Crafted to serve as the perfect accompaniment to a full-bodied cigar, Midnight Maduro Cigar Whisky is a collaboration between Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery and The Gentleman’s Flavor.
A perfectly-aged blend of 4 Okanagan Spirits’ whiskies (a single malt, a rye, and 2 bourbon-style whiskies) were finished with the innovative Pioneer County Process, whereby the whisky is gravity filtered through staves of freshly emptied and deconstructed cognac barrels which have been simultaneously torch caramelized and smoked with dark tobacco leaves from Esteli, Nicaragua.
A Canadian First
With The Gentleman’s Flavor Midnight Maduro Cigar Whisky, Okagagan Spirits Craft Distillery has pushed the boundaries of experimentation to create a limited-release Cigar Whisky at precisely 47.5% abv.
It is also the very first whisky by a Canadian distillery that is made with the intention of being paired with a fine cigar.
SHELF APPEAL RATING (Note: does not count toward final score, out of 5):
APPEARANCE: Clear, dark caramel in color.
NOSE: The aromatic opening begins with the undeniable presence of candied nuts – most notably candied pecan and dark chocolate peanuts. An element of peach tea mingles with ample baking spices of clove and cinnamon. Oak, dark fruits, sweet tobacco, and earthy rye round out a complex yet cohesive nose.
PALATE: Burnt caramel harmonizes with warm, spicy gingersnap cookie. Sweet corn accompanies oak char, cooked oats, and plum pudding. The prominent sweetness of corn is tempered by the development of apricot and a quick hint of wet stone minerality.
FINISH: Medium-long, warming and pleasant. A touch of earth is greeted with sweet tobacco and molasses as extended oak char and a the tannic element of red wine linger last.
ABV: 47.5%
AGE: A blend of whiskies aged 5-7 years
CASK(S): American oak, ex-Cognac
ENJOY: Neat, with ice, or in a cocktail.
RATING:
Though we ordinarily provide an overall rating for each whisky we review, rating our own whisky seems a bit on the biased side – so we’ll leave that up to you, the reader.
Conclusions
Through collaboration with Western Canada’s original whisky family at Okanagan Craft Spirits Distillery, our quest to create a whisky to serve as the “perfect accompaniament to a full-flavored cigar” has been actualized in the The Gentleman’s Flavor Midnight Maduro Cigar Whisky.
The Midnight Maduro is a limited edition small batch release born out of the desire to create something with a prominent tobacco influence for the Canadian marketplace. Something that perfectly compliments a fine cigar not by sheer happensance, but rather through a series of purposeful actions.
Always looking for new ways to innovate and experiment with the flexible nature of Canadian distilling, Okanagan applied an ain’t-ever-been-done-before process to finish this whisky through the application of tobacco through the torching of sopping-wet of ex-Cognac staves.
We think that the end result is nothing short of magnificent – – but you’ll have to decide that for yourself.
…And For Those So Inclined: A Recommended Cigar Pairing
Pair The Gentleman’s Flavor Midnight Maduro Cigar Whisky with the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figuado Maduro (6 x 52).
The Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado features a dark and oily Mexican San Andrés wrapper that sits on top of a core of Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It exhibits a delightful complexity with notes of sweet toasted bread, pepper, spice, rich espresso, and leather which pairs exceptionally with the decadent, robust character of the cigar whisky.
When enjoyed together, the cigar kicks up the earth and baking spice character of the whisky before a sweet, cinnamon character unfolds. The Melanio Maduro is a perfect example of the kind of full-bodied, Maduro-wrappered cigar that this cigar whisky was intended to be partnered with.
Beyond the Serie V Melanio Maduro, we recommend to have fun and enjoy experimenting by pairing with the Midnight Maduro Cigar Whisky with a host of fine, full-flavored cigars.
– Kurt Bradley
Reviewed July 16, 2024. At the time of writing, The Gentleman’s Flavor Midnight Maduro Cigar Whisky was available for purchase but may be sold out as you read this.
Kurt Bradley is the founder of The Gentleman’s Flavor, to which he is also a contributing editor, host and curator.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Kurt has lived in Glasgow, Scotland where he developed a passion for understanding whisky. Kurt is a certified Whisky Ambassador accredited by The Scotch Whisky Association and has achieved Level 2 Award in Wine & Spirits Education Trust with distinction. He is a regular contributor to Cigar Journal Magazine, and has provided commentary to Cigar Aficionado, the world’s leading cigar publication.
He enjoys a fine, hand made cigar with a well crafted Old Fashioned cocktail.
