Sunday, October 21st - Scotch and Food ... Paired Together ... At The Rose and Crown? We Are Sooooooo There!
Once we were finished with the monsters at Sci-Fi, Jay and I decided that we needed a nap by the pool before our next scheduled Food & Wine event.
If you guys thought getting a Le Cellier pairing was kind fortune smiling on a four-eyed fool, then I don't know how to classify my nabbing
this reservation. Epcot only offered
one Scotch and Food Pairing during the 2007 Festival and it was a brand new event. Do you know how many crazy foodie-boozies were trying to snag this pairing???
A whole lotta foodie-boozies... a whole lotta indeed.
The attraction for Jay and me was more about having a pairing at Rose and Crown, which is still one of our favorite World Showcase restaurants despite the amazing, shrinking menu that they now offer their patrons. The last time I checked I think they were offering something like five entrees for dinner ... come on guys, even McDonald's has ten! The other reason that we were so keen to try this pairing is that it would give us an opportunity to really learn something new, because we were then and still are now ... scotch/whisky/whiskey/bourbon novices. I would have included rye, but then I would feel compelled to include wry, and then this whole post would spiral out of control faster than you could shout "STOP THE PUNS!!!"
The event was scheduled to begin at 3:30 that afternoon and if there is one thing Jay and I love about staying at the Beach Club Villas during the F&W Festival it is the convenience of walking in and out of the International Gateway. No bus, no muss ... we walked to the Rose and Crown in about 10 minutes and still had time to spare. We checked in with the hostess who pointed us to a group of anxious looking guests milling about the beer-garden area waiting to be allowed entrance to the dining room. Jay and I spotted another couple that we'd spent time with the evening before at Party for the Senseless and damn my faulty synaptic connections and memory recall because I don't know their names. I can see their faces perfectly in my mind's eye and if they happened to walk into my computer room I'd recognize them immediately, but I'd be reduced to saying, "Hello there pretty blond lady and her husband with the great smile! We shared a table at two F&W events within less than 24-hours of each other and it sure is nice to see you both, but I have no idea who you are!"
Back to the event ... the only suggestion that I have for the Rose and Crown is for them to seat their guests by party size the next time they offer a F&W event. Fortunately this was a small gathering, with about 25 guests, so finding a place to sit wasn't too difficult, but it took place in a rather cramped area in the back of the restaurant and seating was first-come, first-serve. I'm willing to give them a pass for this oversight since it was their first F&W event; and in all honesty that's the only fault we could find with the entire offering, so great job Rose and Crown!!
I almost forgot the obligatory self portrait...
Time to get likkered up!
Here are a couple of shots of the table to give you all an idea of how things were laid out for us when we arrived.
Mmmmmm, you can smell the malty goodness
A handy guidemap for your tasting today and your future distillery visits to Scotland
It's an event program! Are you reading this yet Restaurant Marrakesh??
Both place settings ...
One thing that our pictures don't show is that we were at a table for four, seated with that lovely, nameless couple from ... the east coast ... Pennsylvania maybe, or New Jersey. Anyway, in the middle of the table was an ice bucket and a bottle of Ty Nant Spring Water (it's from Wales). The idea was to experiment with the whisky ... much like wine, they have different aromas and flavors, and drinking them chilled or with a splash of water can really impact the taste.
This is a picture of the first whisky that we tasted that afternoon, and it was primarily chosen to be paired with our first course, but we actually tried it with the the first two courses of the three that were offered that day.
Glenkinchie 10-year
The Glenkinchie is a single-malt scotch with a rich gold color. It has a fresh, almost citric aroma with some slight floral hints and just a whiff of smoke. The taste is clean and somewhat dry, but overall very tasty and not a bit harsh. I added water to mine and found that it smoothed out the taste even more. This was one of our favorite scotches of the afternoon.
How about some food to soak up a little of that booze? It's time for the first course:
Pan-Seared Scallop with Sage and Prosciutto Risotto served with Sage Oil and Port Wine Reduction
Thank you sir, may I have another?
First of all, we were stunned by the portion size - that's a huge scallop for an afternoon tasting. And it was cooked really well, not at all grainy or chewy. I really liked the risotto as well, which was almost too creamy but those bits of prosciutto provided nice contrasting texture and saltiness. Secondly, we were blown away by just how good the whisky paired with this dish. It would never have occurred to us to fix a dinner and pair the different courses with whisky, but it really does work, especially with seafood.
The second whisky of the day ...
Johnnie Walker Green Label, 15-year
The Johnnie Walker Green has the distinction of being a vatted malt whisky that is comprised of a blend of about 15 individual single malts, including Talisker, Cragganmore, and Caol lla. This was a stronger whisky, by aroma and taste - I definitely picked up a light smoky scent and I'd swear I tasted wood. As far as I was concerned it greatly improved with the addition of water and ice. It was good, but just a bit too strong for me. Jay liked it just fine.
I'm not really a drinker ...
Our second course, which paired with the above whisky, was
Scottish Salmon on a Sweet Corn Cake with Lardons and a Heather-Honey Glaze.
More huge portions ... and do we really want to know what a lardon is?
As I have stated in previous reviews here on the DIS, I am not a huge fan of salmon. But this was exceptional - very light and flavorful without being overpoweringly fishy. I don't know enough about cooking or different types of salmon to be able to explain why Scottish Salmon is so sought after, but my understanding is that it is the salmon of choice for many high-level chefs around the world.
And being who I am, I had to look up lardon ... so, for your edification (and mine) the definition is as follows:
Lardons are small strips or cubes of fatty bacon or pork that are cut from a pig's belly; they are frequently used in French cuisine to flavor salads, stews (Beef Bourguignon), quiches, potatoes, omelettes and other dishes.
Time for the last two whiskies of the afternoon, and this next one is a doozie!
Lagavulin 16-year A/K/A Campfire in a Bottle
This is another single-malt whisky, and this one is well known for its strong peat-smoke aroma. That's the reason our host called it Campfire in a Bottle. The very first thing I noticed before I even tasted this was the smoky aroma - it reminded me a little bit of the way our great room smells the morning after we've had a fire. Lagavulin had a very strong flavor - full-bodied with a lingering aftertaste.
Pretentious pinky-extension not required for actual enjoyment
The final whisky of the afternoon was another Johnnie Walker blend, but a very special one:
Johnnie Walker Gold Label, 18-year
The Johnnie Walker Gold is a rare blend of more than 15 single malts, including the very rare Clynelish malt. The recipe was derived from Alexander Walker II's blending notes for a whisky to commemorate Johnnie Walker's centenary. It is commonly bottled at 15 or 18 years. This also has a smoky aroma, although much less pronounced than the Lagavulin; there are also hints of vanila and honey. The taste was very smooth and light, although there did seem to be a hint of spice afterwards. Our host told us that she actually likes to keep this blend in her freezer and drink it as cold as possible. It was actually served to us in frosted glasses and we both found this whisky very enjoyable. BTW - if anyone can point me to acquisition of a couple of these glasses I'd sure appreciate it. They are too cool!
So, you guys wanna see the final course that was served that afternoon? Something that is so good with whisky we actually have started indulging in it here in the sticks, of all places!
Dessert! That's right, I said dessert. The Rose and Crown served us
Valrohna Chocolate and Stilton Cheese Pave with Stilton Shortbread Garnish and Scotch-hinted Glaze.
Indescribable doesn't even describe it
Holy mother of God ... this has to be the single most rich hockey puck, I mean dessert, I've ever tried to eat. It was so thick that it was nearly impossible to push the fork all the way through from the top of the dessert to the bottom. I assume this was due to the stilton, but I don't know that for sure. But ... the combination of chocolate (valrohna, no less ... I think I've died and gone to chocolate heaven) and stilton cheese was incredibly smooth and decadent. One interesting tasting note - the chocolate completely obliterated the smoky taste of the Lagavulin whisky and turned it into something akin to a fine cognac. We were amazed at how well chocolate and whisky pair together - very tasty and very complimentary. Somehow, despite such strong and differing flavors, the two balance against each other perfectly.
Now, having said that, I'm not suggesting that you pair a Hershey bar with American rot-gut, not that there's anything wrong with that. But I think to really catch the nuances here, you need to invest in some good chocolate (we've been using truffles from Lindt) and buy a sampler pack of single malt or blended whisky - we've found Glenfiddich, Johnnie Walker, and Glenlivet samplers here in Stinktown. Of course, if you already own a full bottle of tasty scotch, then you just need to try it with some chocolate one evening - I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised.
A few last comments about this event - we really felt like Rose and Crown was going all out to impress us with great service, incredible food, generous portions, and very fine whisky. I can tell you that Jay and I started drinking the bottled spring water because we were so thirsty for something besides alcohol - we went through about three bottles and they just kept bringing us more, no questions asked. That stuff isn't cheap. And neither was the whisky that we tried - I've priced all four of these at a store here in town that's known for reasonable price tags. A bottle of Glenkinchie 10-year retails in Stinktown for $45; Johnnie Walker Green and Gold both retail for between $70-$80 per bottle; and the Lagavulin retails for about $80 per bottle.
I mention this because for the price per person to attend this event ($45 plus tax) we received exceptional value. Of all the food and wine pairings we've attended, this one stands head and shoulders above the rest, and we've been fortunate enough to attend some very good F&W pairings. All I can say is that if this event is offered again next year we're going to be all over it, and I hope that it's as good the second time around as it was the first.
A few last pictures ... the little nook where the event was held.
Cramped, but charming ...
The whisky display table
Our hostess and incredible Rose & Crown Chefs & Manager
Our hostess is a Master of Whisky for Florida and the Southeast US and she is employed by Johnnie Walker. She was a great facilitator - obviously very knowledgeable and very personable. I can't stress this enough ... Epcot, you hit a home run with this program and this facilitator. Bring it back for 2008 and add more dates!
We walked out of Rose and Crown bleary-eyed, slightly off-balance, and full of food to find a terrific storm brewing.
Something Whisky This Way Comes ...
And some pesky photopass person made us pose for a picture and we were too tipsy to say no.
Windblown and drunk by 4PM ... we love vacation!
Thanks for reading!!
I'll have to hock a superfluous organ (who needs that second kidney anyway) and get us tickets for next year.
Actually, we just got back from a mini-vacation in the NC mountains and had some truly memorable meals. Chowhound was a good source of advice and reviews in the planning phases. I can't wait to here about your Vegas trip. That's definitely on our list of places to eat!
oh well never mind they still had the celtic connection
But then this:
