Ananaya Banerjee attended a whisky tasting session and found out the flavours that go well with Indian spices
A tasting is always approached with caution, for not all whisky connoisseurs are foodies and vice versa. The recent tasting session at Singh Sahib, Eros Hotel, was a revelation. It was all about pairing food with the Glenmorangie brand of luxury whisky.
The five course sit-down meal was carefully tailored to be paired with four flavours of the Glenmorangie, each distilled and matured individually, to give it a different flavour, aroma and colour. The ceremonious introduction of the first whisky, Glenmorangie Original 10 Year Old, was preceded by a palate cleanser. The pale yellow whisky was paired with the next course of the meal, scallops cooked with green apple that gave a mild fruity essence and a burst of freshness.
Glenmorangie Nectar d’Oris, golden honey in colour, was the next in line to be tasted. It was brought to the table with a portion of fish cooked with hints of ginger, nutmeg and a dash of potatoes to smoothen out the brashness of the yellow sauce. The whisky had warm overtones of honeycomb and a syrupy lemon meringue flavour. Both paired together, achieve a kind of tantalising combination that one would not have thought of otherwise.
The main course of the meal is often the most difficult course to create. The pressure is heightened when it is to be paired with the favourite of many, Glenmorangielasanta, light russet in colour with a warm spicy flavour. lamb loins, grilled and cooked with rice and beans with just a hint of sherry sauce were perfect partners to lasanta.
After going through the previous courses of the meal with Rohan, the brand ambassador of the whisky brand, discussing the intricate process of distilling each whisky, giving specifications regarding the kind of water, crops and barrels used, one could not wait for the last course.
Chocolate mousse was paired with the last whisky in line, the darkest, the oldest and the best, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban. It is a very pleasing sunlit rose and gold, that teases the olfactory senses immensely. When coupled with the chocolate dessert, with orange zest and lingering hints of mint, the whisky rounds up the tasting in a very wholesome manner. The mousse has its signature sweetness that compliments the kind of taste one expects to achieve in the last course with a whisky so widely appreciated.
The tasting, accompanied with live music, ended with the concluding note by the executive chef. “The main heroes of the event were the whiskies and we tried our best to create a menu that could serve as a supporting actor to the star cast,” he said.