I am not a cigar smoker or a smoker at all. I smoked a cigarette once in my early 20’s and then recall crying about smoking that one cigarette. It might have been the alcohol that contributed to my crying, but nonetheless I knew then that smoking was definitely not for me. The upside, you don’t need to be a smoker to enjoy Dalmore’s Cigar Malt Reserve.

It’s no secret that I am fan of Dalmore. I’ve tasted their 12 year-old http://wp.me/p3Zt2k-B and their 18 year-old http://wp.me/p3Zt2k-8K. I absolutely enjoyed both.

I got a chance to try this Dalmore’s Cigar Malt Reserve with my good friend Sarah at Oak and Ember Whiskey Bar and Grill while visiting her last weekend down in Cape Cod. If you live in the area (Massachusetts) and are looking for a place down the cape that has a good whiskey list; this would be one of those places. They have a pretty good selection of both single malts and bourbon.

Now for those non Dalmore drinkers that aren’t aware, Dalmore discontinued this Cigar Malt Reserve back in 2009 but brought it back by popular demand. This version is not only slightly different, but it’s also more expensive. This is attributed to the age of the stock that is pulled from to make the blend. The aged stock used are drawn from the following three casks, American white oak ex-bourbon casks, 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts and premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques.

I found the Cigar Malt Reserve to be slightly less sweet than their 12 and 18 year-olds, although it is just as enjoyable.

Tasting Notes

Nose: vanilla and fruit

Palate: sweet, toffee, fruit and spices

Finish: smooth and light

Plain and simple, it’s a pricy whisky that is fantastic. I saw the bottle listed around $125-$135. Yes, that’s pretty expensive for a no age-statement (NAS), however I still think if you get a chance to try you should. There is a perfect balance in this blend. There are so many good things happening at once in one taste. I would certainly recommend trying.

I tried it without a cigar off course, but if you’ve had it with a cigar I’d certainly like to know how the notes are enhanced with a cigar.

Cheers!

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.