Bruichladdich 1990/25
Bruichladdich is to single malt scotch whisky what Google is to the tech sector, without the overbearing dominance of funding, scale or resources (what else is there I hear you ask.....). What I mean is that this distillery has a diverse range that looks as if they'll try anything, the way Google acts first to develop projects without necessarily knowing what the end result would, could or even should be. Sometimes you strike gold, sometimes you get coal. This whisky is platinum. Matured in Ximinez sherry casks, there is strong honey aromas with apple crumble cinnamon, thick luxurious light molasses colour. The taste is even better than the nose with the flavours tasting as you would have expected but with a wonderful length that just hangs around in a pleasant subdued way. You wouldn't think this was an Islay whisky because there's almost no peat to speak of. The picture does not do the whisky justice - there's barely any water added and I was really hot. Mind you, I have had 2 bottles already (over the course of 18 months) so I was trying a different way to imbibe.
Cigar pairing - OpusX Lost City double robusto
This is a fabulously constructed, evenly tempered cigar with strong woody and earthy flavours. The draw was fantastic and the smoke billoughed luxuriantly. As a pairing however, it was good but not great. The earthiness turned slightly bitter with the cigar and the woodiness was lost in the sherry cask oak flavours. Could just have been that it was really hot and I wasn't in the comfort of my usual surroundings: sunk into a leather lounge in an air conditioned well ventilated room.