This compact journal is all
you need to embark on a
voyage of whisky discovery.
With information on the
science of whisky tasting
and guidance on writing up
your own tasting notes, the
Whisky Tastings Journal
really is your ideal
drinking companion.Pick up a copy today, grab
a dram, and get sampling!Available from:
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The ideal
drinking
companion
Royal Choice
Balmoral Añejo XO Petit Robusto FT and
Royal Lochnagar 12 Years Old
The Balmoral brand of cigars are
produced by the family-owned Dutch
tobacco company Royal Agio. The brand
dates back to 1895 and is named for
Balmoral Castle, the Scottish residence
of the British Royal Family. The Añejo
XO range is famously constructed
by hand using sun-grown Brazilian
Arapiraca wrappers that are aged for an
average of 10 years. Dominican Olor is
used both as binder and a component
of the filler blend, which also includes
Nicaraguan tobacco and exclusive,
stalk-cut Brazilian Mata Norte. To top
things off, the Petit Robust FT (4 1/4”,
RG48) is completed with an attractive
pigtail cap. The pre-light aroma is of
raisin, milk chocolate and leather. These
notes are evident in the first third, with
the addition of peanut and a savoury,
meaty note – think beef satay. Into the
second third we have dark chocolate
and espresso at the forefront, which
continues to the end. This full-bodied
smoke sits mostly in the medium
range of strength and benefits from a
sweeter whisky pairing. The 12 Years
Old expression from Royal Lochnagar,
located just a short walk from Balmoral
Castle, fits the bill with its notes of
sweet red apple, toffee and honey.families in poor communities in Central
America and Dominican Republic,
helping finance scholarships, healthcare
and food to bring a better life to these
proud people.What’s on the horizon?
In 2017, British American Tobacco
announced to us that they were
withdrawing their Dunhill and Charatan
brands from the global handmade cigar
and pipe tobacco markets. So, in 2018
we purchased the Charatan brand from
them. Charatan is our bestselling cigar,
made for us by Joya de Nicaragua in
Esteli, Nicaragua. This now gives us the
flexibility as brand owners to create
new blends and sizes, from around the
New World, and the opportunity to take
the brand to the global markets. This
summer we will add a new vitola to the
range for the first time in several years
and also launch a limited production
cigar using mature tobacco from Joya de
Nicaragua’s aging rooms, which we will
call the Charatan Colina or Charatan Tor
in English. Going forward, we hope that
we can continue to forge and support
our existing and new relationships at
home and abroad, and also continue to
be able to meet the stringent demands
of anti-tobacco legislation without
losing our raison d’être – who we are
and what we represent.060-061-Cigars-WM161.indd 61 26/06/2019 15:04