Gastronomic Fusion

Limited to one bottle per Member.

SPIRIT NOTES

This wonderfully smoky single Highland grain whisky is a full-on experience, to be sure. Highly unusual for a grain whisky, it is made from 100% malted barley, and on top of that a good proportion of it is peated. Peated? Grain whisky? 100% barley? Yes! There is a mixture of first fill bourbon barrels and 2nd fill bourbon hogsheads, which have gifted the spirit a surprisingly dark colour. One panellist described it as a "Stonker!". The aroma was that of the ultimate ham and cheese sandwich done the French way; a croque monsieur made using Dijon mustard and béchamel sauce – simply delicious. And so was the palate, lightly smoked porridge oats topped with slices of banana and sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar. Following the careful addition of water, we got a large skillet of paella rice topped with artichokes, shrimps and spiced with sweet smoked paprika. To taste, we found fried garlic mushrooms with lightly smoked salmon and lemon-zested crème fraiche. This truly was an example of individual delicate flavours achieving that fascinating fusion of sweet, savoury and smoke.