Whisky Review: The Dalmore Cigar Malt

Robust, with notes of bitter citrus, toffee, custard, caramel, chocolate chips. Buttery mouthfeel. Quick, medium burn in the finish, with continued dark toffee notes and chocolate. I’m really feeling the lower alcohol content here. Conclusion: “Robust” is probably the correct word for me to use when describing how I found The Dalmore Cigar Malt. This was never intended to be the first and last word in single malts, and I feel it would be a mistake to view it in that light. This was a product which was engineered with a specific purpose. It is almost a niche whisky, although I hesitate to classify it firmly as such because I do not want to imply that this is an unapproachable dram for those who do not partake in cigars. No, while that may have been the intended audience, fans of full, sherried drams minus the smoke will find much to enjoy in a bottle of Cigar Malt, providing they are able to find one at a reasonable price in the secondary market. I use the word reasonable because, although bottles currently fetch upwards of $105 per 750 ml bottle, it drinks more like a solid $45-$55/bottle dram. While certainly not a strictly essential release, The Dalmore Cigar Malt is a suitably enjoyable variation on the standard Highland single malt fare. FINAL SCORE: 82/100