Pairing With Big Peat

The smoky, peaty whiskies of Scotland invite cigar pairings.

- Jack Bettridge

Simultaneously warming and austere, toasty but foreboding, heavily peated whiskies are considered by some to be the holy grail of Scotch. Many come from Islay (pronounced eye-lah), a west coast island that is blessed with peat bogs. Thousands of years of vegetal decay create a fuel that has traditionally been used to toast malted barley before it is fermented and distilled. The peat’s alluring smoky flavor comes along for the ride. Also associated with Islay are the flavors of seaweed and salt, because so many of its distilleries are built on the shore. Yet heavily peated Scotches are not limited just to that island, nor are all Islays peaty.

Pairing cigar smoke with peat smoke may seem a no-brainer. Nevertheless, like flavors can create a conflict, especially when a cigar tastes of tart, seared wood. Like matchmaking for an old bachelor it’s a delicate process, but when it works you strike gold. The best tack is to introduce flavors that contrast and complement the peat. Looking for suitable marriages we paired 11 of Scotland’s smokiest malts with two fine, handmade cigars. The My Father No. 3 Crema, which scored 92 points in our Top 25 list of 2014, shows off rich raisin and fruitcake sweetness, along with hickory, butterscotch and almonds. The Romeo y Julieta 1875 Deluxe No. 1 scored 91 points in our last issue while displaying nutty and sweet nougat notes along with a sweet and spicy core.

Ardbeg Uigeadail

Ardbeg—along with Lagavulin and Laphroaig— forms a triumvirate of 200-year-old Islay distilleries known for serious peat smoke. Uigeadail (