Spirits
The Dalmore Master Distiller Richard Paterson gives the 101 on pairing whiskies with cigars, and shares his tips on how to best savour the experience, writes MJ Jose
Pair whiskies with cigars the expert way by taking a leaf out of Dalmore Master Distiller Richard Paterson’s book
Whether it’s an oak floor or a plush carpet, if that is where Richard Paterson happens to be standing while he’s schooling you on whisky, there is a high chance that he will throw down the contents of his glass. But there is a method to his madness. Throwing the first dram on the floor effectively clears the glass of any impurities, especially around the lip. The next dram, not having to contend with anything, becomes the sole star of the show.
“The cask is king,” Paterson often says. He was the first master distiller for The Dalmore to mature a whisky in six different casks, which led to the creation of the famous King Alexander III. Having celebrated 50 years in the industry in 2016, he is admired around the world not just for his whisky making skills, but also for his unconventional creative process. Each time he sets about creating a new expression inspired by a famous figure, he consults with a psychic tarot text, looks up their birthdays, and considers their character—both the favourable and not so favourable aspects—before getting to work. As an educator, he has a flair for the dramatic. “You don’t just pour the whisky into a glass and knock it back—you must get into it for it to fully reveal itself,” he explains. “You sniff it, say ‘hello’, then go back to it and ask ‘how are you,’ and respond with ‘quite well, thank you very much.’ This is the key to discovering its secrets and hidden gems. One sip only tells you one story.”
When The Dalmore opened a Cigar Lounge alongside its flagship store in the Philippines,
“You don’t just pour the whisky into a glass and knock it back— you must get into it for it to fully reveal itself ”
Paterson set about selecting cigars that would perfectly complement a variety of whiskies. “Having over 120 distilleries in Scotland alone, The Dalmore has many different expressions, which, in this lounge, have been matched with cigars for connoisseurs to enjoy,” he shares. Though one is spoilt for choice regarding the whiskies, a must-try is the Cigar Malt Reserve, a new expression of a whisky that was created in 2011. This elegant single malt was initially matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and Matusalem oloroso sherry casks before being further finessed in Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels. It is best paired with full-bodied Cuban cigars such as Cohiba Robusto, Cohiba Esplendidos, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No 1, and Romeo Y Julieta Short Churchill, among others.
“The weight of the whisky must complement that of the cigar, which will take you about 45 minutes to smoke,” says Paterson. “To properly enjoy a whisky, you must hold it long on the palate instead of knocking it back. Take a small amount in the middle of the tongue, keep it there, migrate it underneath the tongue, keep it there, then take it back up to the top. Remember, the longer you keep the whisky in your mouth, the more flavour profiles you extract. If you find it too strong, just put a small amount of still water to help open it up. And the more you smoke, the more flavour comes from the tobacco, which highlights the whisky.”
Paterson is pleased at how quickly the market for whisky has grown. Though The Dalmore has received attention from a variety of age profiles over the years, many of its new customers are from the younger crowd, which Paterson describes as “curious minds who want to discover new things.” And he finds no difficulty in connecting with this younger crowd; Paterson is the most watched name in whisky on YouTube and is one of the few invited to participate in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). He is both an educator and a showman, one with the ability to explain the complexities of his craft to any interested neophyte—even if it means throwing a dram of expensive whisky on the floor. “I do what I do because it gets people to listen,” Paterson says. And we are all ears.