World Whiskies and food pairings

World whiskies and food pairings in social gatherings create togetherness.  By comparison, particular foods go exceptionally well with an array of whiskey choices.

Presently, the countries show Scotch, American, Irish, Japanese, Canadian, France, and other countries’ whiskies pair with multiple foods. Even within these countries, there will be a marked difference in how the flavors will interact.

For the budding whisky aficionado, whiskies and food pairings can be a tricky maze to navigate.  To illustrate, here’s an overview of Scottish and American whiskies work with different pairings:

Scotch whiskies

Firstly, scotch is arguably the most variable style of whisky.  Each of its many regions imposes its unique traits on the malt, affecting what it tastes like alone and paired with food.  The two Scotch whisky regions pairing food and whiskies are Islay and Highlands.

The Islay and Highlands whiskies are excellent with food pairings. The Speyside region is a part of the Highlands.

Islay:

The Islay Island region of scotch is notorious for its bold, peat-smoked flavor.  Due to the whisky’s robust character, an Islay whisky taste can alienate most whisky fans.

The whisky complements the paired food.

With cheeses, the stronger, the better — stilton or Roquefort can hold their own against the peat and complement the malty undertones of most Islay’s whiskies.

Islay whiskies and chocolate pairs well together.  The darker the chocolate, the better to complement the whisky’s strong flavor.  Look for high cacao content, as the bitterness in chocolate and foods and rich flavor will stand up to the bold Islay whiskies.

Speyside or Highland Malts:

In addition to Islay, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich are subtler in flavor than the Islay whiskies.  As such, the foods they go with can have a more nuanced flavor profile.

Soft cheeses like brie and camembert can come alive with a smooth, sweet Speyside dram.

Next, the creamy milk chocolate augments the honey and the mild iodine taste of a Highland malt whisky.  Also, cantaloupe completes the honey flavors of these hardy scotches.

Bourbon whiskies

Secondly, bourbon must be at least 50% corn-based to be considered whiskey.  In addition to corn, bourbon can also use rye or malt barley.

Most bourbons distilled with corn mash cause a sweetness to surface on the palate.  The bourbon undertones of charcoal brought from its time spent in charred oak barrels.

Furthermore, bourbon works great with barbequed meat like baby back ribs, beef brisket, or even barbequed chicken.  Especially since the barbecue charcoal smoke blends with the smoky meat, the barbecued beef or pork allows the sweet, fruity corn undertones in the whiskey to surface.

Moreover, the bourbon’s citrus notes enhance the taste of various fruits when paired together.  More importantly, be careful — too much citrus can overwhelm the bourbon. A lovely sweet tangerine or Clementine will be just the right amount.

Rye it Up:

The spicy characteristics of rye grain kick up the flavor profile in bourbon whiskies.  Thus, Rye’s intense flavor complements spicy, Louisiana-style cooking of food.

Without a doubt, Cajun and rye whiskey goes hand in hand.

To put another way, try pairing a dram of rye bourbon with dark cherry — the sweet tanginess is a match made in heaven for a fruity dram.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Scotch and bourbon whiskies are different in grain usage and terroir.  Big peaty Islay? Better make sure your food has the flavor to stand up to the peat flavor.

What’s more, soft, mellow bourbon and corn undertones? You can utilize barbecued food with bourbon.

Essentially, try different combinations of whiskies and food to find out what works for your tastes. Comparing whiskies and food is an excellent place to start on your whisky pairing journey.