Appetizers for Scotch Tasting
All scotch is whisky, but not all whisky is scotch — the same way all champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne. Scotch is whisky made in Scotland, from distillation and ageing through to bottling.
Scotch is made from malted barley, while American whiskey is typically made from corn, with rye and wheat also common. None of that is scotch — not bourbon, not Tennessee whiskey, not Irish whiskey. Indian whisky, mostly made from molasses, doesn’t meet the globally accepted standard for whisky or whiskey either. Ask for “whisky” in London, or anywhere else in Scotland, and you’ll be served scotch; ask for “whiskey” in Ireland and you’ll get Irish whiskey. In the United States it’s simpler still: ask for whiskey and you get whiskey, which may be bourbon — if you want scotch, you ask for it by name.
Those distinctions matter here because they shape the choice of appetizer. There are plenty of good pairings for scotch tasting, but not every appetizer suits every style, so it’s worth knowing the differences before you set the table.
Laphroaig is smoky and bold. Glenmorangie is sweet. Glenlivet is woody, almost chocolaty, with a musty edge. Glenfiddich is oaky with a strong flavor. Macallan spans a wide range, especially moving from a ten-year to a twelve-year and beyond. The same appetizer won’t work equally well across all of these — you don’t want to overwhelm the scotch, leave a bitter aftertaste (these are best drunk neat, maybe with ice on a hot day), or end up with a pairing that does nothing for either the food or the drink.
- Cheese is one of the safest choices. Reach for something strong, like Roquefort, alongside a smoky scotch, and something softer, like brie, with a sweet one. A platter with cheddar, havarti, Gouda and Swiss lets guests pick what suits their glass.
- Chocolate pairs well with most scotch whiskies — as long as it’s dark. Skip milk chocolate and candy; anything too sweet will drown out the whisky’s own flavor.
- Fruit is a healthy option, but stick to pears and apples. Oranges, grapes and other citrus clash badly with scotch and are best left off the table.
- For simple snacks, skip calorie-heavy potato chips and reach for rye chips, sesame chips or rice crackers instead. A bowl of plain salted peanuts works well too.
It’s tempting to bring out pork ribs, lamb chops, barbecue chicken or grilled fish, but none of these belong at a scotch tasting — save them for later. Their dominant flavors and spices will overpower even a fine single malt, and the point of the evening is to let the scotch itself take the lead.