FINEST OF WHISKIES, GREATEST OF SMOKES...
With global travel comes the chance to taste glorious and revelatory international pairings and profiles. Cigar expert, author, traveller and luxury lifestyle writer Nick Hammond tells us more…
There’s only one thing in the world that's better than a cigar or a dram and that’s a cigar and a dram. I’ve been fortunate enough to try many different pairings over the years and, while every single one of them has been enjoyable, it’s fair to say that some probably weren’t what you would call an ideal match. When you’re having a great time, then all that matters is that you’re having a great time. But for really titillating your tastebuds, sometimes a little more ‘malice aforethought’ is required.
In my experience, the most palatable Scotch and cigar pairing is conceived alongside the banks of the Spey. Whether the cigar in question is from the distant shimmering island of Cuba or the fertile volcanic plains of Nicaragua in Central America, Speyside seems to offer the most convivial characteristics to afford a happy marriage.
There are a few things to bear in mind, although they’re only advice, of course; this is your journey and you’re allowed to take a detour if it looks lively! Firstly, I’d recommend batting more or less around medium strength when it comes to your cigar. You can, of course, inch things towards full-bodied and dial them down towards light, but you definitely want to be avoiding extremes when pairing fine whisky and great cigars.
A 'grade A' winner in my experience is the smooth, flavourful delight of an Oliva Serie G and the tongue-tripping sprightliness of the Balvenie Doublewood 12 Years Old. I first smoked the former on a warm sunny afternoon and later discovered its genius for blending with spirits. It’s shrouded in a Cameroon wrapper (grown in the African country itself, rather than some Cameroonian wrappers which are grown from African seed in foreign soils) and is as smooth as a baby’s backside; mellow, intriguing and smoky with a coffee been note.
The Oliva family have decades of experience growing cigars in Nicaragua and, now they’re part of the larger Cortès family business of
Belgium, have expanded their horizons and markets across the world. You can approach this cigar at any time of the day and pair it with smoked salmon sandwiches or afternoon tea, but after a light supper and with a glass of Doublewood this comes into its own. Incidentally, any size in the range is worth a crack, but for my money the Corona or the Double Robusto are top pick.
The Doublewood itself is already a classic. The harmonious and evocative character of Balvenie is augmented by a second maturation in sherry casks, which lifts this already lovely whisky onto something of an ethereal plain. The dance between the smoke of the Oliva and the complex dried fruit of the Doublewood is divine.
In the recent past, I travelled to Eindhoven in The Netherlands to meet an old company performing new cigar tricks. Royal Agio have been making top quality machine-made cigars since before your granny’s granny was born. In a little town just on the outskirts of this great Dutch tech city, the company HQ has, in the last few years, been transformed. Old warehouses have been recreated into award-winning designs of eco-friendly manufacture, with storage and distribution facilities that enable the old family business to strike out for a bold new future in an uncertain world.
Boris Wintermans is now the man at the helm. Young, slim, polite and very Dutch, he’s spent his life learning about cigars. Where they come from, who grows their tobaccos and where, and how they are blended to create the myriad of forms and flavours we get to test, taste and evaluate.
I spent the afternoon with Boris in his office (thankfully smoke friendly), where we grow increasingly excited by box after box of Balmoral cigars that he pulls out of the vaults for me to try. Now, we don’t taste them alongside Scotch on this day, but it does spawn some exciting ideas.
Balmoral is also, somewhat confusingly, the name of a well-regarded machinemade smoke. But under the guidance of
Boris’ knowledge of cigar lore, there is now a division of handmade cigars which also carry the Balmoral moniker. They are superb. Meticulously grown, fermented, aged and put together, they are rich, dark, almost chewy with raisin notes and are a fulfilling and rewarding smoke every time.
Part of the secret of the Balmoral Anejo X.O, at least, is in the stalk-cut mata norta filler leaves that offer a deep, sweet high note that brings the rest of the blend (largely Dominican with a Brazilian sun-grown wrapper which is aged at least 10 years) to its glorious finale. Perhaps my favourite is the beautiful little Petit Robusto with its elegant little pigtail cap.
And to pair it with a Macallan 15 Years Old Triple Cask is to hear the singing of the angels.
Matured in a combination of Bourbon and Sherry oak casks, this is an almost potion-like dram which takes a while to reveal its true colours. Once again, dried fruits are here, but mixed with spice and chocolate and a hint of oaky sweetness in a delicious, rewarding package that will result in the level of liquid in the bottle dwindling worryingly fast before your very eyes.
The ability to ‘stock up’ on your favourite sticks and drams is one of the great beauties of duty-free shopping; take the opportunity next time you’re bound for foreign lands and browse, taste and sample (the whisky at least; I know of no civilised cigar sampling duty-free lounge) and make the choices that will sustain the breaks between your flights.
A final suggestion to fling at you – if you haven’t spent time deliberating over Davidoff, you’ve been missing a trick. Try pairing the Davidoff Millennium Robusto with a Glenrothes
There's only one thing in the world that is better than a cigar or a dram and that's a cigar and a dram
12 Years Old or, perhaps even better, the Winston Churchill Late Hour, whose Nicaraguan filler leaves are for a little while rested in Speyside whisky oak barrels. Be sure to grab that bottle of The Balvenie Doublewood – and you’re set for a couple of hours of earthly delights. Happy Pairing!
Our writer Nick Hammond’s brand new book, Around The World In 80 Cigars –
The Travels Of An Epicure, was published by Red Door Press in September 2019 and recounts the author’s 25 years of global travel, seeking interesting people, remarkable places, intrigue, danger, excitement – and cigars. Visit www.nick-hammond.com or find it via all good bookshops.