Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Stalla Dhu Proven8

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 Proven8

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 but not always. This Stalla Dhu Proven8 comes from Ben Nevis, in the Scottish highland region. Ron Morrison of Stalla Dhu and Snowdonia Distillery blind tasted 8 casks and chose this one, an ex-bourbon barrel Z13/177. In 2021, 237 bottles were filled at 50% ABV. This is a tasting of bottle 172.

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 Highball to see what to pair the whisky with.

Glencairn

The Stalla Dhu Proven8 is very light in colour and the viscosity is quite thin. Even though it’s not a low alcohol spirit with its 50% ABV there isn’t a strong alcohol aroma on the nose. The aroma is quite fresh with some lime and fresh wood. The nose is rich and full, sweet yet also with some savoury notes. The whisky itself has character. I can taste pepper and almonds, slightly sweet with a citrus freshness. The spirit is creamy in the mouth with a spicy nutty finish. This calls for a stronger cigar, with some pepper. I was pairing it with a Vega Fina Exclusivo Austria and it was a match made in heaven. For Cubans, I would probably pick a Partagas D4

Highball

In a highball glass the alcohol aroma is stronger, with more of a fresh wood smell than in a Glencairn glass. That’s surprising as you’d expect that due to the shape of the glass, the aroma is more concentrated in the Glencairn glass and thus with a stronger ethanol smell. The lime aroma is gone though. The whisky also has more of a bite, but the flavour profile is almost the same. White pepper with sweet almonds and some citrus. A creamy mouthfeel with that spicy and nutty finish. My suggestions will be the same as for the Glencairn glass, a peppery cigar goes very well with this delicate whisky with a nice attitude.

Old Fashioned

This cocktail is one of my favourites to make. It’s simple, it’s elegant and with the right whisky its delicious. It’s a classic for a reason. The orange peel is always very dominant in this cocktail and every time I’m amazed how just a small piece of orange peel can be so influential in the aroma of this cocktail. The orange peel also shines through in the drink itself, with the sweet almonds and the white pepper. The sweet almond flavour is even enhanced by the Angostura bitters and the sugar in the cocktail. The viscosity feels thicker, moving towards the thickness of syrup. The finish is smoother with less of a nutty flavour. And that makes this cocktail perfect for a cigar with a corojo wrapper, as corojo gives a nutty flavour. Or something with a Honduran Connecticut Shade wrapper, as Connecticut Shade from Honduras has those nutty properties too. A nice Illusione CG:4, Condega Serie S, anything from Aganosa Leaf with a corojo wrapper will be a very nice pairing.

And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:

1 sugar cube
3 dashes of bitters

2 oz or 60 ml of Stalla Dhu Proven8

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 Buck

 The ‘Buck’ is a cocktail in many shapes. With all different kinds of spirits, and with different names. But the recipe is always similar. I used the Stalla Dhu Proven8 to make a Whisky Buck. The nose is pretty mild. The lime and ginger are the dominant aromas, but mild. The drink itself is a winner. It is amazingly refreshing with a gentle, almost orange like, citrus taste. The perfect drink for summer. There is a little spice from the ginger, combined with the sweetness and the tardiness of the citrus. The whisky shines through on the background with its nuttiness. Even though this is a citrus forward cocktail, it’s still good to pair with a cigar as everything is so balanced and nuanced. The ginger counters the lime in a perfect dance. The cocktail will go great with something stronger, from a friendly priced Kristoff GC or an expensive God of Fire. For the Cuban smokers I would suggest a Montecristo #2.

And now for the Whisky Buck recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml Stalla Dhu Proven8 whisky

¾ ounce or 22½ ml of lime juice, freshly squeezed
4 ounces or 120ml chilled Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer
lime wheel
Add the whiskey and lime juice into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with the ginger ale or ginger beer and stir gently and briefly to combine. Garnish with a lime wheel.