The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
A whisky with a clear purpose: to stand alongside a good cigar without being overwhelmed. Three cask types, including thirty-year-old Matusalem oloroso sherry casks and red wine casks, together with a strength of 44%, make it full and rich, with sherry, vanilla, and caramel.
Made to pair with a cigar
A cigar has a powerful, earthy flavor that makes a light whisky disappear. That is why The Dalmore built this Cigar Malt Reserve around three types of cask. It starts in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then moves to thirty-year-old Matusalem oloroso sherry casks and receives a finish in premier cru cabernet sauvignon casks. The bourbon wood provides vanilla, the sherry adds depth and sweetness, and the red wine contributes a dry, fruity edge.
At 44% alcohol, it sits between the regular 12 Years (40%) and the Port Wood Reserve (46.5%). That extra strength is necessary: the whisky has to hold its own alongside the smoke of a cigar. If you do not smoke, it is simply a rich, sweet digestif for after dinner.
In brief
Full, rich, and built on three cask types
Sherry and vanilla
Rich sherry notes from the oloroso casks, with sweet vanilla from the bourbon wood underneath.
Caramel and depth
Full and rounded, with caramel and sherry. The red wine casks add a slightly drier, fruity edge, so it does not become cloyingly sweet.
Long and warm
A long, warm finish that lingers even after a puff of a cigar. That is what it was made for.
Flavor profile of The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, tasted neat. The sweetness is more noticeable alongside a cigar.
How to drink Cigar Malt Reserve
Pure and at room temperature, with or without a cigar. Ice works against you here: it dulls exactly the richness a cigar needs.
With a cigar
Pour 40 ml into a tulip glass or small cognac glass and take the first sip before lighting the cigar. Then alternate: the sherry and caramel round off the smoke, while the smoke makes the whisky drier.
Glass: tulip or cognac glass →As a digestif
Without a cigar, it makes a rich after-dinner drink. Pour 30 ml, let it rest for a moment, and optionally add two drops of water to open up the vanilla.
Glass: tasting glass →Godfather
40 ml Cigar Malt and 20 ml amaretto over a large ice cube in a heavy tumbler, briefly stirred. Sweet, nutty, and robust enough for a long evening.
To the recipe →Cocktails for a long evening
Robust, stirred classics without citrus pair best with this rich malt, especially when enjoyed with a cigar.
Godfather
Whisky and amaretto over ice. Round, sweet, and a classic with a cigar.
Rusty Nail
Scotch with Drambuie. Honey and spices alongside sherry and vanilla.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar, and bitters over a large ice cube. At 44%, it stays balanced for a long time.
Boulevardier
Whisky, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Bitter and sweet, with a dry wine finish.The right glass for Cigar Malt Reserve
A small, round cognac glass feels comfortable in the hand with a cigar; a tulip-shaped tasting glass is better for nosing. For a Godfather or Rusty Nail, use a heavy tumbler.
More flavors from The Dalmore
The Dalmore
Where it began. On the brand page, you can read all about The Dalmore: origins, varieties, and classic cocktails.
To The Dalmore →
The Dalmore 12 Years Sherry Cask Select
The 12 with a finish in three Andalusian sherry casks, bottled at 43%. Richer, sweeter and deeper than the regular 12.
View The Dalmore 12 Years Sherry Cask Select →
The Dalmore 15 Years
Twelve years in American oak, three years in three sherry casks. Full and velvety, with dried fruit, cinnamon and chocolate.
View The Dalmore 15 Years →
The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
Finished in tawny port casks and bottled at 46.5%. Creamy caramel, sweet plums and a hint of Java coffee.
View The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve →
The Dalmore King Alexander III
Bourbon, Matusalem oloroso, Marsala, Madeira, port and Cabernet Sauvignon. Complex and fruity: a whisky to explore at your leisure.
View The Dalmore King Alexander III →Everything about whisky: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
Can't find your question here? Read more on the page about The Dalmore or explore our cocktail recipes.
Everything about The Dalmore →