Whisky & Chocolate, Ben Davidson

WHISKY

& Chocolate

There are many ways to enjoy your favourite whisky. Often that’s neat in a Glencairn glass, as you savour the aromas and flavours that are present from the many years of mild oxidation and oak barrel maturation. That’s the purest form of whisky appreciation. However, in more recent times, there have been many inroads made into the enjoyment of whiskies with a sweet or savoury accompaniment. This has allowed for more discussion about our favourite foods and how they complement or contrast the flavours in a good whisky. Briefly, the foods we enjoy the taste of set off a cascade of sensations in the brain, triggered by the physiological and chemical makeup of those foods. The five main basic tastes that our tongues detect from the food we eat are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami – the description given to the taste sensation of savoury, meaty, unctuous, fatty flavours. When these tastes are detected by taste buds on the tongue, the chemo-receptors in the olfactory bulb behind the nose are activated with the presence of air, to identify the specific taste of the food which we describe as flavour. The perception of these thousands of different flavours is dependent on the nose being open, to allow for the olfactory bulb to unlock them and match the chemical scent code with something that we recognise.

WORDS BEN DAVIDSON

Pairing whisky and chocolate has been discovered as a delicious way to enjoy the moment of drinking a whisky with friends. It works equally well for new consumers early on in their journey of discovery, as well as for seasoned aficionados who don’t mind a wee sweetie while they enjoy their favourite dram.

In chocolate, there are varying degrees of the raw cacao ingredient, which is quite bitter and astringent on its own. It’s the addition of sugars and milk solids that helps to sweeten the cacao to make it palatable, and turns it into chocolate. But for me, it’s the flavour elements added into the chocolate which makes it a more exciting flavour match when paired with whisky.

Here are some suggestions to try when you are next settling down to a neat whisky, or to try at your dinner party when it’s time for dessert.

SPEYSIDE WHISKY

Whiskies from around the River Spey tend to be gentle and soft, with a delicate fruity character, sometimes typified as orchard fruits like apple or pear, with notes of citrus, vanilla, coconut and subtle honey. These flavours are beautifully complemented by medium dark chocolate with orange and almond, or perhaps medium dark chocolate with coconut and lime.

SUGGESTION:

The Glenlivet Nadurra ‘First Fill American Oak’ paired with coconut and lime dark chocolate “The beautiful bright citrus, subtle vanilla and coconut notes of the whisky are softened and complemented by the bittersweet intensity of the chocolate, with the delicate notes of lime and coconut fattiness playing along to subdue the oaky tannins into a long and deliciously flavourful finish.”

Chivas Regal 18-Year-Old paired with orange and almond dark chocolate “The deep, rich and subtle smoky touches of the whisky are superbly complemented by the slightly bittersweet notes of the orange and chocolate, with the soft almond nuttiness helping to amplify the subtle sherry notes in this superb blended whisky,”

ISLAY WHISKY

Whiskies from the island of Islay have traditionally been made in the heavily peated style, where the drying of the barley in the malting stage imbues it with an intense smoky character that is often balanced by flavours of toffee, dried fruits and a delicate saltiness. These flavours can be complemented and contrasted in a couple of different ways. One option is to contrast the peat notes with mint chocolate, to help soften the smoke with the cooling sensation of the sweet mint and bittersweet chocolate. Another option is to match it with salted caramel chocolate to further amplify the maritime subtleties in Islay whiskies, as well soften the intense flavours of the whisky with the sweet caramel toffee.

SUGGESTION:

Lagavulin 16-Year-Old paired with intense mint dark chocolate “I love the way this complex and powerfully built whisky is contrasted by the bright mint notes and the smooth and creamy, bittersweet mouthfeel in this chocolate.”

Ardbeg 10-Year-Old paired with salted caramel dark chocolate “The heavily peated, complex oak and subtle caramel characters of this legendary whisky are accentuated by the noticeable saltiness of the chocolate, amplifying the sweet caramel, slight bitter toffee and creamy notes of the dark chocolate.”

HIGHLAND / ISLES WHISKY

Whiskies from the Highlands span a variety of styles and include some of the most remote distilleries in Scotland. The flavours can be bold and heathery, right through to light and maritime-influenced. Each whisky is often nuanced by the terroir where it is produced, which ranges from rugged coastline to moor and mountains, with variable weather conditions adding to the mix. While some are peated, heavily sherried or have a salty tang from the sea, others are fresh, light and grassy. The sherried whiskies combine beautifully with raisins and nut chocolate, while some island whiskies are accentuated by sea-salt dark chocolate.

SUGGESTION:

The Dalmore 15-Year-Old paired with fruit & hazelnut dark chocolate “The rich and bold taste of The Dalmore, with its prominent sherry butt aged influence, is ideally accompanied by the sweet raisins and distinctive hazelnut flavours in the chocolate, amplifying the deep flavours of sweet sherry and nuttiness in the whisky.”

Talisker 10-Year-Old paired with sea salt dark chocolate “This sublime whisky perfectly represents its location by the sea, elemental in its subtle smokiness and gentle saltiness, as one would expect from this coastal whisky. It goes beautifully with a natural sea salt dark chocolate that softens the intense flavours, bringing it together into a gratifying taste sensation”.

How To Do It:

Have a taste of the whisky. Have a taste of the chocolate.

Have a more prominent taste of whisky and have a bigger taste of the chocolate. Sit back and savour the flavours.