Whisky and Food combinations

[Ganga]

Tonight I decided to stop by Trader Joe's and get some of the pre-packaged sushi - I know, I know it's not even close to fresh. Anyway, I'm having a dram of the Bowmore Legend with the combo plate.

What can I say, the smoke and wasabi go whoosh in the sinus cavities. This is quite an enjoyable experience.

[Ganga]

Sunday, I tried this a little different same kind of sushi except that I had the Talikser DE at hand. That wasabi and whisky, woof. The biggest thing to note that there is a difference in palate. The palate had to offer up what is known as Santa Maria BBQ, an every weekend occurrance on the central coast of California. Now this isn't what you Southerners know as bbq. This is tritip cooked over open flame (oak wood not charcoal).

I have to say, I quite enjoy Island/Islay whiskies with sushi.

[Ganga]

Steak and Madeira finished Glen Spey. Well, the wine is strong in the whisky which is a benefit with this big bold steak. The steak reduces the little green apples in this beverage (sour note). However, I wish I had seasoned the steak a little differently, I think it needed something a little more peppery. I think I'll try this again tomorrow with some pepper.

[Deactivated Member]

Thanks to all for reviving this discussion.
Which reminds me, it's time to start planning the next Gourmet evening.

[Ganga]

Well, I did come back to the Glen Spey tonight. I posted the results out on the Glenlivet live tasting. Results: Good Beverage with spicey steak.

[Matt2]

A new one, Chocolate Fudge Cake with Glenlivet 18, the richness of the whisky compliments it well, and the sweetness brings out a nice bitter chocolate note.

[Mr Fjeld]

Another good match is Glenlivet 15 French Oak which has a nice spicy sweetness which goes very well with well matured Blue Stilton A nice replacement for port.

[Muskrat Portage]

Well, I quite enjoyed the pairing of wild BC smoked salmon with Ardbeg Uigeadail at our tasting. (Wish I had the 'Livvy 18 and a French Oak 15 to try with chocco cake and blue Stilton respectively)

Muskrat

[Ganga]

Mussels in garlic/butter sauce with the Laphroaig 10. This is a little different from the New Mexico experience as the sauce was much lighter. Still quite nice. Over the next few weeks, I will try this again with a little Bowmore as well as trying each of these with some scallops.

[Bulkington]

"Mussels in garlic/butter sauce with the Laphroaig 10. This is a little different from the New Mexico experience as the sauce was much lighter. Still quite nice. Over the next few weeks, I will try this again with a little Bowmore as well as trying each of these with some scallops."

I wish seafood restaurants would wise up and offer a decent single-malt selection. I got to have a Laphroaig 10 with some Malpeques and Fanny Bays on the halfshell. What a treat.

[TreacleSponge]

Tonight I had Laphroaig with dark chocolates filled with a whole cherry & brandy, whilst in a monkey bath (one so hot you go "ooh, ooh, aah" when getting in). The heat, the refreshing peaty dram and the choc is a great match. I feel absolutely content.

[vlodko]

Well, I quite enjoyed the pairing of wild BC smoked salmon with Ardbeg Uigeadail at our tasting. (Wish I had the 'Livvy 18 and a French Oak 15 to try with chocco cake and blue Stilton respectively)

Muskrat

I've been shying away from pairing my Caol Ila with the Alaskan Smoked Salmon that I have, mostly because I've been reading Martine Nouet's advice on not pairing smoked fish with a smokey Islay - but it sounds like maybe I should go for it anyway!

vlodko

[Di Blasi]

experiment and take all advice with a grain of salt.

here's some salt..................

...don't forget the pepper!

[Bulkington]

The other night I made fusilli with clams, butter, a dash of a young (7 yo) signatory laphroaig, and grated parmesan. Success!

[martin grant]

Oh man!
All this talk of seafood has my appetite bubbling over. Only an hour or so for lunch and I'm thinking I'm going to sort out some mussels in white wine and garlic, served up with crusty bread. Will have to pass up the whisky for just now, still a bit of work to do this afternoon

[Deactivated Member]

I am now into the serious and final planning stages of my next Gourmet evening which will be a great fest of flavours.

I have now finalised my whisky list and today I shall and discuss the menu with Camillo the chef.

The chosen whiskies are:
Linkwood 12y F&F
Aultmore 12y
Caol Ila 25y CS
Clynelish NC2
The Glenlivet 18y
Dallas Dhu 1978 23y

I will let you know later what we decide for a menu.
MT

[Di Blasi]

Another great gourmet evening I'll miss unfortunately! Lucky attendees, I'm sure they'll all love it!!

[jazz lover]

Macallan 18 and Italian Cream Cake.
Take it slow and enjoy...

[Deactivated Member]

I'm pleased to say that Camillo is working his magic once again. Here is what we came up with:

Aperitif: Linkwood 12y Flora & Fauna

First course:
Aultmore 12y served with Spinach Gnocci in a light herb sauce with Pine kernels and topped with a lightly smoked cheese

Second Course:
Caol Ila 25y served with salmon in a dry Martini sauce and African potato (Torpinambur)

Third course:
Clynelish NC2 served with Filet of beef and artichoke in a mustard sauce, accompanied by a selection of vegetables

Dessert:
The Glenlivet 18y served with a marinated selection of fruits in a vanilla sauce

After Dinner:
Dallas Dhu 1978 /23y served with coffee


Now this one already has my taste buds tingling, so if any of you are in Munich at the end of next week ..............

MT

[vlodko]

MT - thanks so much for sharing this gold mine of information on whisky & food pairing! Thanks to you (and others) this thread is the best source I can find anywhere on the net! I've copied every suggestion made since the start of the thread (about 20 pages worth!), to use as reference for my own (much more humble) experiment in pairing whisky and food.

I'm glad to see you're back and going strong - I was worried that the thread had petered out. Glad to see it was only a hiatus!

[Deactivated Member]

Thanks Vlodko,
I usually run my own Gourmet evenings through the Winter months, so you wouldn't get much input from me during the Summer.

I love these events, but unfortunately I have to make a decision today, as to whether I cancel this one through lack of interest

So many people have E-Mailed me asking me to run this, but now it's organised, they have almost all found themselves to be 'busy on that day'.
A couple have actually said that they think €60 to be too expensive, but just what do they want?
This is run as a first class event, the food is always superb and I know that Camillo makes no real money himself from these events, as the price I am charged per head for food is extremely good value.
Obviously, the rest of the charge goes to the cost of the whisky, but in all the events I have ever run here, the best I have done is to LOSE only €150 to €200.
This isn't as bad as it sounds, as there is always whisky left over which goes towards other tastings and overall, in the season, I usually break even or make a tiny profit.
But this is no way to run a business, I really need a minimum of 15 people at a Gourmet evening and this time around, I have three, plus myself and Sabine.

Methinks this event will be cancelled today.
MT

[vlodko]

Sorry to hear that, MT.

My wife and I are putting together the menu for our much humbler evening, and went over your menus and pairings from this thread over the weekend. She found all of your posts interesting and informative, and is now putting together her own ideas based on what you've written. Many thanks!

[Ganga]

Tonight steamer clams, cheese and spinach raviolis and HP 12. It was interesting. Not as good as a Laphroaig as the medicinal nature of Laphroaig really goes well with shellfish. That said, the honey nature of the HP 12 came through quite nicely to go with the garlic.

[Muskrat Portage]

Well, I quite enjoyed the pairing of wild BC smoked salmon with Ardbeg Uigeadail at our tasting. (Wish I had the 'Livvy 18 and a French Oak 15 to try with chocco cake and blue Stilton respectively)

Muskrat

Okay, who snuck that little "Wish I had the 'Livvy 18 and a French Oak 15 to try with chocco cake and blue Stilton respectively" in 65 point into my posting? I intentionally change the size point away from the offered sizes of "Huge to Tiny" whenever I use them. Nice try fellows but tha' 'taint my posting.

The Enraged Muskrat

(Naughty Matt, very naughty - but funny)

[Muskrat Portage]

Well, I quite enjoyed the pairing of wild BC smoked salmon with Ardbeg Uigeadail at our tasting. (Wish I had the 'Livvy 18 and a French Oak 15 to try with chocco cake and blue Stilton respectively)

Muskrat

I've been shying away from pairing my Caol Ila with the Alaskan Smoked Salmon that I have, mostly because I've been reading Martine Nouet's advice on not pairing smoked fish with a smokey Islay - but it sounds like maybe I should go for it anyway!

vlodko

Life is too short to not experiment from time to time. I tend to fly in the face of generally accepted norms simply for the experience. I was surprised myself at how well it went, although I had wanted to do a comparison like this for quite a while. One of the mebers of our tasting group brough the salmon and I provided the Ardbeg. We also had Imperial cold packed cheese at the tasting.
Musky

[Jimmy321]

Plain dark chocolate with a sherry cask malt or coffee chocolate with a smoked malt

[Deactivated Member]

Please experiment with chilli chocolate too !!!
You will find it works rather well with some of the richer malts.

[woodhill]

Ive just picked up some Lindt Excellence 99% Dark Chocolate!

Can't wait to try it with some Ardbeg!

[Jimmy321]

Please experiment with chilli chocolate too !!!
You will find it works rather well with some of the richer malts.

Chili chocolate i thought you were joking till i googled it!

[Jimmy321]

Ive just picked up some Lindt Excellence 99% Dark Chocolate!

Can't wait to try it with some Ardbeg!

If you are buying this from 'morrisons' check the sell by date.

The two morrisons it the Paisley area sell this stuff out of date. Seriously check the dates on the back of the bars, i have even been given a £5 shopping voucher for being sold bars 2 months out of date, till recently i only checked the dates on eggs, bread and stuff.

Even today there were bars on the shelf in Paisley dated 28/02/2008!

[Deactivated Member]

Not joking at all, everyone sells it over here.
There is a superb range sold by Lindt; a range of fruit fillings with chilli which include Maracuja, orange, papaya and a few others.

There is also a private chocolatier about an hours drive away, towards an area where we often drive and they have an excellent version of their own.
Superb chocolate with tiny pieces of real chilli.

[Jimmy321]

I need to mention, Chorizo Iberico (chorizo sausage made from free range pigs eating acorns and stuff). With Lagavullin!.

[Di Blasi]

That sounds great, free range pigs! That's what I wish we had around here along with the sheep.

[Muskrat Portage]

Glenlivet 18! That's what Matt thought I should try with chocolate! As I sit and nibble on my Easter bunny. Now, did he send me a sample of that... (running down to Lair)... YES!
Glenlivet 18 yo
Colour: reddish gold
Nose: Windswept hay and wild prairie grasses with a hint of rich fruitcake.
Palate: Sherry with a hint of honey and barley
Bunny Chocolate: Adding the chocolate brings out a coffee flavour to the SM, a deep rich roast coffee.
Finish: Spicy and warming that also tingles the sides of the tongue with sweetness.
With bunny: Oh wow, it tastes like the chocolate oranges you get at Christmas time, then segues into the spiced rich coffee and finally disappates into a smoky chocolate, in the back of the throat, like Bakers semi sweet chocolate.

Single Malt tasting may never be the same for me, the chocolate imparts great depth to the whisky without masking, rather it enhances the flavours. Good call Matt!

Muskrat Portage

[Muskrat Portage]

..and now, how about Ardbeg...

I just happen to have a few bottles of Ardbeg beside the computer, eenie meenie mynie Ugeadail!

Ardbeg Ugeadail
Colour: Deep gold
Nose: Redolent of smoke with grass and peat followed by honey notes
Palate: Lots of smoke which then evolves into a fiery spicy burst of flavour.
Add Easter Bunny: Again, there's a dark rich flavour , more like a fine dark Swiss chocolate but with smokey peat notes.
Finish: Long warming and very spicy, with a richness on the tip of the tongue that tingles.
With Bunny: The finish evolves into a complex variation with butter, chocolate and cocoa apearing in the mix. It's almost as if the component parts of the chocolate separate out on contact with the whisky.

Muskrat Portage