Whisky & Food

The fishing town of Cullen on the Moray coast lies barely an hour's drive from the distilleries of the Spey. It gave its name to the creamy soup Cullen skink: smoked haddock, potatoes and onions, simmered in milk. The light smoke of the fish and the sweetness of the potato pair well with a mild Speyside malt such as the Glenfiddich 12. Its apple note catches the smoke without smothering it.

From the forests and high moors around the Cairngorms comes venison, especially red deer. A hearty venison ragout calls for more weight in the glass, such as Aberlour's a'bunadh. Its sherried sweetness and spice notes stand up to the dark game meat rather than fading beside it.

The River Spey itself is one of Scotland's most famous salmon rivers. Smoked salmon from the valley belongs on almost every Speyside table. A dry, not-too-sweet malt pairs best with cold smoked salmon and lemon. Too much vanilla would otherwise overwhelm the fish's delicate note.

For dessert, cranachan often appears on the table: toasted oats, cream, raspberries and a splash of whisky stirred straight into the cream. Here the Speyside malt lands in the meal twice over, once as an ingredient, once as a companion in the glass, usually the same mild, honeyed dram already enjoyed with the soup.

So the whisky runs through the whole meal, from the smoke of the soup to the sweetness of the dessert. Throughout, it stays in the same calm, fruity register for which the region is known.