The Corriemhor Cigar Reserve Review

“Magical Mystery Mhor”

Country: Scotland

Region: Most likely Highlands/Speyside

Brand: The Corriemhor Cigar Reserve
Distillery: Unknown
Released by: Peats Beast Ltd, Hereford, UK (Fox Fitzgerald Whisky Trading) 

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS (Said to be Around 8 Years)

ABV: 46 %
Chill Filtration: No 
Whisky Review # 563

Colour: Very Deep Amber 

Nose: Quite Sweet but a little on the Thin side despite the adequate ABV. The Refill Sherry casks make themselves known immediately. I find Toasted Cereals, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Figs and Apricots, Christmas Cake, Orange Peel, Winter Spices, Nuts, Vanilla, light Oak, Earth and hints of Dark Red Fruit, Tobacco, Dark Chocolate with a very high percentage of Cacao and Espresso. Despite the above mentioned Aroma impressions, there's still a bit of an immature feel to this Malt. It could have done with some extra years in the casks. The Alcohol is present but not in a very annoying way. A little Sulphur is noticeable as well. 

Palate: Sweet but with a slight Bitterness that sort of reminds me of English Marmalade. I also find Toasted Barley, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Caramel, Dark Red Fruit, Mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts, light Honey, Sherry, Citrus Peel, Christmas Cake, Pepper, Ginger, Tobacco, Chocolate, Grass and a hint of Armagnac.      

Finish: Quite Long, Sweet and Sour and with a very light Bitterness towards the end. I find Malt, Vanilla, Caramel, Dark Red Fruit, Orange Flavoured Chocolate, Sherry, Butterscotch, Dried Fruit, Almonds, Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom and Oak.   

I added a little Water and some additional Floral notes appear on the Nose. The Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste. Better sip it Neat or on the Rocks. 

Rating: 83   

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: The Corriemhor Cigar Reserve was created by the well-known blender Richard Paterson. As such it was part of the Whyte & Mackay portfolio for quite some time. Originally, it was a vatted Malt. In 2012 however the brand name was bought by Peats Beast Ltd in the United Kingdom. This company re-released the Cigar Reserve, this time however as a Single Malt, bottled at 46%. The Malt matures in an even mixture of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks. It is usually priced in the 45-60 US Dollar range (September 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Quite Pleasant    

Conclusion: There's nothing really wrong with this Mystery Malt except perhaps for the Nose that is a bit too Thin in my opinion. But other than that it's quite drinkable and likeable. And it should match a strong cigar as well. Judging by the colour, the Ex-Sherry casks have been very active or some Caramel has been added. I would assume the latter but I'm not sure about it. Corriemhor Cigar Reserve has some characteristics of an After Dinner Whisky but it's still a little too Young and Thin to fully convince me in this respect. It's a nice every day dram though although it might be just a little too expensive for that. And now for the 1 million Dollar question! Who distilled this Single Malt? I am pretty sure it's a Speyside Malt and the nice bottle reminds me of Aberlour. I don't think it's an Aberlour but maybe the bottle was inspired by the region. If somebody knows a bit more, please leave a Comment!       

Jan van den Ende                                                                  October 5, 2016

The River Spey