Overview: Cigar blend whiskeys are formulated to pair perfectly with a good cigar, requiring depth and intensity to complement smoke. While these robust, earthy flavors suit anyone who enjoys whiskey, they serve as an approachable introduction for those new to the category. The selection focuses on bottles that are reasonably available and not excessively expensive, offering rich flavors that appeal to enthusiasts of smoke.
The Full Story
Cigar blend whiskeys generally mean depth and intensity. Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend offers a deep range of flavors influenced by its unique finishing process involving Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak casks. It creates a bold and full-bodied whiskey that showcases a range of red fruits along with a syrupy sweetness, feeling like a decadent pour. This blend is made from well-aged bourbon ranging from 7½ to 18 years old. Cinnamon and toasted oak help to give structure, with a rich caramel keeping earthy notes in check. Towards the end of the tasting experience, further notes such as tobacco and dark chocolate may be found, forming a part of a long and lingering finish that is dry and warm.
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve is a single malt Scotch matured in ex-bourbon barrels before additional maturation in cabernet sauvignon wine and Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks. It helps to create a more refined whiskey than many others, with a lovely combination of fruit, warming spices, and sweet oak. Despite its elegance, it still has more than enough depth to hold its own alongside cigar smoke. Old Elk Cigar Cut Punch Cut is an excellent whiskey that comes from its distillery in Colorado. The make-up of this whiskey is quite complex, as it’s a blend of four whiskeys, each matured in different casks including Armagnac, Sauternes, Tawny Port, and Oloroso Sherry. Two of the four whiskeys are wheat whiskeys, while the other two are high-malt bourbons. Furthermore, all of the whiskeys are between six and eight years old and have been finished for between four months and a year.
Tomintoul Cigar Malt is a curious whiskey where the regular bottle is a tame Speyside single malt. This bottle is still approachable but has many more qualities that allow it to perfectly complement the earthy and smoky flavors of a cigar. The maturation process involves a combination of peated and unpeated single malts, each either fully matured or finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Virginia Distillery Co. First Cut Cigar Blend incorporates whiskey matured in nine different types of casks including Cognac and sherry, with Islay casks being the most unique. Penelope Cigar Sessions: Chapter 2 has plenty of heat helped by a high rye content that brings out a range of baking spices. Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon is finished in ex-cognac casks along with port, sherry, and Armagnac barrels. Buzzard’s Roost Double Oak Cigar Blend undergoes a secondary maturation in custom-toasted and charred oak barrels to develop additional depth and complexity.
Production & Profile
The production profiles across the selection highlight a diverse array of maturation techniques and cask finishes. Barrell Bourbon Cigar Blend utilizes a mix of Madeira, Armagnac, rum, and Hungarian oak casks to create a bold and full-bodied whiskey. Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve is initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels before additional maturation in cabernet sauvignon wine and Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks. Old Elk Cigar Cut Punch Cut features four different finishes including Armagnac, Sauternes, Tawny Port, and Oloroso Sherry. Tomintoul Cigar Malt involves a combination of peated and unpeated single malts finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Virginia Distillery Co. First Cut Cigar Blend incorporates whiskey matured in nine different types of casks including Cognac and sherry, with Islay casks being the most unique. Penelope Cigar Sessions: Chapter 2 has a high rye content that brings out baking spices. Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon is finished in ex-cognac casks along with port, sherry, and Armagnac barrels. Buzzard’s Roost Double Oak Cigar Blend undergoes a secondary maturation in custom-toasted and charred oak barrels.
Proof levels range from 88 to 110 across the lineup. Age statements include blends ranging from 7½ to 18 years old, with others between six and eight years old. The selection covers a range of styles including bourbon and Scotch, ensuring that each bottle offers a distinct technical profile suitable for beginners.
Brand & Industry History
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