Whisky and music.  Can it work?  Whisky has successfully been paired and matched with dinner courses, cheese, chocolate, coffee, ice-cream and beer.  About the only pairing struggled with is the concept of Whisky & Music.  It’s admittedly a far less tangible concept than pairing whisky to food and beverages, not to mention a more subjective pursuit.  After all, people’s tastes and preferences in music cover a far more diverse (and sensitive) spectrum, and it’s difficult to assign objectivity to the applicability or success of any match.   For example, who’s to say a 10 year old Talisker is lifted or enhanced by drinking it to Beethoven’s Third Symphony any better than it would if paired with ‘Uprising’ by Muse?  Does a malt with a long finish work well with a song that has a long ending?

Whisky as I’m sure you’ve discovered by now – is a very versatile drink.  It can be enjoyed any number of ways (neat, over ice, with a mixer, etc. it’s a key ingredient in many cocktails; and it can be paired beautifully with a large number of foods and other beverages.  Such culinary matchings are now the norm, and whisky dinners – featuring malts that are specifically matched to the food courses are almost passe.

But it wasn’t always this way.  Attitudes to and experiences with whisky were once fairly narrow in their vision.  In fact, it was only as recently as 20 years ago that matching whisky to food became a “thing”.   Internationally, it was probably the work by Martine Nouet through Whisky Magazine that brought attention to the craft and skill of matching whisky to food.

Over time, whisky came to be paired with many different things.  I’ve hosted my fair share of Whisky & Cheese events over the years, and this also grew to incorporate many events that showcased Whisky & Chocolate, Whisky & Beer, Whisky & Coffee, and Whisky & Ice Cream.  And, whilst it’s a practice I don’t personally endorse, Whisky & Cigars is also a popular pursuit.

About the only pairing I’ve struggled with is the concept of Whisky & Music.  It’s admittedly a far less tangible concept than pairing whisky to food and beverages, not to mention a more subjective pursuit.  After all, people’s tastes and preferences in music cover a far more diverse (and sensitive) spectrum, and it’s difficult to assign objectivity to the applicability or success of any match.   For example, who’s to say a 10 year old Talisker is lifted or enhanced by drinking it to Beethoven’s Third Symphony any better than it would if paired with ‘Uprising’ by Muse?  Does a malt with a long finish work well with a song that has a long ending?

Having said that, I do like the idea of bringing the last of the senses into whisky appreciation.  The enjoyment of whisky already exercises sight, smell, taste, and touch.  (We use sight to admire the whisky’s colour; we use smell to take in the spirit’s nose/bouquet; we use taste to enjoy the flavor; and our tongue, cheeks, and gums exercise touch or feel as they’re impacted by the whisky’s texture and heat).  On that note, you could also read this article, “Listen to your whisky“.  But pairing whisky and music lacks objectivity – what is the yardstick and how do we account for personal musical taste?   It is thus an individual pursuit.  Experience has been that a successful match relies more on mood than it does on, say, rhythm or melody.  Whisky certainly has a mood and a character – a malt can be soft or aggressive; it can be bombastic or it can be contemplative.  It can be vibrant and awakening or it can be calming/soothing.  Some whiskies are even soulful.  And, thus, there are musical genres and certainly songs that share those characteristics and an appropriate pairing can yield a result that is better than the sum of the parts.