Once again, a Twitter chat with the West Coast Office (the WCO) leads to an idea, and as usual, that idea involves whiskey...
This time around, instead of #BoozyShakes or some other concoction, we've decided to pair the WCO's favorite candy bar, the Baby Ruth, with three different styles of whiskey, i.e. a Bourbon, a Rye, and a Single Malt Scotch.
We like to consider this type of research as our contribution to the greater good because nothing makes us sadder than hearing about a poorly executed whiskey and food pairing. In other words, we do the heavy lifting so that you don't have to.
Below are a few words about the spirits that we selected for this whiskey and food pairing session:
Master Distiller Brent Elliott selected and mingled six of Four Roses' 10 Bourbon recipes, each aged a minimum of 6 years, to handcraft Small Batch Select. Non-chill filtered and 104 proof, our newest permanent product-line extension offers truly unique flavor characteristics. Balancing notes of candied fruit with warmth and spice, Small Batch Select is enjoyable to both casual drinkers and Bourbon connoisseurs. Small Batch Select is best enjoyed straight up or on the rocks. 104 proof. 52% alcohol/volume.We get asked all the time why "double" and why "!"? "Double," because this whiskey is created from two rye whiskeys (both a minimum of 2 years old; see highwest.com for technical details and sourcing.). The exclamation point is to signify our aim with this whiskey: showcase the beauty that is rye and create the spiciest rye whiskey in the world. We think we did that. The younger rye (sourced by High West) is produced on a column still and tastes of cinnamon, clove, anise, eucalyptus buttons, and evergreen "gin-like" flavors. The older rye (distilled by High West) made using a pot still adds a richer, bolder character and just enough caramel sweetness and woody vanilla richness to calm the "bite" of the younger rye. The resulting combination is bold, balanced, complex and perfect for mixing. We recommend trying a Double Rye!® Manhattan or Old Fashioned - it's also absolutely superb for sipping alone or sharing with other cowboys and good-looking strangers.Exemplifying our family's tradition of innovation, our 15 Year Old expression is created using a technique pioneered by our Malt Master and its warm, spicy flavours are transformed with the alchemy of the Solera Vat.Aged in European oak sherry casks and new oak casks, the whisky is mellowed in our unique Solera Vat, a large oak tun inspired by the sherry bodegas of Spain and Portugal.Never emptied, and kept half full of whiskies since 1998, our Solera Vat is the culmination of curious minds and the pioneering spirit of our family. It's also the secret behind this whisky becoming the first 15 year old expression to enter the top ten best selling single malts.Three very different whiskeys.
One classic American candy bar.
Before we poured a drop of whiskey or peeled back the wrapper on one Fun Sized Baby Ruth, we knew that we were gonna have fun with this scientific experiment of ours. To hear all of our thoughts on these pairings, click the play button on the following video:
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One more thing...
Categories: Booze Banter, Booze Dancing TV, Booze Review, Four Roses, Glenfiddich, High West
Tagged as: Bourbon, Drinkwire, Happy Halloween, Rye Whiskey, Single Malt Scotch, Whiskey, Whiskey and Candy Bar Pairing, Whiskey review, Whisky