Dalmore Cigar Malt

43% abv

Score:  71/100

This is…not good.  At least for me.

I tend to take the approach that most single malts are decent.  In order to be bottled as single malt there is an inherent quality necessary and assumed, otherwise those funky casks would be buried away as blend fodder. 

For this reason, and I think most reviewers take the same approach, most whiskies will score relatively high marks and it is a rare occasion to cross swords with a malt that I would go so far as to say ‘I don’t like this’.  Usually the worst I’ll say will be along the lines of ‘it’s ok’.  Here and there though, we’re bound to find one or two that just don’t sit right with our particular preferred flavor profiles.  Are they bad?  Well…not necessarily, but maybe they are just unsuited to what we find appealing as individuals.  Other folk out there may swoon for ’em.  Hey…there are, after all, people who enjoy surströmming.

Anyway…back to the opening statement.  Not saying the Dalmore Cigar Reserve is bad, just that’s it’s not really good either.  The malt-heavy, overly-generic, and rather cloying nose just does not work for me.  This is the nadir of the Dalmore range though, so on the positive front…it’s all uphill from here.

Finally…novelty titling aside…how does one market a dram as specific to pairings with cigars?  While I enjoy a cigar and malt together, there is simply no two ways about it:  a cigar will deaden the receptors that make sensitivity to the nuances of the malts function.  Logical conclusion…any dram could go with a cigar so long as it was bold enough to fight back against the smoke.  Personally, I’d be leaning towards cask strength though.  Just my two cents, which are likely worth half as much.  😉

Nose:  Very malt heavy.  Dusty almond.  Almost a burnt caramel note.  Nutty and vegetal.  Old leather.  Sprinkle of pepper.  Autumnal decaying leaves.  Spice, but not in balanced proportion.  Cloying malt.  A mate suggested ‘rotting cantaloupe’.  ‘Heavy’ and vaguely unpleasant.

Palate:  A clumsy malt, really.  Cantaloupe and pepper.  Nuts, woods and grains.  Leather.  Ginger.  Dry and tannic.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt