2011 Whisky Lovers Ball

It’s that time of the year. Every summer, at the height of the grilling season, when the days are long, and the evenings remain warm, the whisky lovers gather for smoked fish, red meat, good red wine, fellowship, and of course, lots of single malt scotch whisky. So last weekend, when G-Man was in town, we convened the whisky lovers for that mid-summer culinary celebration.

We began with the fish -- trout, sockeye salmon, and best of all, steelhead -- all of which had been smoked in the Weber Bullet. Naturally, everyone loved the fish. I hate to be tooting my own horn here, but it’s more a function of the Bullet, which allows one to smoke at low temperatures, keeping the fish moist, not overdone. And that steelhead especially absorbs the hickory smoke and comes out so tasty. We paired the fish with a selection of before-dinner whiskies. I made everyone taste an eighteen (see my earlier post) and then opened up the selection. The whisky lovers were just about evenly divided between Bladnoch -- a sixteen-year-old Signatory bottling that I found at Century a couple years back, and the new William Larue Weller bourbon that Mike had recommended. It’s 125 proof, so either it needs to be watered, or else drunk on the rocks. Either way, it was a big hit among those of us who might have preferred to drink an American whisky so close to the Fourth of July.

Next, we served grilled quail over a bed of greens -- the salad course. The quail had been marinated in red wine and spices for a couple days, and the trick was to cook those tiny birds through (served them about medium, not too well done) without charring the outsides. I’ll need more practice before I get this down just right, but all in all they came out pretty good, and were well received. At least nobody complained out loud. I know we should have served a light bodied red, or even a white wine, maybe a white bordeaux, with this course, but who among the whisky lovers wants to drink white wine? (Actually, I did purchase a chardonnay for a couple of the gals, who preferred a glass of wine instead of a cocktail before dinner.) Anyway, I opened a bottle of Bonny Doon, Le Pousseur, which was a big hit. More on this later in the posting. Bonny Doon is one of the Rhone Rangers, and this particular bottle came courtesy of John and Mike, whose contributions to the ball did not go unnoticed.

But as good as the fish and quail were, the whisky lovers come for their red meat. So after a decent interval, we grilled some big fat strip steaks, which had been rubbed with brown sugar and a nameless Israeli red rub. Spicy and sweet on the outside, tender and juicy throughout. We washed the steaks down with a 2007 Chateauneuf-de-Pape - very nice. But here’s the thing -- as good as the Chateauneuf was, the Bonny Doon was every bit as good, maybe even better. More fruit and less earth, as you would expect from a California Syrah. But rich full flavor, perhaps more complex than the French wine. This is a very nice Syrah at a pretty reasonable price. Highly recommended.

After dinner, out came the smoky scotches -- Ballechin for Tony; Bunnahabhain for Dr. Ron (and for Danny); Lagavulin and Laphroaig. And then, after everyone had enjoyed a dram or two, not to mention some of the two wonderful fruit crisps that a couple of the gals had contributed, we capped off the evening with a taste of Talisker 25. I’ve come to realize that these great whiskies taste best when they’re shared. And who better to share them with than the whisky lovers -- guys who really appreciate good malt whisky?

It was great having G-Man here for the ball, and there is yet another posting to come, because as it turned out, what with our schedules and everything, this evening had a dual purpose. Two balls in one, so to speak. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I love these evenings with the whisky lovers, folks who really enjoy good food and beverages. Sometime this fall, when Danny is back in business, we’re going to convene the whisky lovers at Good Luck for another long evening of eating, drinking, and good cheer. Maybe the leaves will have turned, and maybe there will even be some snow on the ground. But even if it’s cold outside, I know it will be warm and inviting around the table. And no one will go home hungry or thirsty.