APAVM Annual Dinner 2022:
Whisky Pairing Dinner
APAVM ended 2022 joyously in December, with a whisky pairing dinner on 7th in Hong Kong and 11th in Singapore.
A total 40 Patrons and friends attended in Hong Kong and 47 in Singapore. In addition 40 others logged in for the lecture on zoom before the dinner in Singapore.
The event in Hong Kong was held at the Michelin starred “The Square” Cantonese restaurant. In Singapore, dinner was at “Table at 7” restaurant, which features both Continental and Indonesian cuisine.
The evening started off with a whisky cocktail which patrons and friends sipped while nibbling on a selection of appetisers and catching up with each other.
This was followed by the lecture “Christianity and the Origin of Whisky” by Mr Robert Ross Alan, who spoke to us from Scotland via zoom. Mr Alan’s depth of knowledge stems from his study of Theology and Scottish history at the University of St Andrews, his long work experience in the whisky industry and his involvement in the Scottish History Society.
This lecture, full of interesting facts about the development of whisky and how it is intertwined with religion and politics, is not to be missed and may be listened to here.
Presenting the flight of whiskies selected for our dinner that followed, was Mr Archibald John Gracie, who has worked in the drinks industry for 30 years.
Mr Gracie expertly taught us how to nose the whisky, and what aromas and flavours to discover in each one of them. The whiskies presented during the dinners showcased different styles in whisky making with their resultant nose and taste. Each unique whisky therefore complements different types of food, heightening the flavour of the dish.
The flight of whiskies presented on both evenings were:
Talisker 18 year old, which was paired with sashimi in Hong Kong and house smoked salmon trout and ikura in Singapore.
Longmorn 16 year old, paired with Sichuan style smoked duck in Hong Kong and Balinese bebek bengil ( Balinese crispy skin duck ) in Singapore.
Oban 14 year old, paired with prawn laksa in Hong Kong and lobster and crab laksa linguine in Singapore.
Auchentoshan 31 year old, paired with baked Patagonian tooth fish in Hong Kong and crispy roasted suckling pig in Singapore.
Royal Lochnagar 12 year old, paired with roasted prime rib au jus in Hong Kong and slow roasted smoked wagyu sirloin M6-7 in Singapore.
During both dinners, we were all educated by Mr Gracie on the range of flavours and aromas in whisky that make it perfect to pair with various kinds of food for an overall flavour enhancement. The flavour of red meat such as a rich fatty steak is often complimented by the layers of flavour of a single malt. The sweet, hot flavour of a spice rub on barbequed ribs or the duck we had at dinner, will be amplified with the addition of a sweet sherry cask whisky. What is less known is that certain whiskies go well with a range of foods as diverse as salmon and lighter seafood including raw preparations like sashimi that pair well with light fruity whiskies. Smoky and spicy whiskies make a great pairing option with strongly flavoured cheeses and a variety of nuts. As for dessert, the complexity of a whisky can balance out the sweet richness of the cream, play up the fragrance of fruit or enhance the experience of the baking spices.
To exemplify whisky as a fitting pairing for dessert, the evening ended with Cardhu Distillers Edition which was served with dessert: Molten chocolate cake with orange jelly and ice cream in Hong Kong and Cherries Jubilee flambeed with Cardhu whisky and kirsch, served with vanilla ice cream in Singapore.
