04 August,2013 05:00 AM IST | | Tanmoy Mitra
"Never put ice in your scotch. I shiver at the thought. Drinking a rare scotch with anything but a dash of water is like being out in freezing cold without your clothes on," says Whyte and Mackay's master blender Richard Paterson, in all seriousness. Paterson should know. After all he is the third generation master blender in his family and the man nicknamed âthe nose' even has his nose insured!
Whyte and Mackay's Richard Paterson is a third -generation master blender in his family and is nicknamed âthe nose' as his nose is insured for £1.5 mn
In India to celebrate 130 years of Black Dog Scotch whisky and the India launch of the rare 21 YO premium whisky, a special blend created by him, he gave us a few golden tips into the art of whisky drinking..
>> To enjoy the premium taste and aroma of a good whisky, it should be taken with just a dash of water. Ice and aerated water will kill the actual taste of the whisky.
>>u00a0The 21 YO has 42.8 per cent alcohol content and the dash (about two spoonfulls) of water is added to reduce the alcohol content to around 35 per cent, which, according to Paterson is the ideal way to drink it.
>>u00a0It is important not to drink any good whisky too fast, unless you need to recover from shock! Sip it slowly, roll and hold it in the mouth for 20 seconds to discover the true taste.
>>u00a0It is a myth that whisky and sweet do not complement each other. In fact marzipan, creme brulee and dark chocolate (at least 72 per cent cocoa), are some of the best pairings with a great scotch.
>>u00a0Of course, it can also be paired well with mildly spicy prawn or chicken starters.
We paired it on a wet and windy afternoon, with some mouth-watering lemon butter prawns, crispy Hunan chicken and a Tiramisu. Trust us, it was heaven.
