Food + scotch.

[via Globe &  Mail] :

Sturdy Scotsmen may say that a tot of whisky with porridge is a pure dead-brilliant taste combination. But how’s this for a real eye opener: a wee dram of Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old coupled with spicy duck breast, mole poblano and creamy polenta?  Single-malt Scotches are the latest in latest food-pairing trends, with adventurous epicureans lining up for tasting events.

Laphroaig is one of my favourites – can definitely see it going with a rich meat like duck or even lobster (the vanilla notes would work super well with both meats).  Horn tooting time – I can safely say I’m in the process of making about half a dozen friends total Scotch scoundrels!  What’s wrong with another expensive habit right?   But hey.  Fine things, simple pleasures, in pursuit of the sublime feelings of food.  In many ways that’s a humble and noble pursuit, just like seeking out sublimity from music.  That euphoria.  Islay 4eva!

Points.   Just got some Laphroaig.  One of the best I’ve had.

Trendwhore food post v7.6.7.2.

Yep, another installment of my self-aggrandizing food posts.  You are going to sit there and like it !

We officially reached yuppie status – Mo gets the standing mixer for a grad present, and made a killer strawberry shortcake as a result.

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Eggs with parsley and tomato on homemade corbread I made a few weeks ago, and chicken pot pie.  C’s pastry is getting supersolid.

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Nacho scotcho night!!  Me and a few friends had a best nacho competition and finished with an Aberlour scotch into the evening.  My friend Alex did gourmet nachos – pickled onion, plantain, and ground beef baked individually, while I did standard nachos (w bacon) along 5 dips – homemade guac, roasted tomato salsa, black bean and cilantro dip, sour cream, and homemade queso with megaheat.  She probably won.

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Seared/roasted duck breast with lentil puree, caramelized apples and walnuts, greeny veg.  Here’s to using duck fat for everything. Hiyoyoyoy!

Noël un peu tôt.

Cara’s dad was really generous and gave me an early Christmas present to celebrate over the break.

Islay scotch is a big “interest” of mine, and Lagavulin is one of the best I’ve had.  What makes it different to other regions in Scotland is the peat and smoke infusions – I recently was at an event where 4 premium whiskeys were open-barred – Highland Park, Johnnie Walker Blue, Lagavulin, and Macallan 15 year.  So pretty much reminiscent of a certain new Andy Samberg/Jorm Taccone song.  All were amazing, my favourite was probably the Macallan but the Lag has a special peaty place in my heart.

You can call it snotty, but it’s just big flavour, big love.  I’ve been told that a drop of water opens up the scotch, but that’s as close to dilution as I will accept.  It’s like adding 6 cans of water to your OJ, just don’t do it (link reference – go to 1:16 through the video).  Again sounds snotty, but that’s just my preference – ice makes my mouth cold and less sensitive to the flavours.

What’s more awesome is that I can succumb to my drone like temptations while watching Mad Men.

Scotchy scotch scotch scotch scotch.

It’s been a few years since I started this world of scotch drinking.  As most would guess, when I was a teenager the smell of any type of whiskey really got the tum tum turning.  I wasn’t one of those cool hockey guys in high school that drank Royal Reserve or Canadian Club, I stuck to my rums, vodkas, beers, and assorted sips of sugary boozes.

After a long day in the field near Shippagan, NB, my undergraduate advisor broke out an amazing bottle of single malt.  I had never had it and definitely wanted to impress him, so I had a small glass before bed.  I still hated rye at the time, but I could definitely tell that this was different.  Ever since then, I knew it would be the standard acquired taste learning curve before I would truly enjoy it.  After a few sit and tosses, I was really starting to appreciate this lovely bev.

I’m still admittedly quite a beginner in single malts, but I’ve had a few that I’ve bought multiple times and continue to really enjoy.  So this post is dedicated to the ever accessible and delicious Balvenie Double Wood.

I recently bought this bottle this weekend to enjoy with some friends here in Montreal.  Trying to find a simple decent single malt proved to harder than I thought, especially for a city this size.  After a few SAQs, I finally found it.  We are starting a pretentious sounding Scotch Club, but really it’s just dudes in their mid 20s that enjoy numb tongues and big flava.  Balvenie is a Speyside scotch, but I’m excited to get more into the Islays, a much peatier, smokier hit.  I’ve had some Islay with my buddy Chris from Vancouver.  It’s his favourite, but it’s still on my acquired taste curve.

If you have any recommendations for me that are readily accessible please let me know.  I’m also poor, which really doesn’t help.   Maybe I’ll have to stick to blends until the money comes in, but at least I bought this one first.  Now I can let the richer friends buy some goodness.

A definite positive from me drinking more scotch is now I can drink all whiskeys.  I’m even loving Jack.  What makes it weird though is that I can’t drink any whiskey with ice, water, coke, anything.  I need the straight goods.  And I do it doucement.  I do it… very slowly.