A group of women sit on a sofa enjoying cocktails

Warm Up with Perfect Seasonal Whisky and Food Pairings

When it comes to the autumn and winter months, for some the weather outside is frightful, while others consider the cosier season delightful. Whether you’re a glass half full or half empty person during the colder months, everyone can appreciate the simple pleasure of a tumbler full of your favourite whisky and the perfect, hearty seasonal dish to pair it with.

What food pairs well with whisky?

When it comes to properly pairing your favourite dram with a selection of snacks and dishes, you should always start by considering the flavours in each. While there’s always room for experimentation, the different types of whisky tend to share similar notes, which are a helpful foundation to build complementary flavours.

Peaty whiskies pair well with red meats, game meats and seafood including oysters
Smoky whiskies pair well with grilled meats, intense cheeses and salty dishes
Fruitier whiskies pair with delicate and light flavours, including sweet treats and less intense seafood and meats
Bourbon, with its spicier, amber notes, pairs with a mixture of heavier meats like steaks, but also well-rounded desserts, like a spiced apple tart.

A wooden table is seen from above, with two people sat opposite each other. A bowl of seafood sits on the table, along with a plate of bread and butter and assorted cocktails.

Food pairings for a smoky whisky

Some of our favourite smokier whiskies, including Talisker and Lagavulin, are just the tonic for a chilly, grey day.

If you love the peppery, saltiness of Talisker, Sembo Amirpour – a luxury brand curator with a penchant for the finest whiskies – shares his verdict on what to serve up for the perfect autumnal treat.

Sembo suggests “a hearty stew or some roasted meat. That smokiness cuts right through the richness and adds some serious depth.”

He also shares what to do if you love a splash of Lagavulin, known for “big, bold peat smoke and a little sweetness.” It’s an ideal pairing for “slow-cooked stews and anything braised. The smoke wraps around those rich flavours and turns up the warmth.”

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A bottle of Lagavulin 16 year old whisky sits on a wooden surface next to two dram glasses and a wooden chopping board on which there is a raw steak, a bowl of salt and pepper and a sprig of rosemary.

Fruitier whiskies – not just for summer

A fruitier whisky – like the lightness of The Singleton – makes it a great base for summer drinks and warm weather food combinations. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the classic Highlands whisky all year round, as it also opens up some quintessential autumnal flavours when paired properly.

Maurits Wetemans, a global spirits expert and ambassador for the finest brands, shares his favourite cold weather comforts. For The Singleton 12, celebrated for its sweet touches and notes of almonds, brown sugar and fruits, Maurits goes all in on the indulgence, recommending you pair it with a selection of decadent desserts, including “Amarettini (Italian macaroons), dark chocolate covered raspberries and crème brulée.”

The Singleton 15, with its orchard fruit and luscious light honeyed notes, meanwhile “matches great with warm apple ginger pie and even duck breast with apple chutney.”

The Singleton 18 also provides autumnal notes of stewed fruits, silky dark toffee, roasted nuts and growing spicy, which pairs with hearty beef stews richly filled with spices.

That’s almost three whole courses paired with three different bottlings from The Singleton – it might be time to plan a dinner party.

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Pair The Singleton 12 with amarettini (Italian macaroons), dark chocolate covered raspberries and crème brulée

-Maurits Wetemans, Global Spirits Ambassador

A bottle of The Singleton 12 lies on its back on a wooden table which is dressed for a meal. It lies next to a rocks glass with whisky cocktail and a plate with a slice of pie.

Autumn spices and late florals

Autumn is the peak season for certain spices and late-in-the-year blooms, including pumpkin, ginger, pear and apples.

A lot of these are used for more delicate dishes, like squash soups and apple tarts. They’re sweet, but not overpoweringly so. They’re light, but lend themselves to heavier notes. A great whisky for this sort of dish is Dalwhinnie – celebrated for a blend of light florals with honeyed notes.

There’s also Oban, a special combination of fruits, honey and a crisp touch of smoke. The not-too-sweet, not-too-smoky flavour makes it great for cosy, comfort dishes and snacks including chestnuts and roasted squash.

A bottle of Oban 14 year old sits on a wooden surface, next to two dram glasses filled with whisky and two plates of pecan pie.

What whisky pairs with cheese?

When it’s dark and dreary outside, there’s nothing quite like keeping snug inside. And settling in for the night with a big blanket, a good TV show or book and a cheeseboard is undeniably one of the season’s greatest indulgences.

If you were wondering how to best savour the flavour of your cheeses with your favourite dram, we’ve asked one of the experts, Ewan Gunn. Ewan is a global ambassador for luxury whiskies, so he knows how the finest drams should be treated – and how to really bring out the richness, complexity and fullness of each drop.

He explained to us, “Different whiskies work with different cheeses, but my go-to favourite that never ceases to surprise and amaze is always Lagavulin and blue cheese. The rich earthy smoke of Lagavulin stands up to the powerful sharp yet creamy flavour of blue cheese brilliantly, with the cheese amplifying some of the sweet maritime flavour notes in the whisky, and the whisky pulling out some of the nutty notes in the cheese. It’s a perfect match.”

A bottle of Talisker Skye sits on a table, next to two rocks glasses containing whisky and ice, and a wooden cheeseboard displaying assorted cheeses and fruits.

The best whisky and chocolate pairings

Chocolate is a year-round delight. So is whisky. But the pairing never feels quite so luxurious and heartening than when you’re settling in on a cold, grey night.

Speaking with Ewan Gunn, he shared with Malts.com exclusively, “I’ve always found that Dalwhinnie pairs brilliantly with chocolates. Despite being known as ‘The Gentle Spirit’ and having a lovely honey and malty sweetness, it also has a wonderful thick, rich texture which seems to work brilliantly with chocolate.”

“Also, if you have the opportunity to visit the distillery they offer a wonderful whisky and chocolate experience featuring four different expressions of Dalwhinnie paired with chocolates from the Highland Chocolatier.” A perfect winter treat there, and a great idea for a Christmas gift for someone.

If you’re looking for other chocolate-inspired pairings, Johnnie Walker Black Label, with hints of vanilla and caramel on the nose, opens up on the palate with notes dried fruit and dark chocolate. Pair this with a smoother milk chocolate treat to really enjoy the complementary flavours without one overpowering the other.