Tastings: The spirit of Burns Day

Acouple of weeks back, the good people of Scotland celebrated Robert Burns Day. As homage to the bard's Jan. 25 birthday, they sat down to a dinner of authentic Scottish fare and scotch whiskey.

"Authentic Scottish fare," of course, means haggis. And while an appreciation of this digestive-tract dish has yet to cross the pond, that doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace the spirit of the occasion: the pairing of good food and good scotch.

"Spirits are adventurous food-pairing challenges," says John-Louis Kronfeld of Star Wines and Liquors. "The base of scotches is basically distilled flat beer, which in itself has a robust rich flavor that echoes flavors of dried fruits and honey as well as the woody characters of different oak. All of these characters call for things from the grill."

So in lieu of haggis, Kron-feld suggests grilled beef satay of skirt steak. "The fatty steak will balance the higher alcohol by giving the spirit something to work against in the same way that red wine tannins cut through rich foods. Complement this with a stone mustard and you can pair with fragrant Highland scotches or entry-level blended scotches," he says.

Kronfeld also suggests roasted salmon with nori.

"By either wrapping the nori around the salmon or laying it on top to look like salmon skin, you can add a briny quality that will complement a slightly peaty Lowland scotch," Kronfeld says. "I might even sear (the salmon) on cast iron before finishing in the oven to give the added quality of char and smoke, which will complement the barrel quality."

Kronfeld says that the strong and peaty scotches of Speyside and Islay call for more intense preparations and more intense food.

"The best choices would be either braised lamb shanks or even a grilled bluefish. Both can be complemented with a healthy dose of black pepper. But I would be inclined to accent the lamb with anise (to) complement the strong flavors of smoky scotches," Kronfeld says. "The bluefish with a truffle-infused mashed potato will also work well because the quality of the fish is slightly gamey, and the truffle quality gives underlining earthiness."

Committed scotch drinkers are happy to pair their favorite beverage with just about anything, notes Marcus Guiliano, the chef and owner of Aroma Thyme Bistro.

"If you are a scotch drinker, you will drink it with whatever you are eating," Guiliano says. But he has noticed some trends.

"Salmon and scotch are popular. Try grilling the salmon and marinating it in some garlic and lemon with a touch of good sea salt," he says. "We also have lots of success with scotch and beef. Our kobe meatloaf is a very hot topic with our scotch drinkers right now."

But one pairing, Guiliano says, is a classic, enjoyed by wine and scotch drinkers alike.

"They all love single-malt scotch with our chocolate torte," he says.

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Tastings: A scotch primer

February 04, 2007

Chris Rowley, the sommelier at Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville,

offers this primer on scotch whiskey:

Genuine scotch whiskey must be distilled and aged at least three years in oak casks in Scotland. Beyond that simple definition lie several complications.

For instance, the vast majority of scotch distilled today is grain whiskey, uncomplicated stuff made in huge quantities in continuous column stills and blended with better products to produce the famous brands that are known all over the world.

Then there are the single-malt whiskeys. These must be made from malted barley and distilled in batch process in the traditional pot still. Usually single malts are blends of whiskeys from the same distillery but of different ages. (The age of the youngest whiskey in the blend is the age placed on the label.)

Recently, some distilleries have been releasing whiskeys derived from a particular cask and batch. These are "single-cask" malt whiskeys.

While there are several whiskey-producing regions, it's hard to see consistent styles from them except for the Islay malts and the Speyside malts.

The malt whiskeys of Islay, like the Caol Ila and the Bruichladdich, have a strong peaty aroma and tastes of the sea, plus hints of iodine and salt. (Some speculate that this is because of the presence of seaweed in the peat used to distill them. Others believe it's because of the sea air and the character of the barley. Others claim it comes from the water used in the barley wash.) The Caol Ila Single Cask is a pure expression of the style, while the Bruichladdich is just a little softer.

Travel across Scotland, over the Highlands and the Cairngorm Mountains, and you come upon the valley of the River Spey, which has the greatest concentration of distilleries in Scotland. Among them are the best-known names in single malt scotch: Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Macallan. Here, the water derives from the mountains, and the local barley is high in protein and therefore in flavor.

If there's a theme to great Speyside whiskeys, it's "smoothness." The Glenfiddich is the lightest. The Macallan, which comes in a variety of bottlings, is the great prize-winner, and the Glenlivet is the ancestor, one of the oldest distilleries and one with the most recognizable style, light but complex and extremely smooth on the finish.