From this Sunday’s Vancouver Province:
Scotch whisky was on the rocks.
It was seen as an old man’s drink, a last liquid refuge for unhip ancients slurring Johnny Mercer tunes in stubble and dressing gowns.
That was several years back. Today, Scotch’s image is cool and its sales are hot. Reports say the chunks of the global population that can afford it are falling over themselves to order double neats, Rusty Nails, Rob Roys and Blood and Sands.

Although the Aspiring Gentleman fully endorses Scotch Whisky as the drink pairing of choice with any of your favourite cigars, the realities of workplace, dinner table, time of day and other factors may warrant another beverage option. I’ve presented here what I consider to be the best pairings, but please let us know what your ideal pairings are.

“At the ancient seaport of Banff, nature’s elements meet as the black waters of the River Deveron break into the expanses of the North Sea.”  This quote from the label of Glen Deveron 10 Years Old, produced by the Macduff distillery, reflects the river on which the distillery lies and from which it draws the water used for cooling in the production process.  Macduff has gone against the norm and named their Speyside whisky by a different name than their own; however, independent bottlers continue to release under the Macduff …

Sherry is a beverage you most likely associate with your grandma at Thanksgiving. Or maybe because you enjoy your scotch aged in barrels that once held this mysterious liquid. Sherry today actually represents one of the world’s great wine bargains, and many examples are inspired pairings with your favourite cigars.  In fact, they are often inspired pairings with your favourite foods. A good sherry deserves a place in your liquor cabinet, since most sweet or off-dry examples last virtually forever once opened. I recently tryed Noé from Gonzalez Byass and was …

The Redheaded stepchild of Orkney Distilleries, Scapa has had some ups and downs since being founded in 1885. From 1994 to 2005 the distillery was closed entirely. The industry giant, Pernod-Ricard, then acquired and reopened it. The initial release was this 14 year, which replaced the traditional Scapa 12. This year Scapa has replaced their 14 year with a 16 year, at a much higher price point. If you want to try this good value malt you’ll probably need to act somewhat quickly.

With an annual production of nearly 6 million liters, The Glenlivet is a scotch whisky powerhouse, occupying shelf space in nearly every liquor store worldwide. The distillery has a storied history, starting with its founding in 1824, through it’s acquisition by Glen Grant in 1953 and Seagrams in 1977 to its current resting place in the portfolio of Pernod Ricard. The often-told story is that George Smith, The Glenlivet’s founder, had to carry a pistol when he first obtained a license for his distillery to ward off his hundreds of (illegal) competitors. If you’re ever in a sketchy bar and want single malt scotch, chances are they’ll have bottles of Glenfiddich 12 and The Glenlivet 12 kicking around.