Pairing Whisky & Food

Does whisky pair well with food?

Generally, I prefer wine with food, but whisky sometimes works brilliantly. Understandably the whisky industry wants to encourage “enjoying Scotch on every possible occasion”, and a meal offers an obvious opportunity to display a range of expressions, course by course. But, quite frankly, I have my reservations about ‘whisky dinners’, pairing different malts with several courses - unless you’re drinking gallons of water between sips, or are prepared to get blotto, there is simply not enough liquid to accompany an entire meal.

Infinitely preferable, to my mind, is to follow the great Auguste Escoffier’s advice: ‘the king of chefs and the chef of kings’ motto was - Faites simple. Plain snacks – tapas or meze - work best, and some are ‘marriages made in heaven’: the pairing of Lagavulin with Roquefort cheese, for example - and it has to be Roquefort; other blue cheeses don’t work so well – two powerful flavours which cancel each other.

Indeed, cheese is generally a good friend to whisky. Try mature cheddar with Glenkinchie, goats’ cheese with Cardhu or gruyere with faintly nutty Knockando, and any smoked cheese with Ardmore. Other lightly smoked dishes (oysters, mussels, ham, haddock, mackerel) pair perfectly with lightly smoky malts such as Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Ardnamurchan and Talisker. The last is probably the most versatile of all pairing malts, on account of its peppery finish – it has been referred to as “the lava of the Cuillin”. It is exceptionally good with haggis.

The ‘Big Peats’ - Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Octomore, Longrow - are well matched by heavily smoked dishes like smoked salmon, smoked venison or kippers.

Which reminds me of what to accompany curries – always difficult: wine doesn’t work, and beer fills the belly and dulls one’s appetite. The answer is blended Scotch well diluted, with ice. During the days of the Raj, colonial administrators favoured whisky and soda. Johnnie Walker Red Label fits the bill. The same may be said of spicy Chinese Sichuan dishes (very spicy!), indeed many Chinese dishes are agreeably matched by malt whiskies.

Try medium-bodied malts chilled in the freezer and served in frozen glasses, like a classic martini– my favourites for this treatment are Dalwhinnie, Craigellachie, Glenkinchie, Benriach and Clynelish - alongside any dessert, especially one that is very ‘sticky’, like Turkish baklava (layered filo pastry, nuts, honey). The effect is wonderfully palate-cleansing!

Mention of desserts raises two thoughts: frangipane and fruitcake. Frangipane is basically an almond-flavoured tart; the fruitcake I have in mind is either Christmas cake or Easter simnel cake, both of which incorporate almond marzipan. Although only occasionally found in malt whisky, almond flavours seem to sit very comfortably with many malts, especially those of the ‘sherried’ style – Glenfarclas, Glendronach and Macallan, for example. Such whiskies tend to be tannic, not overly sweet and this complements the rich sweetness of the desserts.

Many other desserts pair well with malt whiskies. Custard tarts, indeed anything with custard (crème brulee, for example) pairs well with sweet Speyside malts; syrup sponge (with custard) and crystalised ginger is especially complemented by Glengarioch; try Glen Elgin with panettone, Italy’s lovely light Christmas cake.

Finally we come to chocolate, coffee and cigars. The heroic Richard Paterson OBE, master blender for over fifty years at Whyte & Mackay, proposes a perfect ritual. His malt of choice is Dalmore, of course, but his routine works with any old, richly flavoured malt.

His procedure is as follows:

Begin with the whisky

Pour a measure of Dalmore—preferably the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, which he created specifically to accompany a cigar.

Take a sip and allow it to coat the palate.

Notice the dried fruit, orange, spice and chocolate notes.

Smoke the cigar

Puff gently on a well-made cigar (Richard cites a Partagás Serie D No.4; I am happy with a (similar) Montecristo No.4 ).

Don't inhale; simply allow the tobacco flavours to mingle with the lingering whisky.

The whisky softens the cigar's tannins while the cigar brings out richer fruit and spice in the whisky.

Take another sip of whisky

After several puffs, return to the whisky.

Richard says this is when the whisky "opens up", revealing sweeter orange, vanilla and toffee notes.

Nibble a piece of dark chocolate

Must be high-quality dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa).

Let it melt slowly rather than chewing immediately.

Then take another sip of the whisky.

The chocolate accentuates Dalmore's natural cocoa, coffee and orange characteristics.

Finish with black coffee

Sip freshly brewed black coffee—without sugar or milk.

Finally, take one last sip of the whisky.

Richard describes this as completing the flavour "circle," with the coffee reinforcing roasted and nutty notes while the whisky contributes sweetness and fruit.

The sequence can be summarised as: Whisky → Cigar → Whisky → Chocolate → Whisky → Coffee → Whisky - Repeat!