Pairing Cigars & Alcohol – Stalla Dhu Teaninich 15-Year-Old 2007
Cigars and alcohol. Two luxury products that go hand in hand, and sometimes even meet on business level. Aging tobacco in whisky, rum, or cognac barrels is a practice several brands do to achieve extra flavour to the wrapper for certain lines. The famous bourbon brand Maker’s Mark has their own cigar, sold in tubes with the signature wax coating. Drew Estate works with Pappy van Winkle and used to make Kahlua cigars. Mombacho used to have the Diplomatico series but Mombacho no longer exists. General Cigars works with Sazerac, which resulted in Fireball cigars, Weller by Cohiba and collaborations with Buffalo Trace. And there is the Diesel Whisky Row, a collaboration with Rabbit Hole Distilleries. Fratello Cigars also sells craft beer. Most famous are probably the Cuban collaboration between Martell Cognac and Cohiba. Dominique London, the European retailer with more than 20 shops in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and the Canary Islands takes it one step further. They bought a distillery in Wales and produce whisky, gin, rum, vodka and liquors.
Stalla Dhu Teaninich 15-Year-Old 2007
Teaninich distillery is a scotch whiskey distillery in Alness, Scotland. It was founded and built in 1817 by Hugh Munro on his estate of Teaninich Castle. Nowadays the distillery is owned and operated by one of the largest alcohol companies in the world, Diageo.
In April 2013 owner Diageo announced a new renovation of the distillery. They also announced a new distillery with 16 new stills will be placed next to the old distillery. The new distillery is planned to have a different name than Teaninich, and produce a separate whisky. The distillery mainly produces malts for blending, and it is used in Johnnie Walker Red Label. There are no official bottlings of the malt.
In 2000 a hammer mill and mash filter – the only one operational in a Scottish malt distillery – was installed at Teaninich. The use of the technology, which removes the need for a mash tun, was to produce ultra-clear wort, giving a clue as to the Teaninich distillery character: a fragrant exotic grassiness that brings to mind Japanese green tea and coumarin-rich bison grass. Fat stills also add a distinct oiliness to the texture while not blunting any of its penetrating acidity. A 12-year-old is part of Diageo’s Flora & Fauna series and there are occasional releases from independent bottlers. The Stalla Dhu Teaninich 15 Year Old is one of those releases.
The Stalla Dhu Teaninich 15 Year Old is 100 proof aka 50% ABV and limited. I had bottle 202. The spirit was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2022. The cask was a Hogshead cask with number 207/456 for all the whisky geeks who like this kind of detailed information.
Neat
As always, I try the spirit first in a Glencairn glass. The nose is floral, almost like perfume, with sweetness from powdered sugar and marshmallow. The light coloured and thin whisky is very flavourful. The flavours are fresh and clean, spicy, sweet and nutty at the same time. Honey sweetness with a nuttiness that reminds me of almonds. The finish shows even more spice with dry nutty nuances. This is a tasty whisky and due to its friendly character, it will go well with a nice Cavalier Geneve cigar, a Charter Oak Habano Torpedo, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial and many more.
The nose is much lighter and milder in a rocks glass. Still floral with sweetness, perfumy but just milder than in a Glencairn. The whisky on the other hand has a stronger flavour, with a ginger-like spice, nuts and honey. It is a very pleasant and friendly whisky, both in a rocks glass and in a Glencairn. Even a stronger Connecticut Shade would work, but I would not go for a strong cigar as that might overpower the delicate flavours of the whisky.
Old Fashioned
As always it amazes me how much just a little orange oil from a small piece of orange peel can so dominate the nose of an Old Fashioned. And it also always amazes me that just three dashes of bitters and a sugar cube can do so much to a drink. The bitters change the ginger-like spice to a red peppery spice with a slightly bitter hint, while the almond and honey still remain. It might be interesting to do a piece on different Old Fashioned cocktails, all with the same whisky but with different bitters. Angostura, Peychaud’s and a bunch of different bitters from other manufacturers. But this is not that article, so focus back on the Old Fashioned with the Stalla Dhu Teaninich 15-Year-Old 2007. Because of the added bitterness and depth I would pair this with a stronger yet smooth cigar. I had a Tatuaje Verocu that I aged for close to a decade. But an Ashton ESG, Perdomo ESG or any medium or full bodied cigar with age will do fine.
And now for the Old-Fashioned recipe:
1 sugar cube
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
2 oz or 60 ml of whisky
orange peel
Put the sugar cube in a highball glass, add the dashes of bitters and a splash of water. Muddle the sugar cube. Add ice and the whisky. Stir for 10 seconds, then add an orange peel.
Blackberry Smash
This is another cocktail that is meant for bourbon, but I made it with whisky anyway. I can use tips for new whisky cocktails to make, if you have a suggestion, leave a comment. But for now, I have to resort to some bourbon cocktails for my new whiskies.
The nose is all blackberry with mint, and while the mind isn’t that surprising considering the strong aroma of mint, I wasn’t expecting the blackberry to overpower the aromas of the lime and the whisky. The flavours of the whisky, the spice and sweetness shine through though, with a nutty aftertaste. The lime balances the sweetness and the soda mellows everything out. This is a fantastic cocktail if you like blackberries. The mint is refreshing in the finish as well. Go with a Habano wrapped cigar for the perfect pairing. Take a Behike if you want to go fancy, or an Oliva Serie V Melanio, but even more wallet friendly Habano cigars will go great with this cocktail.
And now for the Blackberry Smash recipe:
2 ounces or 60ml of whisky
½ ounce or 15ml of lime juice, freshly squeezed
6 mint leaves
3 blackberries
¾ ounce or 22½ml of simple syrup
1 ounce o3 30ml of chilled soda
Add the mint, lime juice and blackberries in a cocktail shaker and muddle them. Add the whisky, simple syrup and ice, shake vigorously. Dump everything into a rocks glass, no straining required and top with an ounce of soda water. Stir gently and garnish with another mint leaf and a blackberry.
Inspector X
