Whisky/food pairings

Some goood, high quality chocolate and a really nice smokey whisky, always a winning combination. The Redbreast 12 goes really nicely together with ice cream, guests really get a kick out of getting a dram with their dessert. Food and whisky just goes really well together, just don't over do it. A Lappy and chicken ain't the way to go.

For a few years now some friends and I have been getting together and doing Scotch and Cheese nights, a few interesting Whiskies and Interesting Cheeses. Since eating just Cheese can be a bit binding we tend to add a few more things to the menu.

For me Blue Cheese and other really strong flavours like garlic stuffed olives go with Lagavoulin and Laphroig, though I can see it with very sherried whiskies like Aberlour A'bunadh, Highland Park or the traditional Macallan as well. A really sharp blue like Papillion Noir is needed to hold its own against an Ardbeg.

A sharper hard cheese like Pecorino, Manchego or Asiago seems to want subtler whisky. Either a drier whisky with just light peat or smoke like a Talisker or Caol Ila, or something lightly sherried like a more mature Glenfarclas or the Glenfidich Solera Reserve (now called something else but still the15 y/o). All these Whiskies and Cheeses also go well with Prosciutto, Smoked Salmon, Smoked Almonds, Black Olives or a good tapenade .

A mild cheese like Brie, Coverdale or La Sauvagine is hard to match with a whisky, though an unpeated unsherried (or very lightly sherried) whisky like Glenmorangie 10 or 18, Auchentoshan or even Strathisla do a fair job, and they seem to make a good match for the fresh apple and pear slices too.

Pancake and maple sirup. Cragganmore 12. Pancake and white cheese. Maple sirup. Cragganmore 12. Pancake and white cheese. Crown Royal.

I have a smoker outside and I have found that the strong flavors of smoked meat, especially pulled pork, pair well with whiskey. I usually add a bit of whiskey to my marinade or sauce also.

How about pairing Whisky with food based on region? Do you have any recommendations for certain foods that generally go well with certain regions of scotch? I am hosting a small 4-person tasting night and wanted to see if there were some general guidelines for choosing an scotch to go with or after food. I know there are a lot of varieties within the regions but I'm interested in the overall palette the regions are most known for and I am limiting the tasting to Highland, Lowland, Spey and Islay (but not any of the Islands that aren't Islay) Do you have any favorite foods for these regions? Thanks for any help!

Terrific topic!

Here are a few pairings I enjoy:

Baby Swiss with a light, soft whisky: Glenrothes Alba Reserve, Arran 10, Edradour Port Cask 2003

Grilled salmon with Oban 14, although I'm not a big fan of this standard Oban, this works well

Great chocolate with a superb smoky whisky: Octomore 02.1, Lagavulin 12 (2010), Prophecy

After a perfectly grilled steak: Edradour Ballechin #4, BenRiach 1995 PX 15, Uigeadail, Lagavulin DE 1991

ok, thanks for all the ideas and after scouring the web for ideas I have settled on some possibilities that seem simple. Please add any other suggestions or comments LOWLAND Greek Salad, Light Sushi, Apple with Brie cheese HIGHLAND Crab Rangoon, Ribs, Almonds w/ Gruyere ISLAY Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Steak, Blue Cheese or Papillion Noir SPEYSIDE Olive Tapenade, Creme Brulee, _________

I've found that eating a chocolate chip cookie while drinking Dalhwinnie or CardHu is fantastic. Makes you appreciate the complexity of the scotch.

i enjoy smoked mackerel and herring together with a smoky whisky, preferably lagavulin 16 or laphroaig, with paper thin crackers.. yum.

Bowmore 12y whit lamb chop in honey and orange souce DELICIUS!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everybody, new to the scene here! I tried to start a new discussion but a message popped up saying I can't do so yet as my profile is awaiting approval.. so carrying on the theme of whisky/food pairing from this thread, hope we won't mind :)

I am trying to pair a dinner dram with our local Subway daily sandwiches as follows: Monday - Italian BMT (Thousand Island) Tuesday - Tuna (Mayo) Wednesday - Meatball Marinara Thursday - Turkey Breast and Ham (Mustard) Friday - Smoked Turkey (Mayo/Mustard) Saturday - Seafood and Crab (Mayo/Thousand Island) Sunday - Chicken Teriyaki

I have 25 or so bottles of mainly standard 10 and 12 yos.. any suggestions appreciated...

Hope my liver gets through the week! Sláinte!

@wcc your account is now approved, sorry for the delay

Clynelish 14 yo with melton mowbray pork pie. Salad cream optional. It sounds so wrong but it tastes so right.

My wife made me a Spanish cake with cream cheese frosting for my Birthday tonight. Had a piece with a glass of Knob Creek 9 yr, heaven pure and simple. Here's the recipe if you are or know a baker cooks.com/rec/view/…. Enjoy it I know I did!

I have not try whisky pairings with food so far. I usually share a bottle of wine with my wife. But I do want, as a beginning, sushis with Japanese whisky. Blue cheese seems very interesting but I'm out of my favorite Glenfarclas. Maybe the Balvenie 17 Madeira cask?

@JoeVelo Sushi with Japanese whisky, now that is something I will have to try next time my out for sushi. Are Japanese whisky's lighter( more delicate)? I've never tried one any good suggestions to pair with sushi?

@Lars, Sushi classicists never pair it with whisky because of its overpowering nature. But recently, I've seen stronger, oilier fish like spanish mackeral, jack fish, hamachi, toro, and anago paired with Suntory Hibiki 12 and 17, Yamazaki 12 and 18.

Martine Nouet, writer for Whisky Magazine, suggests fruity blends and minty or malty single malts. She also suggests to have the whisky slightly chilled. @Lars For a blend I would choose HIbiki 12. Yamazaki 12 would do just fine too.