Like two peas in a pod of the luxury world, cigars and whiskey can often be found together. Both known as two of the finer things in life, when used jointly they work to enhance the drinking and smoking experience. This is particularly true when the drink being consumed is single malt Scotch. Known as the Cuban cigar of the whiskey world, single malt Scotch is the perfect drink to take out for a smoke.

What is single malt Scotch?

While many people know what single malt Scotch entails, some people may not be completely clear. But, in actuality, the concept of single malt scotch is singularly simple: single malt Scotch is essentially barley-malt whiskey made in Scotland that comes from only one distillery, allowing it to carry distinct aromas and flavors. In terms of whiskeys, single malt Scotch is the most laudable: the Scottish have the title of world’s greatest whiskey in the bag… pipe.

Why are cigars a good fit with single malt Scotch?

Cigars and single malt Scotch have similar mantras: they both invoke specifics of the land and the maker; tobacco plants and barley both aim to remember their roots. To demonstrate this, cigars from different regions have different flavors: a Dominican Republic cigar will taste different than a cigar from Honduras. This is because each cigar aims to capture the distinct taste of the land and of the tobacco manufacturer, leaving no two cigar brands alike. Single malt Scotch is the only type of whiskey that possesses this same ability, giving drinkers a cup of originality.

Some whiskeys journey through so many distilleries that they - like a whiskey that drank too much of itself - forget who they are. This results in a whiskey with flavors that are vague, with little semblance to the roots of their homeland. Single malt Scotch, however, stands out because it is processed through a single distillery. In addition, while other whiskeys can contain mixtures of corn, wheat, and unmalted barley, single malt Scotch uses malted barely as the sole grain ingredient. This ultimately succeeds in instilling single malt scotch with the true taste of Scotland.

What kinds of cigars complement single malt Scotch?

There are a variety of cigars that complement certain whiskeys, as if telling them that they have nice ryes. With single malt Scotch, however, there are certain cigars for which this feat is tailor made; there are certain cigars that go better with single malt Scotch than with nearly anything else.

There are two main routes to take when complementing single malt Scotch. The first route couples a mild cigar with a mild single malt Scotch while the other route couples a strong cigar with a strong single malt Scotch.