The Dalmore Adds an 18 Year Old Cigar Malt to Its Permanent Collection

The Dalmore has expanded one of its most recognisable whisky ideas with a new permanent 18 year old expression.

Cigar Malt Signature Reserve Aged 18 Years joins the Principal Collection as a more structured, more mature take on the Highland distillery’s long-running relationship with cigar culture.

It’s aimed squarely at drinkers who like The Dalmore’s red wine-influenced style but want greater age, texture and cask complexity in the glass.

At a glance

A richer chapter for The Dalmore’s cigar whisky

The Dalmore’s Cigar Malt Reserve has been part of the whisky landscape for more than two decades, carving out a clear place among drinkers who enjoy pairing single malt with a fine cigar.

The new Signature Reserve Aged 18 Years doesn’t replace that idea so much as deepen it.

Its purpose is to give the cigar pairing moment more weight, particularly when the cigar itself has the power, age or complexity to demand a whisky with broader shoulders.

At 46% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered, it has been positioned to retain definition as well as richness.

That detail matters, because cigar-pairing whisky needs enough sweetness and body to hold its ground, but also enough clarity to refresh the palate between draws.

Five casks and a red wine-led signature

The whisky begins with 16 years in American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels, giving the expression its foundation of sweetness, lift and approachability.

From there, The Dalmore builds the profile through four additional cask influences.

Matusalem Sherry casks add dried fruit, nutty depth and darker richness, while French oak Marsala casks bring ginger warmth, spice and a palate-filling texture.

The two wine cask components give the whisky much of its character.

French oak Cabernet Franc barriques add aromatic detail and subtle savoury complexity, helping to keep the darker flavours precise rather than dense.

French oak Cabernet Sauvignon barriques contribute tannin, structure and the red wine thread that connects this expression to the wider Cigar Malt family.

Chocolate orange, dark fruit and polished spice

On the nose, Cigar Malt Signature Reserve Aged 18 Years leans into chocolate orange, dried fig and dark fruit, with aromatic notes of oud and sandalwood adding a more atmospheric register.

The palate moves through forest berries, sticky dates, orange marmalade, dark chocolate and cinnamon spice.

The finish is long, warming and layered, with dark fruit, nutmeg and cinnamon carrying the whisky’s richer side without pushing it into excess.

That balance is the main point of interest here.

The Dalmore is often at its most recognisable when sherry, citrus, chocolate and wine-cask structure meet, and this bottling pushes those signatures into a more deliberate pairing context.

Details & Specifications

Packaging and availability

The presentation follows the same elevated tone, with the bottle housed in a scarlet gift carton that opens with a subtle pull tab.

It’s a small ritualistic touch, but one that suits a whisky designed around occasion, patience and after-dinner pacing.

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Signature Reserve Aged 18 Years will be sold globally, including through The Dalmore’s website, from 19 October 2026.

Members of The Dalmore Guild will have the chance to buy earlier from 15 October.

For collectors, cigar enthusiasts and Dalmore loyalists, this is a confident addition rather than a passing limited-edition curiosity.

It gives the Cigar Malt idea a more mature permanent expression, with enough cask architecture and age-stated authority to make it feel distinct in the wider Principal Collection.