Cigar Library
Cigar ArticlesAuthor: Inspector X
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.
Stalla Dhu C.Gars Ltd 25th Anniversary Cigar Malt Port Cask
This C.Gars Ltd 25th Anniversary Cigar Malt Port Cask is a special commemorative Single Cask bottling from Glenrothes, Speyside Distillery, limited to just 75 numbered bottles. This is a strong spirit with an ABV of 64.2%. Because it is so rare, I am reluctant to turn this whisky into anything more than an old fashioned. That’s why this whisky will be my choice to see what influence bitters have. I will make a few Old Fashioned cocktails with this spirit, but with different recipes.
Mitchell Orchant and Ron Morrison are both highly regarded in the cigar and whisky industries, having spent their lives hunting down interesting, innovative and exciting taste sensations. But the “white whale” was always the perfect pairing. Together they came up with this golden spirit. The release is limited to 75 bottles and was aged in a tawny port cask, number 222/01105.
Neat
In a Glencairn glass this limited edition whisky has a buttery nose with olive oil and salted caramel smells. There is a little hint of chocolate as well. The whisky has heat, it burns a little but that is not uncommon for a cask strength whisky. The whisky has a creamy mouthfeel, with some nutty and fruity flavours. Melon and toast. Combine this with a slightly spicy Cameroon cigar and you’ll have a great pairing. And when I think Cameroon, the first cigar that comes to mind is the Arturo Fuente Hemingway series. But the RoMa Craft Baka will do fine as well, just als the Oliva Series G.
In a rocks glass, the nose is milder, less buttery, more olive and caramel. This whisky is warm, and with the hazelnut and melon flavours and the creamy mouthfeel it is a great sipping whisky. I would suggest the same cigars as I would when drinking this from a Glencairn.
Old Fashioned
The nose is orange, as always with the Old Fashioned. This is a strong cocktail, but that’s not weird because it is a 64% whisky. The bitterness comes from the Angostura bitters. The sugar sweetens the whisky, but all the characteristics of the whisky are so strong that they shine through and the sugar can’t hide them of mellow them down. This is a good thing with this whisky as I love it neat as well. The sugar and bitters only add, and don’t take anything away. If you’re not a big whisky fan, this is not your whisky nor your old fashioned. This requires a big, strong, bold cigar. I’m thinking of a Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo or a Camacho Triple Maduro, an Asylum Straight Jacket or La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero, Cain F would be a good choice too.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of Angostura 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.
Perfect Old Fashioned (Ana de Armas recipe)
While browsing YouTube, the algorithm kept showing me cocktail videos, I wonder why. But one of those videos had actress Ana de Armas making an Old Fashioned. Ever since seeing Knock Knock with Ana de Armas, I had a small celebrity crush on her so I decided to watch the video and recreate the cocktail with the Stalla Dhu C.Gars Ltd 25th Anniversary Cigar Malt Port Cask Strength whisky.
On the nose I get orange, sweetness of the cherries and the olive and caramel aromas of the whisky. The sweetness from the Maraschino cherries balances out the strong whisky, the orange bitters and Angostura bitters make sure the cocktail isn’t too sweet and the high quality whisky brings nutty and fruity notes with plenty of depth and complexity. I won’t say that this version of the Old Fashioned will work with any whisky or bourbon, but it definitely works with the Stalla Dhu C.Gars 25th Anniversary Cigar Malt Port Cask Strength. Due to the sweetness, I would take a cigar stronger than medium, and I would take a cigar with complexity and depth as the drink offers that too. Something like the Enclave Broadleaf, something by DH Boutique Cigars or a HENK. This is the Old Fashioned for people that are not really fans of whisky.
And now for the Perfect Old-Fashioned recipe:
Two teaspoons of syrup from a jar of Maraschino cherries
2 dashes of orange bitters
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
Cinnamon stick *optional*
orange peel
3 Maraschino cherries
Put the syrup from a jar of Maraschino cherries in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters Add ice and a skewer with the 3 cherries. Add the ice and a cinnamon stick if you have one. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
Salted Caramel Old Fashioned
The nose is orange, just like with a regular old fashioned but with a slightly salty undertone. The salt enhances the sweetness of the caramel and the nutty and fruity notes of the whisky. This is surely a different twist on the classic old fashioned, the caramel gives the sweetness a little more depth while the salt enhances all flavours. A nutty cigar would be a perfect pairing. The Buenaventura Cremas from Curivari for example or a nice Bolivar.
And now for the Salted Caramel Old-Fashioned recipe:
½ ounce or 15ml of Salted Palm Sugar Syrup *recipe see below*
2 ounces or 60 ml of whisky
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
orange peel
Put the liquids in a highball glassy. Add ice and stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
To make the syrup, put the 1½ grams salt in a jug filled with 100ml just-boiled water, stir in 200 grams of grated palm sugar until it dissolves, leave to cool, then chill.
Inspector X
