The brand Johnnie Walker is one that is familiar on the ears of many around the world. In fact, it is so well-known, it is almost impossible to think of whiskey without conjuring up an image of its famous walking man logo. While the Black and Gold Labels are hardly absent from the table at any party, less is known about the Blue Label and Jonhhie Walker’s most premium range to date – the John Walker & Sons Odyssey.

The two are not unknown because of it lack of quality or reverence, however. Quite the contrary, the Blue Label and the new super-premium release from Johnnie Walker, the Odyssey, are made up of the best in terms of whiskey ingredients, taste and bottle design yet. With such superior quality put into every aspect imaginable of the whiskey, it comes with an eye-popping pricetag and herein lies the main reason why it remains such a mystery to many – it is a luxury many dare only imagine and a lavishness that, at the same time, cultures further enticement.

If in the event you happen to be in the opportunity to have a bottle of either the Blue Label or Odyssey for your sampling, how then do you best enjoy a RM500 and RM3000 a bottle whiskey?

Johnnie Walker’s global brand ambassador Tom Jones was recently in town to share with us exactly that. “Feel free to experiment,” says the whiskey expert who has travelled the world to help provide as much intimate knowledge as he can of Johnnie Walker to whiskey connoisseurs everywhere. “That’s the beauty of a Johnnie Walker whiskey. It’s not like anything can go really wrong.”

To really help us understand the complex flavours of the Blue Label and the Odyssey respectively, Jones invited us for a food pairing luncheon where we got to experience first hand how to fully bring out the best flavours of different foods with the aid of Johnnie Walker’s two best whiskies.

 

Truffled Egg + Johnnie Walker Blue Label 
(Poached egg, barley cream, Swiss chard, egg yolk foam, beef fat vinaigrette, crisp dried beef and truffle batonnet)
Eggs, on their own, are loved for its creamy texture, especially the yolk. With a sip of Johnnie Walker Blue Label neat, the rich taste of the yolk is really brought to the forefront of your taste buds. The fragrance of the barley cream that comes with boiled barley grains sitting at the bottom of the dish was also intensified by the whiskey naturally, given that the Blue Label is a blended whiskey with its main ingredients being – no prizes for guessing – barley.

 

Sea Flavour + Johnnie Walker Blue Label 
(Pan seared cod fish, Jerusalem artichoke puree, sea urchin cream foam, Noisette butter poached Nova Scotia lobster, edible sand, Hokkaido scallops and clams)
You really cannot go wrong with seafood and whiskey. On Jones’s advice, the Blue Label was watered down so that more of its sweet vanilla and honey notes surface, which complemented the sweet lobster flesh and artichoke puree to the T. The whiskey’s cinnamon-ey middle added a nice spice to the cod fish when eaten together and its smoky finish beautifully extended the scallop’s creaminess. The edible sand (a clever play of Japanese roasted seaweed and toasted breadcrumbs) lent a nice crunch to the otherwise mostly chewy seafood.

 

Foie Gras Terrine + John Walker& Sons Odyssey 
(Slow poached Montbazillac cured foie gras terrine with melon jelly, orgeat mousse, pink pepper Florentine and walnut country bread)
Foie gras – usually incredibly rich and heavy on its own – is made lighter and easier on the tongue by being whipped into a sort of mousse terrine first before served with a layer of melon jelly, which is sweet and tangy to mask the cloy. For a dish that is considerably strong and contrasting in flavour, the Odyssey rode along with the fatty and buttery accents with its nutty body, without eclipsing the taste of the liver.

 

Wagyu Beef + Johnnie Walker Blue Label 
(Roast sous-vide cooked Wagyu sirloin Pavé, torched minced Wagyu beef fat, potato truffle mousse line, brussel sprouts,  air dried beef glazed carrots and beef jus)
Jones advised to take small sips of the Blue Label with every bite of the Wagyu to really bring out the meaty and bloody trace (the cube of beef that came was done rare). He also advised against watering it down otherwise it loses its bold centre hence turning more sweet, which would not go well with the beef. Eaten in said manner, the flavour of the red meat really blossomed on the tongue where its smoky aftertaste lingered with the help of the Blue Label.

 

Crème Brulee + John Walker & Sons Odyssey 
(Crème brulee, vanilla smoked brioche, fig jam, chibust, almond milk, panna cotta, raspberry sorbet, milk crisp)
We wouldn’t have thought whiskey would go well with sweets but apparently it does. One part Odyssey and three parts water makes for the perfect mix to add a smoky touch to the crème brulee and balance out the sweetness of the panna cotta. The top fruity notes of the Odyssey also complemented the raspberry sorbet amazingly well by adding more malty and intense layers to the otherwise merely sour dessert.

 

The common misconception most people have about whiskey is that it is best had by itself without fancy tidbits and complicated food flavours. Quite the contrary, the truth is that whiskies are one of the most versatiles drinks to be had and the best way to drink it is however way that pleases your fancy.

“Whiskey is neither a man nor a woman’s drink, nor is it right to say it has to be had a certain way,” says Jones. “Enjoy it however you like, with whatever you like, mixed with any mixer you like." 

With that statement, he raised his glass and we toasted to a whiskey brand that is as old and established as it is versatile to go with anything and everything on the table. 

 

 

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