READY THE ARMADA! Enjoy a fine scotch the old way. Classic characters from DC Comics, and the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
A Sipping and Streaming Presentation / @vedafy1 / Published May 2, 2021
Welcome to the “Whiskey Lover’s Rejoice” Series
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
By Vedafy’s whiskey savant, Alex Gaither
With the successful release of the four hour Zack Snyder extravaganza now completed, and perhaps the worst of Covid-19 lockdowns in our past, let’s do another Sipping and Streaming whiskey review. Brought to you by Vedafy’s whiskey savant, this time we look at a Dalmore classic, that moment in time when the ultimate DC Comics superhero could not handle his liquor, and finally, the 2021 pop culture villain of the year.
Covid-19 was the biggest global event of 2020, but perhaps now is the time we can agree we can move on to more pressing issues such as: there is so much new whiskey we need to try!! With this challenge ahead there is only one solution. Let’s kick off this edition of our whiskey review and try to reach a level that equals the godlike level of the greatest heroes and villains of the DC Universe.
I have just the find for you and maybe it will give you superpowers or superhuman strength, well, with enough scotch all things are possible…..
Let’s begin our DC Universe scotch drinking event and start off with one of the greatest superheroes of all time, Superman. It might be trite for the first review to include Superman, but let’s be honest, everyone wishes they could fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes like Superman or Home lander.
Need some Homelander background? Check out Vedafy’s “The Boys” take on the Amazon series.
Besides his love for Lois Lane and avoiding Kryptonite, Superman can fly at supersonic speed to the Dalmore distillery in Scotland, pick up a bottle of the iconic Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, fly to Cuba for some Hetcho En Mano Cigars and fly back to Metropolis. Then those laser eyes will light the tip of the cigar, fill the Glencairn Glass, and take a break from fighting supervillains and pulling cats from trees.
Superhero daydreaming is fun, but let’s get back to reality and see how the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve stacks up as a must-have in all of the well-stocked bars, with my first and not last impressions of this classic dram.
Ready the Armada indeed, let’s go:
THE REVIEW
Nose:
Rich with vanilla, toffee, and caramel, a hit of cinnamon coffee, and a hint of citrus biscuit, maybe even some shortbread.
Palate:
Brown sugar, toffee fruit cake, some banana and orange-zest, lots of sherry released.
Finish:
As the orange and toffee fruit cake linger there is a bit of spiciness, clove, and cinnamon, it does stop short and come to a nice close without a sugar coating feeling.
Overall:
The beauty of introducing Dalmore to you is the number of offerings available. The Cigar Malt is a mid-range option at $100 to $150, and you can go up or down in price from there in the Dalmore family and still be happy. Note that the master distiller of Dalmore (Richard Paterson) has been there for decades, so the flavor profile is here to stay.
The Dalmore house brand is driven by their exclusive access to 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks imbuing that unique Dalmore profile. For the Cigar Malt Reserve, the whiskey is matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks, and Cabernet Sauvignon barriques to create this masterpiece.
To enter the Dalmore website directly, please click on this link here: The Dalmore.
Superman’s Bar Hopping Journey – Text by Vedafy’s Dan O’Brien
After two massively successful, culturally significant film releases, the producers of Superman 1 and 2 shifted the tone of the franchise to a campier version of this Superman universe, and the result is a much-maligned third movie. One saving grace is it provided the world with a truly memorable moment.
Superman walks into a bar….and orders a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch; not exactly the preferred choice of the experienced drinker.
The Son of Krypton is immune to all forms of human ailments, which means he’s also immune to the benefits and effects of a glass of your favorite alcohol. Thankfully, the writers of this third Superman film created a scene where a Kryptonite-poisoned Superman, depressed and disillusioned, wanders into the local watering hole, pours himself a drink……and turns bar nuts into the world’s most dangerous projectile.
This really happened on the big screen, thanks to Superman III. Refer to the movie clip above, as you really do have to see it to believe it.
Moving to the other side of the ledger: if you are Darkseid, the Destroyer of Worlds, and you crave spending the night relaxing with your minions after vanquishing your enemies, an all-powerful being such as yourself will not settle for Johnnie Walker.
Only the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve will satisfy the palate of Darkseid after a day of wreaking absolute havoc across the cosmos. One does not smite enemies into submission, crushing the lives of millions of inferior creatures, only to settle for a mediocre libation when it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your unmatched power and fury. It can only be the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve.
EPILOGUE
Darkseid is the creation of one of the comic book medium’s greatest creators. Jack ‘King’ Kirby, the legendary, almost mythical, man who kicked off his career by contributing to the creation of Captain America in the 1940s. His creativity, design, and vision were an essential piece of the explosion of the Marvel Comics Universe throughout the 1960s, starting with the launch of their flagship series, The Fantastic Four, in 1961.
In the 1970s, Kirby shifted over to the “Distinguished Competition” known as DC Comics, where he would write brand new creations, including his ‘Fourth World’ Universe: The New Gods, The Forever People, Mister Miracle, and of course the key villains we would finally see properly presented in the Zack Snyder cut of the Justice League: Steppenwolf, DeSaad, and DC’s most powerful villain, Darkseid.
I am sadly not an owner of the first appearances of Darkseid: Issue numbers 134 and 135 of DC’s Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olson (first cameo appearances), and Forever People #1, his first full appearance. If you want a copy of Forever People #1, it would require the cost of quite a few bottles of Dalmore to acquire this issue. An April 30, 2021 Ebay sale of a 9.0 graded issue sold for $415.
There is one personal favorite I wish to share. Here’s an image of my copy of the Legion of Superheroes, issue #294. With a fantastically gorgeous cover clearly inspired by Jack Kirby, this is the final issue of the three-issue arc titled “The Great Darkness Saga“, with artwork by one of the legends of the 1980’s era, Keith Giffen. You can find ungraded copies of this book for under $10. A CGC 9.8 was recently sold on Ebay for $139.99.
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