A midsummer night's dreeam
Martine Nouet finds whiskies that lend themselves to teh warm, care free days of summer and creates a refreshing menu to accompany them
Everyone will agree that, to be thoroughly enjoyed with food, a single malt has to be in synchronisation with the ingredients of the dish â especially when it is a constituent of the dish itself. Yet the harmony should not be based exclusively on the subtle (and quite mysterious) chemistry of aromas. It goes far beyond that â malt whisky in food is a question of the season, not just that of seasoning.
Think of the drink you would enjoy on a summer evening, what would you savour after having sunned yourself all afternoon (even in Britain, such miracles do occur)? Would you go for a heavily sherried malt such as The Macallan? Would you be happy with a Highland Park 25-years-old? Or would you crave for a grassy Lowlands single malt such as the flowery Glenkinchie or the lemony Bladnoch? Perhaps a refreshing Highland malt such as the minty Royal Lochnagar or the Glen Garioch with heavy liquorice? And what about a pale and dry Caol Ila from a second or third refill cask, with its distinctive sea-breeze aromas and its clean cereal touch? So many choices. Which one is the perfect malt to sip leisurely, âsitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away...â?
These are definitely summer drams, more likely to be enjoyed outdoors than indoors. Carry out this experiment: taste a single malt in your lounge one evening and the same one in your garden the following evening and compare your tasting notes. You will be astonished by the differences you will have noted on th.....
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By Martine Nouet
Section : Whisky and Food
Page number : 36
