What are the Best Foods to Pair Scotch Whisky With?

Whisky is a beverage that can be enjoyed on all occasions. It doesn’t matter whether you’re celebrating a wedding, an engagement, a christening, a promotion, a birthday, Christmas, or the fact that you survived another week at work and made it to the weekend, there’s always time for a whisky.

When people think of food and drink pairings, of course it’s wine that first springs to mind. We know that white wine goes great with fish, red wine works wonderfully with red meat, and port goes amazingly well with cheese, but why should grapes have all the fun? There are all kinds of delicious food and drink pairings out there just begging to be discovered, especially when it comes to a wee dram of two of whisky.

Scotch whisky goes incredibly well with a variety of different foods, but which work the best? Here’s a look at some of the best foods that pair incredibly well with various types of Scotch whisky.

Mild cheese

If you’re a fan of Scotch, particularly a single malt, you’ll find that mild cheeses such as goat’s cheese, mild cheddar, brie, and Comte, work incredibly well with a single malt.

The creaminess of the cheese helps to counter the burn of the whisky. In turn, this emphasises all of the rich and creamy notes of the cheese. Each sip of whisky that you take will reveal new depth and layers of the cheese.

Be sure to avoid strong-tasting cheese with a Scotch whisky, as they flavours can be overpowering and can be quite unpleasant.

If you enjoy peaty whisky, look for a cheese with slightly more salt, as the two flavour profiles will compliment each other perfectly.

Fish and Seafood

Scotland is not only home to some of the most amazing whisky on the planet, it’s also home to some of the most amazing fish and seafood you could ever wish to sample.

If you enjoy river fish with a fairly mild taste, trout or salmon for example, a slightly fruity and milder single malt such as Glenfiddich, will work very well.

If however, you’re more of a seafood lover and you enjoy slightly saltier fish such as mackerel, sardines, or even langoustines, you’ll need a stronger whisky to really bring out and balance the flavours. A Laphroaig or a Talisker Scotch will work wonderfully here.

Haggis

Haggis is a quintessentially Scottish dish that tastes absolutely amazing. Don’t let the description fool you, Haggis truly is a delicacy you need to sample to truly appreciate.

Haggis is of course customarily served alongside a wee dram of whisky, but the type of whisky that you choose can make a big difference.

Look for a milder, slightly sweet and peaty single malt.

Haggis is seasoned well, but there are no overpowering flavours so you can get away with a fairly mild Scotch without a great deal of bite. A lot of experts recommend adding a drop or two of mineral water to your Scotch beforehand, so as to ensure the haggis remains the star of the show.

Haggis is commonly served with tatties (potatoes) and neeps (turnips) though many serve it with a creamy whisky sauce. Johnnie Walker Black Label works great with this particular sauce so why not give it a go?

If you’re looking for Scotch whisky to pair up with various foods and snacks, rather than generic whisky off the supermarket shelves, why not opt for something special instead?

If you head on over to https://greatdrams.com/ you’ll find a huge selection of rare, limited-edition, and popular Scotch whisky along with whiskey from all over the globe, to suit all budgets and palates.

Tags: Best Foodspairings

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.