Our second time experiencing a Rob Roy Society Dinner simply proved testament to the positivity expressed in our first review; it certainly wasn’t just a once off.
Last week, we headed in to Rob Roy Hotel for their exclusive Laphroaig whiskey tasting and paired dinner, encompassing five different Laphroaig whiskeys and five different Rob Roy dishes. Erika, a trained premium spirit geek and ambassador, played host for the night, sharing a plethora of whiskey wisdom to an intrigued, eager-to-learn crowd.
At the whiskey dinner
It was a full house, set out with three long tables complete with cutlery and water provided in emptied Laphroaig bottles, keeping with the theme of the night. The cleverly named Three Little Pigs Aranchi dish was our first, made using three versions of pork: bacon, chorizo and pancetta. It was served alongside Laphroaig’s Select Cask which Erika desribed as a ‘breakfast Laphroaig.’ This whiskey bore a lot of sweetness for a whiskey, and is aged in five different casks.
Three Little Pigs Aranchini
Laphroaig Select Cask
As Erika continued, she informed us of the common characteristics in every Laphroaig, describing it as having a strong salty, kind of seaweedy flavour profile which meant people either loved it or seriously despised it. As not quite the biggest whiskey drinkers, we couldn’t really make up our mind on that one! The Select Cask went divinely with the aranchini as the subtle saltiness complimented the saltiness of the meat, however, the notable sweetness also cut through the salt in the dish to ensure it wasn’t too overpowering.
Next up were two delicious Streaky Bay Oysters, one fried with seaweed that tasted similar to battered fish and one raw and natural of a soft, mushy texture. Each dish came paired with a plastic dropper, used to suck up the paired whiskey and to drop the whiskey into the raw oyster.
A sprinkle of oceany Nori salt completed this highly-salty yet more-ish dish and it came paired with the Laphroaig aged 10 years, which went tremendously well when dropped into the oyster. This is the most well known Laphroaig whiskey and is one that is more modern, having come about as a response to a giant whiskey boom according to our host Erika.
Dropping Laphroaig 10 into our oyster
In between dishes, Erika taught us more about whiskey ageing, divulging the different kinds of oaks it is aged in and just how important these oaks really are. We found it particularly interesting that American Oak and European Oak are the most popular, and that their characteristics amusingly mimic that of their respective nationalities. American Oak is big and brass, exuding highly sweet flavours while the European Oak is a little more complex and tends to develop flavours of the more subtle, hot spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
Seared scallop, pancetta and whiskey butter came next alongside the powerful Laphroaig Quarter Cask which left a distinct burn on the nose. It is a strong 48% alcohol content and there is more wood interaction with the Quarter Cask seeing as the barrel is smaller. There are strong stony/woody characteristics that come through and, due to its strength, we were recommended to add water to it. Although this one tastes less disinfectant-y, it certainly has more of an after-burn on the throat.
Seared scallops and Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Our final savoury and main dish was a delectable pink, tender Roasted Beef Sirloin paired with the Laphroaig Triple Wood which was (as written word for word in our notes) pure fire. It was a whiskey full of complexity from the European Oak, strong of cinnamon and nutmeg. There are not many whiskeys aged in multiple casks like the Triple Wood is, probably because its quite a long process. The whiskey went delightfully alongside the basic yet tasteful flavours of a simple roast beef and root vegetable dish with whiskey jus!
Roasted Beef Sirloin and Laphroaig Triple Wood
Of course, Rob Roy finished on a winning dessert which was incredibly rich and sweet in flavour. This Smoked banana and chocolate pudding came with salted caramel and in the form of melted liquid chocolate-y goodness. The Laphroaig Lore was its counterpart beverage: a whiskey in which its recipe is kept mostly unrevealed, which meant Erika couldn’t give us too much information on the exact details of how it is made. All she was able to tell us was that it was delicately crafted and of a wide mixture.
Smoked banana and chocolate pudding
A massive thank you to Rob Roy Hotel and Laphroaig for having us down; it was an informative night but also a very fun one! We’re looking forward to our next adventure with Rob Roy.
