You happen to be traveling across continents for either business or pleasure. On the way back, you make sure you get to the airport three hours early so you have enough time to stop at the duty free shop to take a look at the cigars and spirits section. As you wander about you spot the Abelour 30 Year single malt scotch whisky, with a price tag of €180,00. A question is rises in your mind: “Mmm… Should I get it?” Assuming that you are a big fan of single malt, the answer, of course, is a resounding “yes!”, because as the saying goes, this item is not available in stores; no joke… this whisky is really a duty-free exclusive.

Of course, at that price, you’ll bring it home and wonder if you should try it right away or wait. And if you are like me, you know you can’t wait anyway so you proceed: From the nose to the palate, the finesse on this single malt is extraordinary. Expect a light floral nose with notes of ripe fruit and a hint of citrus zest. Let this one air out a bit and a note of pepper will become more obvious. On the palate, the whisky is fine and elegant, bold yet not aggressive, with a certain smooth silky character. You will enjoy its complexity, from the notes of vanilla and almond to the sweet and spicy notes, all wrapped up with a zesty character.

If that sounds good, you’ll really want to try it with a medium to full bodied smoke. I paired it up with a San Luis Rey Serie A, not so much because the notes of the cigar and the whisky are complementary, but because of the good balance of body and strength between the two. Let’s just say that each holds up rather well against the other.