Whisky and Food combinations

[Deactivated Member]

On Saturday evening we were invited to a Mozart concert at Seeon Monastery where one of my girlfriend's cousins was the leading Soprano.

Anyway, before the concert we ate a lovely meal in the public restaurant. I was enjoying some delightfully tender veal, served in a juniper, cream and mushroom sauce when my mind immediately thought of Rosebank.

The sauce was much lighter than it sounds and had a distinct flowery flavour from the juniper, plus a gentle hint of mushrrom.

Had I not been driving and had some Rosebank been available, then I am sure it would have made a great combination.

What great whisky - food combinations would you like to see, or have you experienced.

MT

[hpulley]

I normally have whisky with my dinner. I've just about given up on wine and beer

With spicy dishes, e.g. curry, spicy asian or spicy latin food, I like a spicy whisky like Glengoyne 17yo, Glengarioch 16yo, Talisker 10yo or Springbank 10yo. Salty or greasy food work with them too, actually.

With many salads and lighter chicken fare I enjoy Rosebank or Bladnoch.

Glengarioch or Glenugie, meaty whiskies, are good with a nice steak.

With tomato dishes I really enjoy Ardmore or bourbon casked Bruichladdichs, as the tartness matches well. Can cut through a greasy meal as well.

With cheeses I like sherried speysiders. Royal Lochnagar is great with brie salad.

Smoky whiskies, islays or good Highland Parks, I love with fish, either fresh, smoked or boiled. I put some in marinades too.

I put smoky islay whisky in BBQ sauce too and have it with the resulting ribs.

Ardbeg or a nice sherried Glenugie or Aberlour is great with chocolate dessert. With other desserts I love a triple aged malt like Bushmills 16yo or port finished speysiders like Auchroisk or sherry finished Mortlach.

Then for after dinner... more meaty or smoky whiskies, definitely cask strength. Glenugie, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Glengarioch. I'm sure you've picked up on a few of my favorites by now...

Harry

[Matt2]

Here are some to try from the Sue Lawrence masterclass at Glasgow.

Mushroom risotto w/black pudding
Cragganmore 12yo

Arbroath Smokie pancakes
Caol Ila 12yo and Glenrothes 1992

Chocolate cranachan
Chivas Regal 18yo and Black Bottle 10yo

And I would agree Speysiders with cheese, especially a strong cheddar with Linkwood 12 year old.

I will also try and hunt down the Whisky n Chocolate and Whisky n Coffee masterclass details.

[Choochoo]

There is a seafood restaurant with a raw bar down the street from where I live. I like to go there and ask for a plate of the strongest flavored oysters they have. Then eat them with a glass of Lagavulin from the bar.

Anther pairing I liked was eating samples from a box of Trader Joe’s single origin chocolate with a glass of Laphroaig 10.

I also have enjoyed Glenmorangie with a good steak.

[BruceCrichton]

I've tried whisky with cheese, smoked salmon and dark chocolate, in seperate sessions.

Others have tried whisky and cake.

These talks are a popular theme at the Dufftown whisky festival.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Whisky is great with dark chocolate. They compliment each other well. It has to be dark chocolate though. Does not work with milk chocolate.

[Deactivated Member]

A really surprisingly good combination is Jack Daniels and pickled herring. The two seem to compliment each other perfectly with the sourness of the pickle tempered by the sweetness of the JD.

Ardbeg 10 with chocolate marzipan is sublime and Talisker with smoked trout and rocket, drizzled in a walnut oil and lemon dressing is to die for. Time for supper m'thinks

[Muskrat Portage]

...and Talisker with smoked trout and rocket, drizzled in a walnut oil and lemon dressing is to die for. ...

Uhmmm, Creiftan ... what's "rocket"? Pete

[parvus]

...and Talisker with smoked trout and rocket, drizzled in a walnut oil and lemon dressing is to die for. ...

Uhmmm, Creiftan ... what's "rocket"? Pete

It's a peppery salad leaf, otherwise known as Arugula.

[dcornutt]

Bowmore 17 and Indian deserts.

I posted this in another thread, but given the subject, I'll repost here:
Here it is:

Chopped fresh claims with chopped garlic and chopped bacon (like you are going to make white clam sauce only with bacon) add brocoli rabe.. then....flambe with Laphroiag 10 (Whooosh). Sate, then dump the entire thing on top of a bed of fresh linquini and mix it together....Mama Mia!!!

The Laphroaig brought out the sweetness in the clams and bacon..which made the brocoli rabe work magic. Smoky, sweet, Frutta da Mare!

I suggest having a small dram of Laphroaig with it.

Not for land lubbers.

[Deactivated Member]

Wow, some excellent and unusual combinations mentioned so far.
Please do keep them coming!

[irishwhiskeychaser]

For snacks during tasting sessions, spicey chicken wings are great with strong flavoured whiskies.

[Choochoo]

Chopped fresh claims with chopped garlic and chopped bacon (like you are going to make white clam sauce only with bacon) add brocoli rabe.. then....flambe with Laphroiag 10 (Whooosh). Sate, then dump the entire thing on top of a bed of fresh linquini and mix it together....Mama Mia!!!

The Laphroaig brought out the sweetness in the clams and bacon..which made the brocoli rabe work magic. Smoky, sweet, Frutta da Mare!

I suggest having a small dram of Laphroaig with it.

Not for land lubbers.

That sounds great! I'll have to give a try making that soon. Thanks for the idea.

[Aidan]

A nice pint of Guinness with a lagavulin 16.

There's both eating and drinking in Guinness.

[Muskrat Portage]

...and Talisker with smoked trout and rocket, drizzled in a walnut oil and lemon dressing is to die for. ...

Uhmmm, Creiftan ... what's "rocket"? Pete

It's a peppery salad leaf, otherwise known as Arugula.

...Rocket is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Garden Carpet...

...and you drink Laphroaig with it eh? Sounds ... yummy, Parvus and Creiftan. Thanks for illuminating me on "rocket" may have to look for it at the greengrocers and make up a salad since I love pepper flavours.

Pete

[rthomson]

My neighbor keeps promising to give me some arugula that she grows in her garden. She hasn't yet come through, though she teases me with comments about how tasty it is when freshly picked. I won't be sharing my Laphroaig with her until she produces the goods

[hpulley]

My neighbor keeps promising to give me some arugula that she grows in her garden. She hasn't yet come through, though she teases me with comments about how tasty it is when freshly picked. I won't be sharing my Laphroaig with her until she produces the goods

Evil minds like mine will find something funny about the above statement...

Harry

[rthomson]

We've all got a bit of evil in our minds. Might as well laugh about it

Ron

[Mr Ellen]

This may sound a bit strange but Lagavulin and a good chunk of Roquefort cheese is a truly outstanding combination. It's almost as good as a nice glass of Port with Parmesan.

Dark chocolate (i.e. Valrhona, Lindt, M. Cluizel, Bonnat, Amedei etc., at least 65-70% cocoa) are all excellent with whisky. I was really surprised on how well Talisker went along with a piece of Lindt Madagascar.

Smoky and peatier whiskies seem to be the perfect match with seafood. I've had newly catched shrimps with Laphroaig 10y. and that was a real gem. A perfect combination of flavours.

Aberlour and a piece of chocolate cake is also great...


Cheers
_______________________
Anders

[Deactivated Member]

:lol: We've all got a bit of evil in our minds. Might as well laugh about it

Ron

Yeah yeah - get her to produce the goods - you won't be disappointed. Better still - do it yourself .......





grow it I mean

[Di Blasi]

This may sound a bit strange but Lagavulin and a good chunk of Roquefort cheese is a truly outstanding combination. It's almost as good as a nice glass of Port with Parmesan.

Dark chocolate (i.e. Valrhona, Lindt, M. Cluizel, Bonnat, Amedei etc., at least 65-70% cocoa) are all excellent with whisky. I was really surprised on how well Talisker went along with a piece of Lindt Madagascar.
_______________________
Anders

Port and Parmigiano?? I've never tried that before, but may have to. I thought Port also worked very well with blue cheeses, even a nice Madeira.
And for the dark chocolate, try increasing the %, with 86% or even 100% if you can find it, fantastic, cleansing the palette, and healthy for your teeth and heart too, lots of antioxidants. Even Jim Murray mentions he will start tastings with 99% dark chocolate or black coffee, prepares his palette for the whisky to be tasted.

[Mr Ellen]

This may sound a bit strange but Lagavulin and a good chunk of Roquefort cheese is a truly outstanding combination. It's almost as good as a nice glass of Port with Parmesan.

Dark chocolate (i.e. Valrhona, Lindt, M. Cluizel, Bonnat, Amedei etc., at least 65-70% cocoa) are all excellent with whisky. I was really surprised on how well Talisker went along with a piece of Lindt Madagascar.
_______________________
Anders

Port and Parmigiano?? I've never tried that before, but may have to. I thought Port also worked very well with blue cheeses, even a nice Madeira.
And for the dark chocolate, try increasing the %, with 86% or even 100% if you can find it, fantastic, cleansing the palette, and healthy for your teeth and heart too, lots of antioxidants. Even Jim Murray mentions he will start tastings with 99% dark chocolate or black coffee, prepares his palette for the whisky to be tasted.

Hello Di Blasi,

You should really try Parmigiano with a nice bottle of Port. I can recommend the Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 1988 (or older vintages if you can find them). Let the cheese melt in your mouth and take a sip of the wine. The result is astonishing...

As for the chocolate, I have tried up to 99% but I think they get to bitter to fully match the whisky. I prefer them at 70-85% but I guess that's a matter of taste.
What chocolate brands do you recommend...?

Cheers
___________________
Anders

[Di Blasi]

This may sound a bit strange but Lagavulin and a good chunk of Roquefort cheese is a truly outstanding combination. It's almost as good as a nice glass of Port with Parmesan.

Dark chocolate (i.e. Valrhona, Lindt, M. Cluizel, Bonnat, Amedei etc., at least 65-70% cocoa) are all excellent with whisky. I was really surprised on how well Talisker went along with a piece of Lindt Madagascar.
_______________________
Anders

Port and Parmigiano?? I've never tried that before, but may have to. I thought Port also worked very well with blue cheeses, even a nice Madeira.
And for the dark chocolate, try increasing the %, with 86% or even 100% if you can find it, fantastic, cleansing the palette, and healthy for your teeth and heart too, lots of antioxidants. Even Jim Murray mentions he will start tastings with 99% dark chocolate or black coffee, prepares his palette for the whisky to be tasted.

Hello Di Blasi,

You should really try Parmigiano with a nice bottle of Port. I can recommend the Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 1988 (or older vintages if you can find them). Let the cheese melt in your mouth and take a sip of the wine. The result is astonishing...

As for the chocolate, I have tried up to 99% but I think they get to bitter to fully match the whisky. I prefer them at 70-85% but I guess that's a matter of taste.
What chocolate brands do you recommend...?

Cheers
___________________
Anders

Are you sure we're talking about the same Parmigiano, Mr Ellen? Cause when you say "Let the cheese melt in your mouth..." I don't understand how a dry, hard style cheese like Parmigiano can do that. If it's served at room temperature, and kept in your mouth a few seconds, it may get softer, but acutally melt, huh?
About the chocolate, Domori from Italy (100% cacao) is the one I have been lucky to buy here, along with others they offer. Their site is quite good,
http://www.domori.com
Otherwise the Cote d'Or from Belgium, 86% Brut is also very nice.
http://www.cotedor.com/landing/index.html

[Mr Ellen]

Well, I don't really mean melt in that meaning.
But if you take a piece and just let it "get softer" (i.e. into smaller pieces) as you take a sip of the wine you'll understand what I mean. It is really a great combination.
You MUST try it...

Thanks for the advice on the chocolates. I will definitely check them out.


Cheers
___________________
Anders

[pouranother]

Between Talisker 10 & Laphroaig QC, which would go better with steamed clams? Any experiences or opinions?

[bond]

For snacks during tasting sessions, spicey chicken wings are great with strong flavoured whiskies.

During a tasting session, wouldn't something as spicy as chicken wings confuse the palate? Too many competing flavours what say?

Crackers are my only edible accompaniments in a tasting session. With dinner, I typically down a beer.

[Di Blasi]

I agree with you bond! (James?)
Unless you're just sipping whisky, that spicy stuff will overwhelm a tasting session! You should know bond, being in India, very spicy food there!
Bread I'm sure works well, as it does when tasting wines. But I find dark dark chocolate, cleans, clears and resets your palette when tasting whiskies.

[Deactivated Member]

There have been a few more discussions recently about whisky with food (or not), so I have decided to update this discussion.

I originally started the discussion with a view to increasing my whisky tastings in the direction of tastings with specifically designed dishes. Well, it has indeed happened. I have spoken to a local and very good Italian restaurant and the owner is very enthusiastic about this.

I have been given a private dining room to hold the event next week.

So, the whiskies are nominated and the menu is (just about) fixed.
Here is what we will be doing:

Welcome aperitif: Rosebank 1990 (M. McD.)

A spicy tomato dish, probably Bruschetta or Pizza Pane (no Garlic)
Bruichladdich Waves, 7 years old

Smoked Seafood, probably Smoked trout or Smoked Salmon
Ardbeg 1993, 10 years old, DL - OMC

Pasta with fresh Ginger
Glenmorangie Cotes de Beaune

Chocolate dessert (or Tiramisu)
Scapa 1993, G&M

Coffee
Glenfarclas Quarter Casks, 1987


The whiskies have been very specifically selected by myself with certain dishes in mind, however, after speaking with the owner (and head chef), he changed my original main course idea for the pasta with fresh ginger.
An excellent choice which I hadn't considered.

I am really looking forward to this evening and yes, I will invite comments from the forum, but the menu and drams are now fixed so if you have better ideas, I will keep them in mind for next time!

MT

[BruceCrichton]

Had 2 whisky and cheese combinations.

I recommend a light creamy cheese with a light lowlander, GlenKinchie and Bladnoch were the two I tried, and, also, try adding some light honey to your cheese.

Be careful, all those who do not wish to gain 8 stone in weight.

[peergynt323]

My best pairing experience involved a big plate of spicy carne asada and a dram or three of Talisker 18yo.

My second best was with Breyer's all natural vanilla ice cream drizzled with Laphroaig QC.

[Mustardhead]

Malt-Teaser, that sounds like a fantastic evening you have planned. Please tell us all about it afterwards!

My favourite whisky and food combinations all involve the beefier malts because the whisky is the most important component to me.

Smoked salmon or smoked trout go well with Talisker, Highland Park or anything from Islay. Smoked mackerel needs something like Lagavulin or Highland Park. I suppose decent English hard cheeses work well with Macallan or other sherried malts. Maybe I'll try a local farmhouse Single Gloucester with some Glenmorangie 18....

[BruceCrichton]

I've also tried smoked salmon and dark chocolates in tasting sessions.

Distillers edition Talisker and Glenfarclas 105 are particularly good with salmon and Mortlach 16 is great with dark chocolate.

[hpulley]

There have been a few more discussions recently about whisky with food (or not), so I have decided to update this discussion.

I originally started the discussion with a view to increasing my whisky tastings in the direction of tastings with specifically designed dishes. Well, it has indeed happened. I have spoken to a local and very good Italian restaurant and the owner is very enthusiastic about this.

I have been given a private dining room to hold the event next week.

So, the whiskies are nominated and the menu is (just about) fixed.
Here is what we will be doing:

Welcome aperitif: Rosebank 1990 (M. McD.)

A spicy tomato dish, probably Bruschetta or Pizza Pane (no Garlic)
Bruichladdich Waves, 7 years old

I've not had this laddie but if it is astringent like most others I think it will work well.

Smoked Seafood, probably Smoked trout or Smoked Salmon
Ardbeg 1993, 10 years old, DL - OMC

Pasta with fresh Ginger
Glenmorangie Cotes de Beaune

I haven't had this morangie so I don't know how it will work. I'd have used a Glengoyne 17yo or a Glengarioch of similar age but let us know how it matches up!

Chocolate dessert (or Tiramisu)
Scapa 1993, G&M

Coffee
Glenfarclas Quarter Casks, 1987
...
MT

For chocolate or Tiramisu I don't know that I'd choose a Scapa but again I haven't had this particular bottling so it may work well; do let us know. I'd have chosen an Ardbeg, 10yo, 17yo or Still Young depending.

Similarly I haven't had GQC so I don't know if it is a coffee malt or after dinner malt. I'd have poured a nice old sherried malt. More than one way to skin a cat though!

Harry

[Deactivated Member]

Harry,
this particular Scapa has a wonderful taste of chocolate which I just can't resist putting with a chocolate dessert.

The Glenfarclas QC is an excellent after-dinner malt, one of my favourites.
I wrote lots about this malt earlier in the year when I first tried it, but here again is my impression:

Nose: Old books, leather, wood (old oak), in fact just like sticking your head in an old English country-house study.
It takes a while, but the sherry does come through.

If the bottles is then left to stand for a week or so, the leather and wood recedes and the sherry dominates.

The Bruichladdich Waves carries all the fruit of the older Laddies, but at the same time very nicely spicy - well matched for a spicy tomato dish.

I have followed Michael Jackson's tasting notes on the Glenmorangie CdB: soft berries, prunes, very deep and compley flavour with a finish of ginger.
I am hoping this works well with a ginger / pasta dish.

Regards,
MT

[Ganga]

I had a wonderful experience in Albuquerque, NM. We had an appetizer of mussels with garlic butter sauce. The Laphroaig 10 was just exceptional with the mussels.