has a fruity and coffee flavour with some lemon and a hint of oak. Pair this with a chocolaty cigar, such as a Padron 1964, Alec Bradley Magic Toast or even an infused Tabak Especial from Drew Estate and you’ll be on the right track.

In a rocks glass, the nose is similar but a little milder. The flavour of the whisky has more pepper, it’s a little spicier without losing the raisin and the chocolate flavours. To counter the pepper, I would go for a sweeter cigar, maybe something with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Old Fashioned

On the nose this cocktail is all orange, but that’s no wonder with the orange oils and the orange peel. An Old Fashioned should smell like orange. The sugar creates another dimension with the raisin flavours, the dark chocolate is a little less dominant while the orange of the oils adds a bit of citrus. That sugar and the Angostura bitters change the whisky tremendously, adding sweetness and depth. The best cigar for this cocktail would be a nice medium bodied cigar with a woody flavour profile in my humble opinion.

And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
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.

Straight flush

Here’s Auchentoshan’s delicious take on the Saratoga, a cocktail created in the 19th century hotspot that was Saratoga Springs, New York. This serve is a throwback to when holidaying meant unwinding with a drink in hand. In that spirit, enjoy leisurely.
The nose reminds me a lot of an old fashioned with the orange, the hint of bitters and the aromas of the whisky. The flavour does not remind me of an old fashioned though, although there are some similarities such as the classic bitters flavour. But the sweetness is different, sweet vermouth has more flavour and depth than just sugar while the brandy adds a fruity flavour. A medium bodied Nicaraguan cigar with a mild peppery and woody aroma would fit best.

And now for the Straight flush recipe:
1½ ounces or 45ml of Bourbon or Whisky
¾ ounce or 22½ml of Brandy
½ ounce or 15ml of sweet vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled, then strain into a chilled glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange peel.

Inspector X