On an overcast, yet comfortable summer evening in June 2025, a select group of whisky-loving cigar passionados gathered on the rooftop patio at The Smokin’ Cigar in Toronto, Canada for the official launch of The Gentleman’s Flavor Sunshine Claro Cigar Whisky.
The sold-out event saw 25 whisky-loving participants enjoy a guided pairing which included two Rocky Patel cigars; the Aged Limited & Rare Robusto and the Liberation by Hamlet. The medium-bodied cigars, which each feature an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, were chosen specifically to be paired with a flight of award-winning Canadian whiskies by Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery (makers of the The Gentleman’s Flavor Sunshine Claro Cigar Whisky), who are located at the western end of the country in beautiful British Columbia.
Before bottling the Sunshine Claro Cigar Whisky, a highly innovative finishing process was applied that involved torching heavily fermented tobacco from Estelí, Nicaragua on top of ex-plum brandy barrel staves. The liquid was then gravity-filtered though the staves (now further deconstructed to fit within a column), to effectively incorporate harmonious notes of dark fruit, layers of honey and ample chewy smoke.
At 48.7% ABV, The Gentleman’s Flavor Sunshine Claro follows on the heels of an initial release called The Gentleman’s Flavor Midnight Maduro, which, in 2024 marked the very first time a whisky was made in Canada with the sole intention of complementing a cigar.
After having enjoyed fine cigars and sampled their share of premium Canadian craft whiskies, each happy participant left the event with their own bottle of the limited release (of only 400 bottles total).
