Vanilla custard | Citrus zest | Herbal undertone | Heat

Vanilla custard | Brown sugar | Maple syrup | Raspberry | Dry heat

Tapering heat | Cinnamon | Creme brulee | Brown sugar | Leather | Lingering dryness

Copper & Cask Cigar Blend Whiskey is part of the company’s Small Batch series. According to the company, “Small Batch 10 starts with 15 barrels of Blended Canadian whiskey that were aged for more than 19 years in Alberta, Canada. Barrels were hand-selected by [the company’s] Barrel Master, blended in micro-batches and then re-barreled into a collection of Armagnac and Tawny Port casks.” The whiskey was finished for several months before bottling and is a limited release of only 1,800 bottles. It kicks off the first of five Small Batch releases anticipated in 2025.

Clocking in at over 140 proof, this HAZMAT whiskey joins the growing, yet undefined, list of “cigar blend” whiskeys, which are whiskeys marketed as intended to be paired with a cigar. Cigar blends originated in France in the Cognac world, and then later the United States whiskey market. The origin within the U.S. whiskey market is undisputedly credited to Jos. A. Magnus & Co. Cigar Blend Bourbon, curated by the highly regarded industry blending expert Nancy Fraley, and first released in 2016. Jos. A. Magnus & Co.’s cigar blend category pioneer release was finished in Armagnac, sherry, and, not surprisingly, Cognac barrels. Since then, other brands have introduced their own version of a “cigar blend,” which includes a wide range of variations.

However, some aspects of what a cigar blend whiskey is “supposed to be” are implied. First and foremost, it’s a whiskey that’s intended to be paired with a cigar, so it should have a robust flavor profile that is able to cut through the taste of the cigar. Second, this flavor profile should complement the flavor of the cigar, and likewise, the flavor of the whiskey should complement the cigar. Like whiskey, cigars offer a wide range of flavors from spicy to nutty to sweet and earthy, typically with some form of a tobacco note (clearly). In summary, whiskey and cigar pairing is not a one-size-fits-all, but rather takes two widely variable taste-specific vices and attempts to merge them somewhere in the middle.

Copper & Cask has produced some fantastic whiskeys at affordable price points, and Copper & Cask Cigar Blend Whiskey Batch 10 is no exception. While it brings ample heat due to its high proof point - and with that mixed first impressions - taking the whiskey apart piece by piece proves worthwhile. Put another way, this is a high proof whiskey that will only be appreciated by a consumer who can get past its ever-present heat. Moving past this heat, however, reveals a whiskey that has ample ability to cut through the flavor of just about any cigar, no matter how strong that flavor is. Vanilla custard, which transitions to a more defined crème brûlée note, is present throughout and is complemented by plenty of other sweet flavors, including brown sugar and maple syrup. There’s a touch of raspberry in the palate, and as it transitions to the finish, it turns notably dry. A splash of cinnamon gives way to leather, which defines the whiskey’s long, dry finish.

Copper & Cask Cigar Blend Whiskey Batch 10 offers a strong value for the right consumer.