Many people still feel that the only pairing that should be attempted with dessert is wine.
The idea of pairing your favourite Scotch whisky with your favourite dessert is not only a novel idea but seems like a difficult task.
Where do you start?
The team at Laphroaig shares below a few perfect peaty whisky pairings bound to satisfy those after-supper cravings.
Strong, dark, and smooth
Those are the flavours to be savoured in our first whisky sweet suggestion. Forget the Irish, a moody Scottish coffee is the cocktail of choice if you want to wind down and warm your bones at the end of a meal.
Because peated Scotch tends to be bold and smoky in flavour, pair it with a medium roast coffee to avoid overpowering flavour profiles.
Brew the coffee, add a tot of whisky, stir in a spoonful of sugar, and top with thick whipped cream. It’s a winter cocktail and whimsical dessert all in one.
Melt-in-your-mouth goodness
Whisky and dark chocolate has long been a classic dessert combination. Go for plain dark chocolate that’s at least 70% cocoa so that the dark bitterness of the chocolate is balanced with the smoky sweetness of the whisky.
How you combine the two in a dessert is up to you, but a whisky-soaked chocolate tart will likely be a winner.
For the less adventurous chef, there’s an easier option. Peated whisky is said to pair excellently with classic Cadbury Whispers – malt for malt.
Pour a few tumblers of whisky, tip a packet of Whispers into a bowl, and you have a fuss-free crowd-pleaser. Sometimes, the simplest desserts are the most delicious.
An authentic attraction
The final pairing is something more traditional. And comes straight from the distiller’s mouth.
When asked what dessert he would recommend with their single malt, distillery manager John Campbell suggested cranachan – exact pronunciation TBD.
Campbell says this is a renowned Scottish dessert, made with oatmeal, cream, honey, and seasonal raspberries to cut through the sweetness.
Balanced with a smooth, smoky whisky, this after-dinner delight is likely to become a winter favourite on South African shores, too.
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