Eight is enough

I got to do something pretty awesome this week … if you’re a food and whisky lover.

I was invited to this …

It was the launch of Diageo’s 2023 Special Releases Single Malt Scotch Collection, at a very glamorous bar called Eau De Vie.

The evening paired divine morsels of food with eight rare and collectable whiskies across a variety of ages and spirit characters, including Talisker Non Age Declared, The Wild Explorador; The Singleton 14 Year Old, The Silk Atelier; Lagavulin 12 Year Old, The Ink of Legends; Mortlach Non Age Declared, The Katana’s Edge; Clynelish 10 Year Old, The Jazz Crescendo; and Glenkinchie 27 Year Old, The Floral Treasure.

They ranged in price from $170 a bottle to $599 a bottle. I didn’t know that before I tasted them and my favourites were the Clynelish and Mortlach (at $240 and $399 respectively). Look at me having favourites!

You had to sip them very sparingly though because they had a lot of grunt – some came in at almost 60% ABV.

The food was out of this world … each one paired with a different whisky … Abrolhos Island scallop, green apple, pickled grape; Bay of Fires cheddar profiterole, honey, pink pepper; charred wagyu beef tartare, fennel, brown butter, anchovy; white chocolate macaron, hazelnut, salted caramel; king prawn toast, caribbean spices, pandan, pineapple; caramelised butternut pumpkin, brown rice miso, sesame; Berry’s Creek oak blue cheese, fig, black pepper, tarragon; and 72% chocolate and coffee truffle, raspberry, agave.

OMG so insanely fabulous.

I was already a delicious morsel fan. Now I’m a whisky and food pairing convert.

I could eat that charred wagyu beef tartare and king prawn toast for breakfast, lunch and dinner forever. And the macaron was the finest I’ve ever savoured.

As for those Abrolhos Island scallops … the Abrolhos Islands are extremely high up on my bucket list. Hopefully I get there in the next year or two (the island are off the coast of Geraldton in Western Australia).

The company at the whisky event was great too – my friend Oliver from The Whisky List was there and we had been fortuitously seated together. We had BULK FUN.

The only thing I didn’t like was the two influencers who talked to each other THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH the presentation. Their rudeness made me feel quite murderous. Entitlement has replaced good manners in some circles.

Afterwards I raced home on the bus to tidy up the apartment because DD was popping in for a viewing. He’d been in the city too after having a business dinner just a few blocks away from where I was sipping whisky.

Weirdly it had been months since he visited – I usually head to his place. He declared the apartment to be “looking great” after all the handyman fixes.

Yesterday was a little less fun. I had a mammogram. My right boob really didn’t appreciate the sideways flattening. Ouch! And wow did I talk off the ear of the ultrasound guy.

I also looked like I had the pox after being attacked from head to ankle by sea lice over the weekend. I was quite the sight lying there covered in gel and itchy red lumps, with my boob hanging out. Sexy.

But the doctor reviewed my scans and gave me the all clear, so there’s a happy ending.

And the day finished with me making this delicious Tin Eats recipe for poor man’s cassoulet …

A little ironic after my feast the night before.

And now, because the world is too small, I invited Oliver (a few weeks ago) to join me for another function this evening – so we’re catching up twice in one week!

The date for tonight’s even was moved once the organisers realised they were clashing with World Margarita Day, Mardi Gras and other festivities. Unfortunately I’d sent Oliver an invite with the original date and he was on his way when I realised – in horror – my error.

But he has forgiven me, thank heavens.

I will hopefully fill you in tomorrow, but the day is shaping up to be one of the busiest of the year, which is saying something.

If I run out of tine have a fabulous weekend.

Song of the day: Iggy Azalea “I’m so fancy”