To say it was a special evening was an understatement! We began with three whiskies from Kilchoman having exactly the same peat level (50 ppm) yet each remarkably different.
Then after the initial blind sampling, the whiskies were revealed then move on to the real fun – whisky & food pairing!
1st course – Machir Bay
Machir Bay with salad: A delightful salad with smoked cheese, smoked olive oil, smoked almond, smoked salt, light greens offset with bursts of cherry tomatoes.
Pairing experience?
Whisky was very smooth, softened all the peat, some speculated that the salad surprisingly conquered the whisky making it delicate and dainty which was a complete contrast to the character we found sampling alone. Like gelding a stallion.
2nd course – Sanaig
Sanaig with main: Choice between a smoked winter vegetable ratatouille & smoked applewood chicken with an almond mash potato.
Pairing experience?
Brilliant match with both veg & non-veg options! The food brought out the sherry elements in the whisky with the nose taking on a gorgeous sweet raisin, plum almost port like quality that balanced the smoked flavours beautifully. The cracked black pepper in the potato mash added just the right heat. An excellent combination! Some attempted with the 3rd whisky but that simply did not work.
3rd course – Sherry Cask Strength
Sherry cask strength with desert: A lovely chocolate cake with a Sherry Cask Strength whisky ganache.
Pairing experience?
While sherry with such a chocolate desert is a perfect combination, cask strength with peat is a tough combination to pull off. Suggestion of a Glendronach or something with a little less ‘kick’ may have been a better compliment. In this pairing, the whisky spice dominated however the whisky spiked sauce? A fabulous luscious indulgence!
How did the whisky-food pairing fare overall?
- Machir Bay and salad pairing was absolutely on the right track, though curious how the smokey salad flavours conquered the whisky
- Sanaig and main course pairing was perfection. Absolute balance between the elements, complimenting beautifully
- Sherry Cask Strength and chocolate pairing was a gamble…. In this case, the whisky spice was more pronounced than the delicious chocolate however no one was really complaining 🙂
Overall a marvellous evening – three unique expressions from Kilchoman paired with delightful dishes.
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