Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve is a Highland single malt Scotch bottled at 44% ABV, a little above the 40% minimum that many standard bottlings sit at. The extra strength helps the whisky hold its shape when water or ice is added. The distillery's own positioning, and the reason for the name, is that this expression is built to sit alongside a cigar. In practice that means a fuller, richer style than a typical everyday Highland malt, and the reference notes point to tropical fruit, spice and chocolate. Those notes suggest a clear split in the glass. The fruit should read as ripe and sweet rather than sharp, the spice as a warm background note, and the chocolate as a bitter-sweet, cocoa-like depth. Malts in this style usually draw their weight from sherry-influenced casks, so expect dried fruit, orange peel and toasted oak to turn up as well, though the details here are what to look for rather than a measured profile. Smoke is not part of how this style is typically described, so expect richness and fruit rather than peat. For nosing, a Glencairn is the best choice. Its narrow rim concentrates the fruit and cocoa aromas, which can be muted in a wide tumbler. Pour a measure of about 30 to 45 ml and let it sit for a few minutes before the first sip. Drink it neat first. If the 44% feels warm on the palate, add a few drops of room-temperature water, which tends to open up the fruit and soften the spice without flattening the chocolate. Ice is a weaker fit. Chilling dulls the sweetness and the cocoa, so if you do want it cold, use one large cube in a rocks glass so it dilutes slowly. Mixing is possible but not where this bottle is strongest. A Rob Roy, the Scotch version of a Manhattan, with sweet vermouth and a dash of Angostura, suits the dark fruit and spice. A Scotch Old Fashioned made with a small spoon of demerara syrup and orange bitters works well too, since the orange accents the fruit. It is too rich for a Whisky Sour or a long Highball, where a lighter, cheaper malt does the job better. At the table, dark chocolate, roasted nuts and dried figs or apricots match the profile. A cigar remains the pairing the name suggests, for those who enjoy one.