Last month I made the long, but exciting, trip to India to host the “Glenfiddich City Trail 2012” in cities across the southern part of the country.

In each location I hosted a tasting session, single malt master class and a bespoke gourmet dinner where dishes inspired by local cuisine were paired with rare Glenfiddich Malts. I am a great food lover, so didn’t need to be asked twice when the opportunity to do the trip came up!

I recently read a piece by Aparna Batra, a Country Manager at William Grant & Sons India, who shared my belief that, with the right menu selection, our delicate malts not only go exceedingly well with Indian food, but they actually enhance the dishes considerably.

My journey began on 9th October in Goa and on the menu was a selection of Portuguese delicacies, including innovative dishes prepared especially for the evening. One such dish was the Spiced Lamb Racks with Whisky Soaked Morels, which was offset by the fruity and warming Glenfiddich 18 Year Old.

Next up was Bangalore on 11th October. Here we enjoyed an Anglo-Indian menu, prepared by Chef Narang at Mynt restaurant. The menu drew inspiration from the Colonial era, featuring many popular Western dishes infused with spices and other local ingredients.

In Chennai we held a joint event with the Taj group of hotels who, like us, are celebrating their 125th anniversary this year. One of my favourite dishes from the night was the Vietnamese Chicken Red Curry and Crispy Fried Lamb with Satay Sauce, fused with Indian spices and paired with the crisp, peppery Glenfiddich 21 Year Old.

The final stop of my tour took me to Hyderabad on 13th October, where I enjoyed a menu of modern Japanese fusion cuisine. I particularly enjoyed the spicy entrées like the Asian Button Mushrooms and Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Robatayaki Sauce, which were accentuated perfectly by the fruity, honey-textured Glenfiddich 18 year Old.

The greatest challenge I find when pairing whiskies with food is ensuring they complement each other, rather than one flavour overpowering the rest. On my trip, I was especially intrigued by the explosive, myriad flavours of Indian food, which make pairing a real challenge. It’s a process of trial and error of course, so I sampled as many dishes as possible, just to be sure!

Until the next time, Slainte!