Amrut's Fusion Paired with Chuao's Dark Grignottine and Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Churchill Cigar

The name Amrut refers to the "Elixir of Life" from Indian mythology. As legend would have it, a tug of war between the forces of good and evil so greatly stirred the ocean, that a pot containing divine liquid rose out of the water.  This nectar of the gods bestowed immortality to anyone who drank from the golden pot.  

A little know distillery from the outskirts of Bangalore, India has certainly "stirred the pot" of the single malt industry this year when insider Jim Murray anointed Amrut's Fusion as the "Third Finest Whisky in the World".  Murray, a man who evaluates thousands of drams to produce and continually update his annual Whisky Bible, surprised his international audience by granting this spirit a rare 97 points and bestowing it with rapturous tribute in the 2010 edition of his popular whisky ratings book.  From its beginnings in 1948 as a small batch liquor blender and bottler, Amrut has grown over the past six decades into a world class distiller with a full portfolio of premium brandies, vodkas, gins alongside its mainstay rum.  It reached a company milestone when in 1961 Amrut was selected to supply the Armed Forces of India, who continues to be an important customer.  In 1999, Amrut's chairman N. R. Jagdale decided to pursue the possibility of adding single malts to their growing liquor legacy.  Working with Scottish consultants and a large network of professional tasters, the company finally launched its first malt whisky expression for export in 2004. There are currently six malt whiskies in their portfolio.  

Amrut's barley is sourced from the many contract farmers in Punjab and Rajasthan where the grain is said to be nurtured by waters flowing from the Great Himalayas. Malting takes place in Jaipur and Delhi.  It is then transported to Amrut in Bangalore, a city 3,000 feet above sea level, to be mashed and distilled in small batches.  High altitude and hot weather conspire to speed maturation.  Indian spirits are believed to reach their peak two to three times faster than in the cooler weather.  This results in a much quicker time to market, but these unfriendly conditions also contribute to a rather generous "Angel's Share" of 12 % evaporation each year compared to an average 2% in Scotland.

Fusion was bottled in March 2009 but didn't reach many of our U. S. retailers until this year.  Its name reflects the combination of 80% unpeated Indian malt to 20% peated Scottish malt.  Each is mashed and distilled separately.  The new spirits are matured in separate flame charred oak barrels for less than 4 years (due to aforementioned accelerated maturation).  They finally meet up once they've reached their peak, to be finished in ex-bourbon casks for an additional 3 to 6 months.  The result is a straightforward whisky with a flavor that is superb. The aroma is apricot and vanilla sweet with slight oak present and something akin to flowers mixed with pineapple on the nose.  The higher 50% alcohol by volume is evident more in the aroma then on the tongue, where the mouth feel stays very silky and not at all astringent.  As in the aroma, generous fruit flavors rush forward, followed by a sweet spice and peppery sting fading to dark chocolate on the palate.  Peat seems to add not so much a distinct flavor note but a depth to the overall spirit. While not a very complex whisky, Fusion is rich and satisfying. We found this to be an impressive dram.  You be the judge as to whether or not its worthy Jim Murray's adulation.  (Click here or picture to purchase Fusion.)

Because of its fruit flavor bias, Amrut Fusion was supremely easy to pair with many of the Chuao bonbons.  But it is the Dark Grignottine that seemed to best complement the flavors without competing for attention.  Dark chocolate is a must with this pairing and the crunchiness of this confection provides an excellent textural counterpoint.  It is however the caramelized orange peel that really "brings it" to this combination. (Click here or picture to purchase bonbons.)

While cigars made in India have not found their way into the larger international cigar community, India's greatest export in the cigar world would have to be Rocky Patel himself. Having left Bombay when he was just 14 years old Rocky (Rakesh) Patel was an outsider to the cigar world until fairly recently. A business and entertainment lawyer until the mid-1990's, Rocky found a new passion in cigars through his actor clients. After spending many years learning the cigar trade and juggling his law practice, he decided to make the ultimate leap of faith and created the Indian Tabac line of cigars.

Often called the hardest working man in the business, Mr. Patel grew his business by constantly reaching out to the customer with fresh ideas, bold packaging, and fuller high quality cigars. In 2003, he changed the company name to Rocky Patel Premium Cigars and debuted with the Vintage Series. While in Honduras, Rocky had discovered unused bales of old Honduran grown broadleaf and Ecuadorian Sumatra. He used these tobaccoes to create both lines of the Vintage series. A low production rate and attention to quality craftsmanship resulted in cigars that have consistently achieved high ratings and accolades from the cigar community. This propeled his cigar company into the major leagues and now Rocky Patel Premium Cigars produces in excess of twenty-million cigars annually for national and international distribution. Rocky Patel's success is a result of his own personal investment and by offering his customers the highest value cigars at reasonable prices.

Of the two series, the Vintage 1992 has always been one of our favorites. A beautiful ten year old Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper surrounds the aged binder and filler that is smooth as silk.  Even with the tightly packed tobaccos and box press, this baby always draws perfectly. Rich earthy flavors with notes of oak and almond roll off the tongue with each puff. The smoke is plentiful and very smooth with a slightly sweet scent. As the burn continues, the cigar transitions into deeper flavors of dark roasted espresso and chocolate. A fine burn and tight ash also make the experience very enjoyable.

(Click here or on the picture to read more or to purchase.)

Once paired with the Amrut Fusion, the Vintage 1992 makes for a heavenly experience. While the malt is fruity, the spice and chocolate notes are captured and amplified by the cigar adding a new depth of flavor. The relatively short finish to the malt and lack of any distinctive alcohol "burn" allow the cigar flavors to easily mingle on the palate. Alone or together, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 and the Amrut Fusion should be in every connoisseur's collection.

Ardbeg's Corryvreckan with Chuao's Framboise Bonbon and Cain Habano Cigar

The name Corryvreckan means "cauldron of the speckled seas" which aptly describes the narrow straits between the islands of Jura and Scarba on the Argyll coast of Scotland.  Here the strong Atlantic currents and rough contours of the underwater seabed conspire to produce swift and turbulent tides, as huge volumes of churning water pass through the Gulf of Corryvreckan.  About 300 yards off the uninhabited Scarba shore, these powerful tides are violently thrust upward against a great underwater pinnacle of rock.  As the tides flow faster around one side of the pinnacle, the swells are caught and swirled, creating a landmark whirlpool, the third largest in the world.  It is said that when these tumultuous conditions are at their peak, the roar of the resulting maelstrom can be heard ten miles away.  Experience this tidal whirlpool "up close and personal" in this YouTube video (click here). 

The Ardbeg distillery located on the Isle of Islay, just south of Jura, has seen its share of turbulent times.  After more than a century and a half of steady production, it fell silent in 1981. Distilling resumed in 1989 on a limited basis where it hovered for the next seven years between small scale production and obscurity.  In 1996 its doors seemingly closed for good. But fate it seems had a rescue plan.  The following year Glenmorangie plc acquired Ardbeg and set about to repair the facility and revive the brand.  Ardbeg has not only been physically transformed but has reached a pinnacle of success having been named World Whisky of the Year from Jim Murray's Whisky Bible for two consecutive years (2008 & 2009).  This year the Corryvreckan expression itself added to those platitudes by being named Single Malt of the Year by both Malt Advocate and 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Whisky Magazine also extolled its virtures by declaring it the "World's Best Single Malt" this year. We just had to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

"Corry" is peaty, invigorating and intricate.  It is a worthy sire that has deservedly earned a new place in the line-up of Ardbeg's core expressions.  True to its proud Islay heritage, the maritime influences on the nose are as immediate as if you were standing on the shore.  Aromas move from sea air to a stringent creosote then dark cherries and over-ripe berries take the nose, finally settling into something reminiscent of fresh pine needles.  Torrents of flavor flood the palate like its namesake.  Notes of anise and seaweed evolve into pepper just as the flavors of dark berries begin to emerge on the tongue.  Black berries, dark sweet cherries and raspberries give way to chocolate and liquorice.  Corryvreckan ends in a peppery and long dry spicy finish.  Overall the peat is well integrated giving this young dram a rather deep and powerful toastiness rather than an overtly smoky flavor.  Rich and chewy, it is an absolutely

spectacular new expression.  (Click here or picture to buy Corryvreckan).

The cauldron of flavors in Ardbeg's Corryvreckan, make it supremely easy to match with Chuao Chocolatier's bonbons.  For our August pairing, the Framboise was chosen to accentuate the berry flavors of the scotch that were such a pleasant suprise in this Islay malt.  Lush deep raspberry 

notes burst from the fruit pate of its filling.  Framboise's texture is firm, smooth and rich, punctuated by a bottom layer of almond hazlenut praline.  Its dark chocolate robe plays wonderfully with the chocolate notes of this dram.  (Click here or picture to go to chocolate collection.)

So how is a cigar expected to stand up to this maelstrom of power and flavor? The answer lies in the tobacco. Ligero tobacco is leaf tobacco taken from the top of the tobacco plant. These leaves have had the most exposure to the sun during growth, and as a result they are the richest leaves on the plant. This results in the strongest tasting and slowest burning tobacco, and is usually used as long filler in cigars, mixed with other types to even out the flavor and the burn. Ligero is also not typically used for wrapper as the aging required to reduce the oils typically results in weaker and less flexible leaves.

Previous cigar theory was that you couldn't make a decent cigar out of all ligero tobacco. It would be too strong, it wouldn't burn, etc. But with the continuing push for stronger, bolder cigars, manufacturers have been increasingly experimenting with double ligero and even triple ligero cigars.

So along comes Sam Leccia, known for his Nub cigars, another creative idea in cigar making. Sam's concept was to create a full bodied smoke that is smooth, from all ligero leaf tobacco - including the wrapper. Working with Oliva Cain Cigars and their plantations in Nicaragua, Sam selected ligero leaf from well known tobacco farms in Condega, Esteli and Jalapa Valley.  He then utilized this leaf in all parts of the new Cain Habano and Cain Maduro cigars. Actually 82% is ligero, other tobaccos were used to balance out burn and construction issues. Un-smokeable you might think?

The difference in the making of these cigars was the triple fermentation process used to cure the ligero leaves.  Because the ligero is thicker, it can withstand the curing temperatures better. Much like triple distillation creates a smoother single malt, this same process brought out all the deeper, richer flavors of the ligero; at the same time smoothing out the usual harsh delivery of flavor typical of this leaf.

The Cain Habano is still a powerful cigar! Once lit this cigar is a smokestack, even slight pulls will fill the mouth with smooth, flavorful smoke. That's right - I said smooth! The triple fermentation process worked well to power down the strength of the smoke, but still allow the flavor to come through. The earthy sweetness begins strong right away, then pulls in a fruit note with spice that builds as the cigar burns.  This cigar never backs down either, it is full bodied and full flavored to the end. Expect a buzz from this one. (Click the picture or here to read more or to purchase.)

Pairing it with the Correyvreckan was an interesting experience. There are so many flavors available in the malt, but the Cain picks up that berry flavor and highlights it, adding an earthy base to help tone down the scotch. Once the Cain arrives at the spice, it repeats flavors that are found in the finish of the Correy. The cigar also takes the peat in the malt and makes it a bit smokier.   Use the chocolate to tame the flavors in between sips and puffs, it helps give the taste buds a bit of a break. Quite fabulous altogether. If you like full flavored cigars and malts, alone or in combination, these are definitely worth a try.

Compass Box Spice Tree with Chuao's Coffee & Anise or Chinita Nibs Chocolate Bars and La Aurora 1495  Cigar

It is certainly no secret that July 4th for Americans is a day to reflect on our independence.  In keeping with the character of this holiday, we chose Spice Tree, a whisky that was created from a rather pioneering master blender, Minnesota born John Glaser of Compass Box.  We have chosen to pair Spice Tree with two wonderful dark chocolate bars from Chuao Chocolatier and the La Aurora 1495 cigar.

John Glaser humbly describes himself as an artisan whiskymaker while others label him an inspired revolutionary in a tradition bound industry.  His experience having worked as the U.S. marketing director for Johnnie Walker in London, helped him not only gain insights to the consumer's perspective on scotch, but helped him to secure invaluable access to distilleries across Scotland.  Along the way, this former wine zealot developed an extensive knowledge and personal passion for malt whisky.  In 2000, he decided to pursue a dream to create his own brand by starting a company called Compass Box. Compass Box chooses from select distilleries then "blends and vats" to produce a range of small batch single malts, single grain, vatted and blended products.  Their offices are located in West London and Edinburgh.

The Compass Box Spice Tree expression is a testament to personal grit and determination.  Originally released in 2005, its explosive, original taste debuted to critical acclaim and public adoration.  John was lauded as an innovator for his attempt to achieve a whisky "like none before" using a unique maturation process.  For Spice Tree's secondary maturation, the ex-Bourbon casks were fitted with new but seasoned inner staves of heavily toasted French oak.  The result was a richly spiced and award winning dram.  Creativity however was soon to collide head on with tradition as the Scotch Whisky Association deemed this method "not appropriate for the making of Scotch whisky".  Threatened legal action forced Compass Box to stop production of Spice Tree a year later.

Refusing to accept defeat, John Glaser was determined to achieve the same superb malt but needed to find a process more acceptable to the SWA.  His three years of experimentation was finally rewarded with the reincarnation of Spice Tree in 2009 using heavily toasted cask heads of French oak to impart those same full and spicy flavors.  Information on the Compass Tree website indicates that they use 100% malt whisky primarily from Clynelish distilleries.  The malt is in the neighborhood of ten years old, having matured in first fill casks, then re-racked in custom barrels of oak with three different levels of toasting on the heads to create the characteristics and complexity.  It takes two years for whisky contact with oak to achieve the desired flavors. 

The aromas of ginger bread spices are immediate, followed by scents of vanilla and bourbon soaked baked apples.  True to its name, these spices burst on your palate with notes of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and orange zest.  Full bodied and multilayered, Spice Tree mellows out to substantial vanilla, a soft oak woodiness and faint background of raisiny fruits.  The finish is long, rich and drying with ginger and pronounced nutmeg notes at the end.  (Click here or picture to purchase Spice Tree).

We opted to pair two Chuao chocolate bars to showcase the Spice Tree expression.  Our first offering is a rich dark chocolate bar infused with espresso and a hint of star anise.  The subtle toastiness of the Coffee & Anise bar, along with delicate licorice notes makes for a great taste complement that does not compete with the many spice notes in the scotch.  (Click here or picture to purchase the Coffee & Anise bar.)

The Chinita Nibs bar delivers an absolute explosion of nutmeg when combined with this dram.  Far from being understated, this pairing pulled nutmeg to the foreground of both the scotch and confection in a most delightful way.  Your taste buds are then left to linger on the luxurious taste of caramelized cacao nibs while you enjoyed the silkiness and long finish of the Spice Tree whisky.  (Click here or picture to purchase the Chinita Nibs chocolate bar.)    

From the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic comes our July selection - the La Aurora 1495 robusto.  Founded in 1903 by Don Eduardo León Jimenes, La Aurora had humble beginnings in the town of Santiago de los Caballeros. In 1912, the flourishing company moved to the city of Santiago and has continued expanding ever since. Interestingly, their first factory in Santiago was located on Independence Street. La Aurora is owned by Grupo León Jimenes, C. por A., the largest company in the Dominican Republic, better known for Bohemia and Presidente beers, and Marlboro cigarettes than for cigars. Nevertheless, five generations of Jimenes family have overseen the La Aurora brand, always respecting their father's vision - to offer a world class cigar.

The 1495 line of cigars was created to celebrate the founding of the city of La Aurora's birth, Santiago de los Caballeros. Combining five types of leaf from four different countries achieves a complexity that few other cigars achieve. The 1495 utilizes an Ecuadorian Sumatra sun-grown wrapper, and Dominican corojo binder. A blend of Dominican piloto cubano and Nicaraguan and Peruvian ligero leaves makes up the filler. Each leaf brings its own set of flavors to this table, and these are

masterfully blended in this cigar.

The Dalmore 15 Year Old with Chuao's Gran Cacao Bonbon and Rocky Patel Renaissance  Cigar

Our June featured pairing spotlights The Dalmore 15 year old core expression with Chuao Chocolatier's Gran Cacao bonbon and a Rocky Patel Renaissance cigar.

Location, history and alchemy have conspired to produce a malt whisky that is as rich in tradition as flavor.  Near the city of Alness in Ross-shire, the distillery looks across the beautiful Cromarty Firth to the Black Isle.  The Dalmore name translates to mean "big meadow".  This is perhaps a reflection of the fertile silted fields in this prime barley growing region of Scotland.  Certainly Alexander Matheson thought this setting idyllic when he founded the distillery in 1839 and acquired the sole rights to draw water from the River Alness fed from the Loch of Kildermorie, once thought to have mystical powers of healing.

The Dalmore boasts some of the oldest existing stills in the Highlands, with one dating back to 1874 when the distillery was managed by the Mackenzie family, who subsequently purchased Dalmore in 1886.  World War I intervened on the Mackenzie's successful operation when its warehouses were requisitioned by the British Royal Navy and turned into a factory for the manufacture of deep-sea mines.  All maturing whisky stock was moved to other distilleries in the region but returned without incident after war's end in 1920.  The distillery was not so lucky having suffered damage by fire due to an explosion, delaying return to production until 1922. Continuing on, the Mackenzie family retained sole proprietorship until its merger with Whyte & Mackay, Ltd. in 1960.  Whyte and Mackay was subsequently acquired by United Spirits in 2007.

The Dalmore distillery produces some of the finest malts to come from the Highland region.   The richness and complexity of spirit is often credited to chunky copper stills, irreverently tagged the "big bastards".  It is believed that these curiously short necked stills result in a heavier, fruitier malt. Generations of tradition and experience of the small band of local stillmen minding the operation, certainly also contribute to Dalmore's golden whisky legacy.  But it is flavor maestro Richard Paterson at the helm to soley make all critical decisions for this brand. Paterson himself is a third generation master distiller who is renowned for his olfactory skills and four decades of expertise. His talent and passion for the craft is legendary. For an entertaining and rare insider's perspective on whisky art and industry, you may want to read his recently published autobiography aptly titled "Goodness Nose".

The Dalmore 15 year old is a core expression and winner of the double gold medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  The nose is perfumed with chocolate and rose jelly immediately present, with further developments of vanilla, toffee and subtle sherry.  Its finish in three different types of sherry butts produces an inviting flavor profile.  Matusalem sherry is known for its toffee, raisin/prune and Christmas cake clove, cinammon and ginger spices all of which are truly present in this malt.  Amoroso is a sweetened Oloroso sherry and maturation in these casks are probably responsible for the characteristic orange citrusy notes.  Apostoles sherries are typically aged 30 years or more, giving a depth and maturity to the seasoning of their Spanish Oak butts.  The overall finish to this malt is long and nutty with an interesting musty grape note at the end.  Despite the low alcohol percentage, this expression is full bodied with a silky almost chewy texture.  (Click here or picture to buy The Dalmore 15 year old).

While it was supremely easy to pair The Dalmore 15 year old with many bonbons, the Gran Cacao was a standout as the most taste indulgent match. There is something about its creamy bittersweet ganache enrobed in 73% cacao that provides a simple decadence beyond compare and the silky texture of the buttercream filling repeats the wonderful textural richness of this dram.   (Click here or picture to go to chocolate collection.)

Whisky and cigar matchups work best when one complements the other without being too similar, otherwise the tastes just merge together and the cigar gets lost in the whisky or vice versa. After tasting the Dalmore 15 and enjoying the spice notes, I went looking for a cigar that would continue with the spice, but bring some other flavors to the table as well. While a vast number of cigars are spicy, those utilizing the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper also have a sweetness you can't get from other wrappers.  So narrowing my focus to that wrapper, one of the best cigars (and most popular) was Rocky Patel's Edge cigar with the Sumatran wrapper.  The Edge Sumatra quickly became very popular when it was released, and was awarded #24 of the Top 25 cigars of 2007 by Cigar Aficionado.  The Edge was a powerhouse with deep leather, chocolate and coffee flavors and that fabulous spice note in the background. Unfortunately for us though, the wrapper leaf was also being used by Rocky in his excellent Decade cigar and the Edge Sumatra was discontinued.

The good news is that the wrapper is back (albeit a lower priming of the leaf) in the Rocky Patel Renaissance cigar. And while it is not quite as powerful as the Edge Sumatra, that may be a good thing for smokers who don't like that strong of a cigar. The same flavors are all there in this medium body, moderate nicotine smoke. (Click here or the picture to read more or to purchase)

The Renaissance, released in 2008, is a gorgeous cigar cloaked in that oily, dark brown Sumatran wrapper. The roll and construction is firm and perfect, as is the draw. This cigar begins with a mild pepper/spice that teases the palate awake, and then transitions to a sweet creamy vanilla and chocolate flavor which is very pleasant. When sipping the Dalmore with this cigar, that vanilla sweetness is also brought forward in the malt. Cinnamon appears in the back note of the Renaissance, and matches up with the spice in the whisky as well. And as the cigar deepens from the roasted nutty flavor into the earthy coffee range, it contrasts well with the long and nutty finish of the Dalmore 15 year old. This combination is elegant, smooth and very enjoyable.