As a blend of 12 Year Old bourbon and sherry whisky, ‘The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition’ is further finished in tailor-made sherry casks selected by Diageo’s Master Blender. The process of ‘cask finishing’ first appeared in the 1980s, aiming to ‘decorate’ the whisky. Yet, the third cask of ‘The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition’ is a special tailor-made sherry cask.
The vivid characters of rich aroma and sweetness by sherry casks, plus the smooth and balanced characters blessed by The Singleton’s signature ‘slow distillation’, bringing us a sweet yet refreshing whisky with notes of dried fruits and chocolate bittersweet.
So what are the differences between pairing with grease and berries?
Diageo’s Brand Ambassador Afra points out that the woody notes and tannins of ‘The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition’ are stronger. It’s suggested to pair food with grease for balancing, such as greasy lamb and game. Game is always served with berries sauce; the grease of lamb can match with the berries flavour in whisky. Compared to the original 12 Year Old, Sherry Cask Edition has stronger berries notes, sweeter aftertaste and flavour of dried fruits, which makes a good match with the sweet bean sauce, duck skin and spring onions of Peking duck. Moreover, braised cuisines with soy sauce flavour such as ‘Braised Pork Belly’ and ‘Braised Chestnut Chicken’ are good combinations too.
Besides, as Afra recalls, beef and Spanish Iberico Ham also pair nicely with ‘The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition’. Such as ‘Braised Beef Shank’, a very common Taiwanese braised dish, its grease and sherry’s tannins can balance perfectly. The whisky will taste even round, and the saltiness and umami in food can be highlighted. Also, when the smooth and salty cheddar cheese meets with whisky, it can bring out a creamy texture. The match of saltiness and fruity sweetness is just wonderful.
Except for greasy food, the must-have desserts also suit ‘The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition’ well. ‘Chocolate is the best friend of whisky.’ says Afra. She will choose a dessert with richer chocolate for a whisky with higher levels of tannins - it will bring a mellow and lingering aftertaste.
Canelé, whose soft and custardy interior is sealed into caramelised crust, is an alternative. ‘I always dig a hole and pour whisky.’ says Afra. In this way, it will bring more different flavours to ‘The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Edition’.
Sometimes we may wonder, do sticky foods such as yam, natty, okra or egg yolk suit whisky? If you meet them with whisky, try changing the way of drinking. Making Mizuwari or Highball by adding water or soda water can both lighten up the texture and impress you.
除了油脂豐厚的料理，料理中不可或缺的甜品，也非常適合「The Singleton 12年醇雪莉版單一麥芽威士忌」。「朱古力真是威士忌的好朋友」Afra說，尤其是她遇上單寧比較高的酒款，就會選擇朱古力濃度較高的甜點，尾韻會有著回甘、回味無窮的感覺。
Afra的另一個選擇是可麗露。因為外殼是焦糖、內裏比較鬆軟並帶點忌廉的感覺，「通常我會挖個洞，倒點酒進去。」這樣的吃法讓「The Singleton 12年醇雪莉版」帶來更多不一樣的美好風味。
當然，有些時候我們會想：像是山藥、納豆、秋葵、蛋黃這一類黏稠的食物也適合威士忌嗎？如果你的餐桌上出現這類料理，不妨試試改變飲法：無論是加水做成日式水割，或是加入氣泡水做成Highball，都可以讓口感變得輕盈，相信也會讓你大為驚艷。
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