Tag Archives: Whisky

During my visit to the Whisky Show in London last month, I had the opportunity to meet with representatives of two Indian distilleries, Amrut and Paul John. In addition my husband found a bottle of Peter Scot that he brought to the U.S. from one of this trips to India. Now I have the opportunity to pair these delightful whiskies with my South Indian recipes.

Amrut, located in India’s tech hub of Bangalore and founded in 1948 but only started producing whisky in the 1980s, is the first Indian whisky that I have seen available in the U.S. The barley is grown in the Punjab and Rajasthan in North India then transported to Bangalore where it is processed and distilled and finally matured in barrels. At the whisky show I learned the altitude and weather there makes the whisky mature in just a few short years! My husband owns a bottle of their Fusion single malt whisky that is made with a unique blend of Scottish and Indian barleys as well as a bottle of their single malt. His friends Shail and Kishore gave these bottles to us.

Paul John, founded in 1992 by John Distillers, is located in beautiful Goa on the western coast of India. It is now one of the largest alcohol producers in India. I visited this area last year during my trip to India and fell in love with the food, land and people. I even sampled some of the local home brew called toddy or feni, This state is more progressive in its attitudes toward alcohol due to the influence of the Portuguese so locating a distillery here makes business sense. The climate in Goa makes it a perfect location for making whisky because it matures much faster here than it can in colder countries. Having sampled four of their different whiskies, their products are excellent and quite competitive. Their whiskies debuted on the international scene in 2013.

Started in 1968, Khoday, India, makes Peter Scot Malt which is labeled as the only 100% Indian malt whisky. Khoday is considered one oldest whisky makers in India for the Indian market and blends imported Scotch whisky with Indian spirits. Its history is colorful with legal challenges over naming and trademark infringement but that has long since been resolved. I have not seen this brand anywhere outside of India.

 

South Indian Recipe	Indian Whisky	Attributes
Prawn Balchao	Amrut Fusion	Rich aroma on the nose with flavors of intense smoke, fruit, coffee and chocolate on the palate. The finish is intense as well with spice, sweetness and smoke.
Black-eyed Pea Masala
Steak Chettichurri
Kheema Chatti Pathri
Filet Mignon with Onion Chutney Cream Sauce
Roasted Lamb Chops
Langoustine Biryani	Amrut Indian Single Malt	Intense citrus and fruit aroma with spices, sweetness on the palate. Finishes with apples, apricots and malt flavors.
Prawn Balchao
Shrimp Avinasi
Steak Chettichurri	Paul John Classic Select Cask	A wonderful whisky with fruit and barley on the nose, honey, salt, spices and chocolate all in the palate. Finishes with more fruit and a bit of oak.
Kheema Chatti Pathri
Filet Mignon with Onion Chutney Cream Sauce
Roasted Lamb Chops
Goes well with any Indian chicken or seafood entrée	Peter Scot Malt	Light on the nose, pleasant bouquet on the palate. Sweet, lingering finish.

 

In my final installment of pairing the whiskies of Scotland to my Indian recipes, I am including the small peninsula of Campbeltown and the remaining islands. Based on the testing my husband and I did of these whiskies, I have to say that they are all outstanding.

 

 

Southwestern Scotland

Whiskies produced in these islands tend to have more of a strong, peaty flavor than many of the other regional whiskies. They have a hint of the sea and smoke so the flavor of these whiskies is very unique.

 

Campbeltown is located on the eastern edge of the Kintyre peninsula along the Campbeltown Loch in southwest Scotland. Today it is home to just 3 distilleries and is considered Scotland’s smallest whisky producing region. With great access to good ingredients to making whisky, Campbeltown is the historical center of whisky in Scotland. Their whiskies are considered to be deep, full of flavor and a bit smoky.

 

Isle of Arran, just east of Campbeltown, is considered a miniature Scotland and offers a similar variety of scenery as the rest of the country in one location. It boasts one distillery that is just 20 years old.

 

Isle of Jura, north of Campbeltown, is known as Deer Island since there are 25 times more deer than people living here. With a small population, this island is quiet and restful. Much of the land is covered with peat and not good for farming. The whisky produced here is less smoky and peaty that that of an Islay malt.

 

Isle of Mull, north of Jura and Campbeltown, is the third largest island in Scotland and features rugged mountains, beautiful coastlines and a bustling harbor. The whisky produced here is lighter and less smoky than other island whisky.

 

Western Scotland

Isle of Skye, a large island directly west of the Highlands region, is known for its beautiful diverse landscapes and wildlife. The whisky produced here can be called a classic malt whiskey with more spice, smoke and peat flavors.

 

Northeastern Scotland

Comprised of 70 islands, Orkney, boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland. Surrounded by the cold North Sea, the whiskies created here are full-bodied and a bit smoky and peaty with a bit of honey.

 

South Indian Recipe	Whisky	Attributes
Arrabbiata Sauce with Penne	Springbank 10 Year Old (Campbeltown)	A big-bodied whisky with a bit of peat and earthiness in the nose, richness and nuttiness in the flavor and a finish that is long and crisp.
Goan Pork Vindaloo
Goan Pork Vindaloo	Jura Superstition (Jura)	A blend of 13 and 21 year old whiskies, the nose and palate are rich, sweet and creamy with a bit of cereal essence. It finishes with honey and spice. Outstanding.
Grilled Lamb Chops
Lamb Steaks with Cilantro Relish	Ledaig 10 Year Old (Mull)	Light nose and well balanced. The palate is medium-bodied and rich with hints of spice. A bit of smoke on the finish.
Grilled Lamb Chops
Chicken Cafreal	Tobermory 10 Year Old (Mull)	A gentle whisky with a light, pleasant nose. The palate is sweet and light with a finish to match.
Fenugreek Chicken Curry
Peri-Peri Chicken Curry
Prawn Balchao	Talisker Storm (Skye)	An excellent whisky with a refined, creamy nose followed by a thick texture on the palate with a bit of smoke. Dry oak on the finish.
Spiced Drumsticks
Seekh Kababs	Highland Park 12 Year Old (Orkney)	A lightly peated whiskey with a bit of citrus and spice on the nose. A bit of smoke, grains and almonds give a silky palate. A long finish with a bit of wood and smoke.
Peri-Peri Chicken Curry
Prawn Balchao
Chicken with Basil Curry	Scapa 16 Year Old (Orkney)	A rich, full-bodied whisky with toffee and honey on the nose. Silk on the palate with spices, honey and oak. The rich finish lingers with a bit of oak and smoke. Delicious.
Baked Salmon Dijon
Chicken Dum Biryani
Seekh Kababs

 

Try out these pairing and let me know what you think. Please send me your preferred pairings; I would love to hear from you.

 

At the end of November I will pair my Indian whiskies with south Indian recipes. Come back and visit again soon.

In my virtual travels around Scotland to pair the regional whiskies with my Indian food recipes, I have visited the Speyside, Highlands and Lowlands regions to date. In this installment I will be pairing the Islay whiskies with my Indian dishes. With 8 active distilleries, I am separating out this island as its own region. Islay produces many outstanding whiskies that rank among my favorites.

 

Islay, like the name indicates, is an island off the southwest coast of Scotland in the southern Hebrides. The terrain is rugged while the weather is mild. Whiskies produced in the Islay region are know for their strong, peaty flavor than many of the other regional whiskies and also seem to possess a hint of seaweed thus the flavor of these whiskies is very distinctive. This small island features 8 distilleries and produces some of the best and most popular whiskies. Islay sits on top of a large layer of peat, has soil that is perfect for growing barley, and has an abundance of pure water, all of which are crucial to producing excellent Islay whisky.

 

Indian Recipe	Whisky	Attributes
Steak Chettichurri	Ardbeg 10 Year Old	Incredibly smoky and peaty, very complex and intense on every dimension of flavor.
Roasted Fenugreek Lamb Chops
Tandoori Chicken	Bowmore 12 Year Old	Beautifully balanced whisky with peaty smoke on the nose, sweet taste and a mellow finish.
Steak Chettichurri	Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old	Lightly peated with a fresh, sweet aroma followed by a soft, velvety taste and a bit of sherry on the finish.
Roasted Fenugreek Lamb Chops
Peri-Peri Chicken Curry	Caol Ila 12 Year Old	Complex nose of herbs and smoke followed with a bit of sweetness along with the smoke on the palate. Spicy finish.
Prawn Balchao
Swordfish Masala in Pappilote
Rogan Josh
Dry Meat Fry	Lagavulin 16 Year Old	A very intense whisky with throughout with peat and smoke as well as a bit of sweetness from the nose through the finish.
Goan Pork Vindaloo
Tanjore Red Snapper with Roasted Red Pepper
Pondicherry Pouillabaise	Laphroaig 10 Year Old	Rich whisky with a lot of smoke on the nose, peat and sweetness on the palate and a lingering finish.
Indian Seafood Soup
Seafood Biryani

 

Try out these pairing and let me know what you think. Send me your preferred pairings and thoughts. I look forward to hear from you. My next post on whisky pairings will feature Campbeltown and other islands.

The next stop on my virtual tour around the whisky regions of Scotland to pair the various whiskies with specific Indian recipes focuses on those from the Lowlands whisky region. Many of these whiskies rank among my all time favorites.

 

 

The Lowlands region is the second largest whisky producing area in Scotland stretching from the very southern border of the country up to an imaginary line drawn between Dundee on the east and Greenock on the south side of the River Clyde. This region includes both the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, the two largest cities in the country.

 

This region is known for its softer, milder whiskies. The flavors contrast with bold and robust flavors of the Highlands whiskies. Considering the physical size of this region, it is home to just a half dozen distilleries.

 

South Indian Recipe	Whisky	Attributes
Chickpea Masala	Glenkinchie 12 Year Old	A delicate whisky with vanilla and cut flower essence, a soft and sweet palate and an herbal finish. Very smooth taste when a bit of water is added.
Spicy Grilled Swordfish
Grilled Fish with Molee Sauce
Dosa	Auchentoshan 12 Year Old	The aroma begins with the scent of crème brulee, citrus and nuts that is smooth and sweet on the palate and brings a hint of ginger and nuts to the finish.
Langoustine Biryani
Grilled Fish with Molee Sauce
Biryani

 

 

 

Try out these pairing and let me know what you think.  I am very interested in learning your preferences on pairings. My next post on whisky pairings will feature Islay, which is a significant whisky region, an island actually, on the southwest side of Scotland.

 

In June I wrote a general article about how to pair whisky with Indian food and another about pairing specific foods with whiskies of the Speyside region of Scotland. This post is dedicated to the many outstanding whiskies of the Highlands region. Many of these whiskies rank among my all time favorites.

 

 

The Highlands region is physically the largest whisky producing area in Scotland stretching from the center of the country to the northernmost point. With coastlines on three sides and a large central piece of land, the landscape and climate are diverse giving the whiskies produced there a huge range of flavors. Many of the flavors resemble those of Speyside (the Highlands do surround this region) and the Islay regions. Some of the whiskies are soft and fruity while others are intense and smoky. In this short blog post it would be impossible for me to go into the detail required to explain the nuances of each sub-region in the Highlands (north, south, east and west) and, frankly, exceed my knowledge. In spite of the vastness of the region, the Highlands region is home to about 25 distilleries, about half of the number found in the much smaller Speyside region.

 

The table below lists some of my favorite Highlands whiskies that I pair with some of my Indian recipes.

 

South Indian Recipe	Highlands Whisky	Attributes
Chicken Tikka Masala	Old Pulteney 12 Year Old	Crisp, clean aroma with a mild and balanced palate, oak and spices in the finish
Halibut Steamed in Banana Leaves
Prawn Balchao	Oban 14 Year Old	Rich and smoky aroma with the essence of the sea carries through to the palate and a oak finish
Chicken & Saffron Curry	Glenmorangie Original	Light citrus on the nose becomes a bit of vanilla on the palate followed by fruit, clean fruity finish
Chicken Cafreal	Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban	Intense, velvety nose and plate the bring oranges, nuts and spices to mind, the finish is silky with a hint of chocolate
Lamb Kabobs
Tandoori Chicken
Chicken Dum Biryani	Glenmorangie Lasanta	Warm spices on the note, sweet sherry and butterscotch on the palate with a lovely orange, spice finish
Langoustine Biryani
Mussel Fry
Grilled Fenugreek Lamb Chops	Dalmore 25 Year Old	Vanilla and orange on the nose intensifying into mango on the palate followed by a dark chocolate finish
Rogan Josh
Mint Chicken	Dalmore 12 Year Old	Coffee and spices on the nose with orange essence and chocolate added to the palate and finish
Lobster Paella	Aberfeldy 12 Year Old	Creamy and fruity nose, sweet and a bit of peat on the palate followed by a malt and citrus finish

 

Try out these pairing and let me know what you think.  Please send me your preferred pairings; I would love to hear from you. My next post on whisky pairings will feature the Lowlands region, just south of the Highlands.