Cigar Malt was one of my favorite whiskies and its name was changed to broaden the market. Apparently I am one of the few non-cigar-smokers who appreciates it. I guess they don’t want people to think that a cigar is necessary to enjoy this malt.
Dalmore Cigar Malt is now…Gran Reserva
10
Aug
Whisky2.0 
Vic303
22-February-2010 at 14:24
Is this true (Cigar Malt relabeled as Gran Reserva)?
Where did you find that out? Source? I am looking for a bottle of Cigar Malt as a gift, but if it is relabeled as Gran Reserva, my search just got a lot easier!
Thanks!
tmaufer
22-February-2010 at 16:03
Oh, yes — I heard about this in several venues, including the WhiskyCast podcast. Here are a few URLs that will help you believe that Cigar Malt is still alive and well under a new name (btw, it’s one of my favorite Highland malts…):
WHISKYhost
Whisky.com <– see the comment thread on this page
The Whisky Exchange (mentions the old name with the new product)
Vic303
22-February-2010 at 16:20
Ok, thank you! Glad to see it confirmed by Dawn of Dalmore. Still, I see they did change the ratio of sherry/oak from 50/50 to 60/40.
tmaufer
22-February-2010 at 16:49
You are most welcome. Keep in mind that distilleries are always free to change the “formula” behind their single-malt expressions. The term “single malt” means “malt that was produced at a single distillery from malted barley and yeast, and aged in oak for 3 years and a day”…so it’s not to be confused with “single-cask” where the malt is not only from a single distillery, but also from a single cask.
Distillers have the freedom to mix their products and change the recipe over time, to compensate for different barley growing conditions, peating levels, flavor profiles, etc., to ensure that the final bottled product is consistent (so a 15-year-old expression this year tastes similar to the same age expression from 3 years ago). A distiller is also free to (as in this case) change the name or the recipe, and if the change is not well-received by the market they may change it further.
ran
4-May-2010 at 13:55
Dalmore Grand Reserve does not taste like Dalmore Cigar Malt…. not even close.
whisky2dot0
4-May-2010 at 22:53
I heard that they changed the recipe. This happens from time to time, even when malts don’t change their name along the way. Sorry to hear you didn’t like it, but if you look carefully in out-of-the-way liquor stores, you might find a bottle of Cigar Malt mouldering on the shelves. I have found some nice whiskies this way! Usually, their prices are reflective of when they were put on the shelf, too, which is a bonus!