Most whisky pairing dinners tend to involve multiple expressions of the same brand. With Chocha Foodstore’s collaboration with Brown Forman, however, the menu is paired with four very different whiskies across three brands – Benriach, Glenglassaugh, Glendronach – making this a great way to try a few new drams while also enjoying a nice dinner at the same time. The menu consists of sharing plates for four pax (it can be customised for two pax too), and showcases Chocha’s unique approach to local Malaysian ingredients.
We started out with the Benriach 10 Year Old, aka 'The Original Ten', which is matured in three casks for at least ten years – bourbon barrels, sherry casks and virgin oak. The result is a rich Spetside malt with lots of fruity, honey malt notes, and a hint of smoke. The whisky was paired with a trio of starters, and worked very differently with each one.
The sweeter fruitier notes of the whisky enhanced the herbaceous notes of the Tempura Kadok; while it also complemented the jackfruit flavours in the Lamb Temosa. It did spike up the spiciness of the gulai for the Cherry Valley Duck Leg Confit, but otherwise complemented the duck meat quite well. Glenglassaugh Sendend went well with the Umai (bottom right), and the Grilled Beans with petai, asparagus, winged beans and okra.
The next pairing with Glenglassaugh Sendend was more adventurous. Inspired by the crescent beach of Sandend Bay where the distillery resides, the whisky is matured in bourbon, sherr.
