A feast for the senses

We’ve done all kinds of food and whisky pairings over the years in Unfiltered, and I’m constantly amazed by how a dram can be enhanced – or how food can explode with flavour – when they come together on the palate. Anyone who’s tried it knows that cheese and whisky (Lightly Peated for me) is a match made in heaven. A chunk of dark chocolate with a Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits flavour profile dram is bliss. And if you were fortunate enough to try one of James Freeman’s ‘Home Dining Experience’ meals during lockdown, you’ll already know how well a carefully selected Society whisky can pair with each course of your meal.

In this issue of Unfiltered, we’re all about exploring whisky and food – but we wanted to take things in a different direction and see how a plant-based pairing could work. Now if you thought that vegan food might mean something drab, colourless or lacking flavour, prepare to have any misconceptions well and truly blown away. The team at My Elephant Kitchen have come up with a sumptuous plant-based feast paired with three different Society flavour profiles that should get even the most committed carnivore drooling. The photography alone will have you downloading the recipe cards and having a go yourself.

Elsewhere it was a huge pleasure for me to visit the revamped Glenturret distillery recently, now under new ownership and striving to put itself front and centre instead of being a fairly anonymous component in a famous blend. Adventurous Society members already appreciate the joy of single cask bottlings from distilleries that don’t always get the opportunity to shine on their own.

And if you’re in the mood for an inspirational story, settle down for our lengthy one-on-one interview with Sir Geoff Palmer. From being written off as ‘educationally subnormal’ on his arrival in the UK to becoming Scotland’s first Black professor, his life and influence on the worlds of brewing and distilling is really something to behold.

Enjoy our feast of stories,