Some experiences were just meant to go together: peanut butter and jelly, gin and tonic, or fish and chips. And for plenty of enthusiasts, whiskey and cigars make a great pairing too. But now a new whiskey is being released which aims to capture the flavors of cigars in its essence: The QuintEssential Untitled Cigar Malt Project from the Cedar Ridge Distillery.
Based in Iowa, the Ceder Ridge Distillery is best know for its bourbon but it also releases American Single Malts under its QuintEssential line. The new addition, which has an abv of 57.45%, is a blend of single malts that have been aged in Cedar Ridge ex-bourbon barrels, before being finished in a range of sherry, Madeira wine, oak, and ruby port casks.
“The vision for this release was a whiskey evoking the rich experience of a cigar. It features bold notes of tobacco, a subtle hint of smoke, a balanced character and a lengthy finish,” said Master Blender Murphy Quint. “While each cask plays an important role in the blend, the peated malt delivers an important feature. Its smoky influence, though subtle due to being blended with non-peated single malts, lingers long on the finish, a transition that emerges after the initial notes of sherry and Madeira have faded. This was a key element to the project, achieving a finish that lingers pleasantly, much like the subtle hint of smoke you might experience long after savoring a cigar.
“This is a whiskey I’ve envisioned for a long time, and I thoroughly enjoyed putting it together.”
The Untitled Cigar Malt Project will be a special edition release that will sell for $100 per bottle.
