Single Malt Lover!

 Salad of Home-Smoked Farm Chicken and Mimolette.

Rosebank 16yo 1989 Mission V (46%, MMCD, 678b., Bourbon Cask)

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 Consomme of Pork with Fresh Herbs Shellfish Bisque

 Bruichladdich 14yo 1991 WMDII The Yellow Submarine (46%,OB) 

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 Clam in it Shell

 Grilled Squid

 Roasted Langoustine

 Port Ellen 23yo 1978/2001 (62.2%, McGibbon’s Grovenance, John Milroy) 

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 Oven Roasted Smoked Venison with Chocolate Sauce & Cheese Foam

 Laphroaig 30yo (43%, OB)

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 Chestnut Parfait, Bailey Cream and Homemade Ice Cream

 Yamazaki 16yo 1986/2003 Sherry Wood (45%,OB)  

How to match single malt and food has been a serious topic in the past several years.  This topic has pioneered by our fellow maniac Martine Noute.  I’ve read on Martine’s review a lot and always want to try the perfect match of food and single malt.  However, it is really difficult to convince the local importers (no mater it’s branch or agent) to have such a trial.  As a result, I want to do it on my way, to show it is really something beyond their imagination, and to prove it is really possible to match food and single malts.

I chose the famous fine cuisine restaurant La Petite to prepare this lunch for us.  The Chef Justin Quek was the most famous Chef in Singapore.  He was the Chef in Les Amis for 13 years .(http://www.lesamis.com.sg/webtop/index2.html)  Les Amis was regard as one of the best restaurant in Asia.  Justin left Les Amis and came to Taiwan to find new ideas.  He has all the necessary skills and is willing to take challenge on this kind of thng.

It is quite difficult for me to choose the single malt.  It is a totally new area for me.  I start with the Laphroaig and try to think how to match it with food. Finally I come out with this five malts.  I first discussed with the manager of La Petite about the idea and then make appoint with the Chef to taste the five malts.  Lucky that Justin also love Single Malt a lot.  Inspired by the tasting of the  five malts, he come out with this totally new dished to match with the flavor.  Let’s go one by one about the dish and malt.

  Salad of Home-Smoked Farm Chicken and Mimolette.

 Rosebank 16yo 1989 Mission V (46%, MMCD, 678b., Bourbon Cask)

It is a typical idea to have a low land malt as the start.  I chose this malt because I think it can be drink before the meal, more like a cocktail wine.  And this particular version also out performed other standard bottle.  With pure malt and fresh fruit style.  However, Justin quite bothered by this malt.  He feel this one is too straight, with too much grass feel and hot feeling.  Not easy to match with the western food.  He finally came up the the juicy smoked chicken with grape fruit sauce salad.  I must say it is a perfect match.  Not particular make each other better, but the aroma is quite similar.

 Consomme of Pork with Fresh Herbs Shellfish Bisque

 Bruichladdich 14yo 1991 WMDII The Yellow Submarine (46%,OB)

Then it comes to the soup.  As Justin is actually a Singaporean.  A very local Consomme of Pork with Fresh Herbs is quit popular there.  It is more like a Chinese Medicine Pork Rib soup.  After you drink it, you’ll feel very warm.  The Shellfish Bisque is very tradition French Style.  He chose these two soups because he felt the sea influence on the Bruichladdich as well as the Nutty aroma in this malt. Personal feeling, the Consomme of Pork with Fresh Herbs does not really match with the malt, however, it is quit good to worked as an “in-between” dish to warm you up.  Then you can drink the Bruichladdich to feel the Nutty bitter feel, then, go to the Shellfish Bisque and comes back to the Bruichladdich again. And like a magic, you suddenly feel the malty sweet and rich fruit aroma again.  We discussed with the combination of this one quite a lot.  Not perfectly agreed, but really an interesting combination.

 Clam in it Shell

  Grilled Squid

 Roasted Langoustine

 Port Ellen 23yo 1978/2001 (62.2%, McGibbon’s Grovenance, John Milroy)

This particular Port Ellen was selected by John Milroy, and is a very fruity bourbon cask Port Ellen.  Chef Justin agreed with me that it has lot’s smoky and sea influence.  He decided to go Topas style and make several BarBQ stuff to match with this one.  I personally believe the clam brings out the salty feel(Sea), while the Quid and Langoustine bring out more fruity sweet.  No doubt this is the perfect match.

   Oven Roasted Smoked Venison with Chocolate Sauce & Cheese Foam

 Laphroaig 30yo (43%, OB)

And it comes to the main dish.  This Laphroaig 30 yo should be the first batch, which contains lot’s sherry cask, unlike the later bourbon cask edition.  My feeling with this sherry Laphroaig is to match with beef.  Justin first aged with me, but he soon come out with the idea to use Venison.  He was a little bit worried if every body can accept it.  But I think it may be worth to try as Stag is also a traditional food in Scotland.  Maybe it is a perfect match.  To incorporate with the Sherry influence, Justine use the Chocolate Sauce to bring out the flavor.  As the Venison was so tender with need to chew for a while, it actually bring out lot’s lays of the Laphroaig.  Almost everyone agreed that the best match for food and malt is this one.

  Chestnut Parfait, Bailey Cream and Homemade Ice Cream

 Yamazaki 16yo 1986/2003 Sherry Wood (45%,OB)

Then, it comes to the dessert, I chose this Sherried Yamazaki because of the sweet sherry feel as well as the apricot nose.  We both agreed it should be a perfect match with the dessert.  However, maybe because of the previous good malt.  It is kind of disappointed for this combination.  The ice cream seems to be too sweet that makes the malt just boring.  However, I soon realized that it must go the Master Way, which means you have to pour the malt on to the ice cream.  And guess what, everybody likes it and immediately require more ice cream.

I don’t know if it is a good example, but personally, I believed it is a successful whisky meal.  The food goes very well with the malts, and even bring out more flavor.  Who said wine is the only choice, I certainly believe Malt is another one.

P.S. I want to show my respect to Martine.  Without her, no body can think of the possibility to bring single malt to the table.  I really hope I can have Martine to be in Taiwan to host the Whisky dinner for the whisky lovers here.