A.D. Rattray 18 year old 1991 Bowmore Sherry Cask Finish Paired with Chuao's

Le Citron and Black & White Bonbons and Padilla Signature 1932 Cigar

Although the role of the Independent Bottler in the scotch whisky industry has been established for decades, there is still debate in some circles whether they are parasites (naughty) or patrons (nice).  Does their tampering with a brand misrepresent what the original distillery intended, or do they provide a public service with rare and wonderful expressions that would not otherwise see the light of day?  Of course we are all grateful when they preserve the assets of distilleries long mothballed, extending our opportunity to enjoy lost spirits in perpetuity.  But what about when they seemingly compete head to head with a winning brand for your top shelf?  Well since Sip Smoke Savor has this insatiable appetite for exceptional new taste experiences, we say "judge the bottle and not the bottler".  We've picked on A.D. Rattray's 1991 sherry cask matured Bowmore to prove that very point.

Not that A. D. Rattray doesn't deserve some respect, having been involved in blending and bottling of malt and grain whiskies in the south of Glasgow since 1868.  Originally founded by Andrew Dewar and William Rattray, the company established itself early on as a specialist in the field under the name of Dewar Rattray Ltd.  In their early days, these two partners acted as brokers, selling bulk whisky for a number of Highland distilleries to wine and spirit merchants in the west of Scotland.  Suffering a financial crisis in the late 1920's, the company was sold to another well established broker, William Walker, who retained ownership until his death at which time the business returned to the original family.  Today Tim Morrison is at the helm of A.D. Rattray (name change).  A fourth generation descendent of the Dewar family, Morrison is reputed for his ability to discern both spirit stock and casks of exceptional quality.

Tim Morrison should know just a little bit about Bowmore assets, having previously worked there when the distillery was under his father Stanley's ownership (Morrison Bowmore was subsequently sold to Suntory in 1994).  His affinity for Bowmore whisky clearly shows in this 18 year old expression.  Bottled in 1991, this sherry cask matured Bowmore is richer and more complex than the Bowmore distillery "house style".  A gentle coastal smokiness combined with almonds, orange, sherry and spice rises up to greet the nose in a fairly delicate, non-agressive way.  It belies the richness to come.  The velvety tongue coating viscosity of this cask strength malt adds to its sensuality.  Flavors are full, dry and deep with a citrus crispness that combines with the faintest of sea brine; the brine also delivering a slight saltiness to the mix.  The peat and sherry in this expression are more integrated than in the nose, resulting in a fantastic sweet earthiness and depth to the flavor with little overt smokiness.  Flavors are complex; think smoked almonds with caramelized fruit peel dusted with spice.  The long finish is a gift that just keeps on giving. (click on picture to purchase A.D. Rattray Bowmore 18YO, 1991)

A complex and elegant scotch always makes pairing an easy task, and this dram was no exception.  The most surprising pairing however, is Chuao Chocolatier's Le Citron bonbon with our featured whisky.  The richness and piquancy of the Meyer lemon filing is an unexpected delight, while oozing caramel accentuates that  flavor note in the whisky just right.  This citrusy confection is rich enough to stand up to such a robust drink. (click on picture to purchase Le Citron)

A real flavor counter point but just as interesting a pairing combination was the Rattray Bowmore with Chuao's Black & White bonbon.  Its buttery almond hazelnut praline introduces a new flavor and gristyness.  Instead of mimicking this scotch like Le Citron,  it delivers contrasting elements of taste and texture, bringing out a wonderful nutty maltiness from the malt that would otherwise be hidden.  (click on picture to purchase Black & White)

In a way, the cigar industry has their independents also. They may take the shape of a cigar designer or blender that works with larger companies to produce cigars under their own private label. Or, they may be "boutique" brands, small companies with limited production and distribution. A company like Padilla Cigars has chosen to concentrate on using rare and limited Cuban-seed tobaccos in their blends, and limit their production to achieve a high quality product.

Incorporated as recently as 2003, Padilla Cigar Company has quickly garnered immediate attention in the industry by collaborating with master blenders such as José Pepin Garcia, and Gilberto Oliva. These experts brought a depth of experience and quality that would take a new company years to develop. Of the Padilla line of cigars, the Padilla Miami, the Signature 1932 and the Padilla 1948 were produced by Don Pepin at his factories in Miami and Nicaragua since 2005. All three blends achieved high ratings, with the Signature 1932 Churchill receiving a rating of 90 by Cigar Aficionado and named the 14th best cigar for 2006.

But many times the experts have other demands for their time, as is the case with Don Pepin. After his meteoric rise in popularity, Don Pepin took on several other major brand names, and he and Ernesto Padilla parted ways in 2008. Padilla shifted production to a new manufacturing facility in Little Havana in Miami for the three cigars, and there is much discussion in the cigar world whether or not the blends were changed post-Pepin. 

Regardless, we selected the (new) blend Padilla Signature 1932 Robusto for our featured pairing to make sure you could experience this combination. The flavors in this full bodied cigar are nothing less than delicious. With an initial flavor of sweet wood (cedar) and the Pepin trademark pepper, the Signature 1932 reveals its depth slowly, offering nuts, coffee, cocoa and leather accents as the cigar progresses. Creamier flavors appear in the middle, while the cigar still produces voluminous clouds of smoke. Never harsh, the smoke has a long, dry finish.  As an ending note, a peppery spice reappears. We found the Signature 1932 to be a balanced, complex and enjoyable smoke from start to finish.

Pairing the Signature 1932 with the Bowmore and the Black and White bonbons, a wonderful fruity, nutty, toffee experience is created. Even though cask strength, we enjoyed the Bowmore neat with our cigar, as adding water made it too salty. Puffing first on the cigar and then sipping the whisky is the best way to enjoy this combo, as the cigar flavors are registered first, then highlighted by the whisky before becoming lost in the waves of flavor in the malt. We really enjoyed the way malt, leaf and bean accentuated each other - smoked almonds, hazlenuts and cashews; caramel, toffee and cocoa; cedar, spice and pepper. Over the top of all of this is the fruit and sherry, adding a citrusy crispness to the combination.

While the Bowmore is a limited bottling, the cigar is not, so treat yourself to this combination if you can; enjoy the Padilla Signature 1932 alone regardless. (Click on picture for more notes and to purchase.)