Bankhall debuts whisky for cigars

Halewood Artisanal Spirits-owned whisky brand Bankhall has created a single malt designed to be enjoyed with a cigar.

Bankhall Cigar Malt is aged in 100% virgin American oak casks, creating a ‘complex’ single malt that can ‘hold its own’ against the heavy tobacco notes of a cigar. It offers vanilla on the nose, with ‘clove, cinnamon, spicy wood tannins’ on the palate, followed by a ‘long and tannic’ finish. Bottled at 43% ABV, the expression will retail for £20 (US$25). Bankhall, which is based in Blackpool, launched its first expressions last year, however the brand has now pivoted its positioning from an English single malt to a British one. The brand now bottles whiskies from Halewood’s distilleries in England, Scotland and Wales. The firm claims to be the only company to have distilleries in all three nations, including Aber Falls in Wales, Bonnington in Scotland, and the City of London Distillery. The production of Halewood’s whiskies is overseen by master blender Jill Boyd. As well as the newly launched Cigar Malt, Bankhall also offers its flagship British Single Malt, which is bottled at 40% ABV, and British Malts, which is a blend of whiskies from the three distilleries, bottled at 46% ABV.