To display the flexibility of Chivas Regal whisky, the Scottish distillery created a number of experiences called The Blend over a three-day pop-up event at Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club last October. The event, taking place in a purposefully built dome, featured a whisky masterclass, musical performances, football match viewings, as well as a cocktail and gastronomy pairing experiences to better introduce Chivas’ range of whiskies to Malaysians.
We attended the last facet of the event called Gastronomy+, a multi-sensory dining collaboration curated by Beta KL’s chef Raymond Tham, and enjoyed how his creations left us with an enjoyable aftertaste of whisky and cuisine. Chivas Regal 18 was the bottle chosen for this five-course meal, elected due to its robust 85-note profile which Tham’s menu would distill down to draw attention to five distinct flavours.
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The first dish, named Citrus, arrived in a literal orange featuring marble salmon, Chivas Mizunara infused caviar and a tube of citrus emulsion crowned with an edible flower. The rich taste of salmon, complemented by acidic nuances of citrus and a bittersweet whisky caviar, brought out the Chivas 18’s dark chocolate-like sweetness on the palate.
This was followed up by Floral, a trio of light bites brought together by floral notes – winged beans and banana blossom with torch ginger flower, crispy prawn with lavender Cullen skink and ikura, and compressed watermelon and osmanthus cream. Each mouthful ended with a lengthy floral aftertaste despite managing to hold its own identity. This was mirrored by the Chivas 18, which had a long finish that satisfyingly ended with hints of spiced wood.
Next was Fruity, where the flavours of foie gras torchon worked wonders with an equally bold four-year-old aged cherry compote, creating a medley of umami and acidic bite. Adding to this was duck toilettes croquette, prunes, apple jelly, Chivas XV raisin, kohlrabi and kale. In this course Chivas 18 shined with tastes of berries, orange peel and cherry on the palate.
The last two dishes, Smoky and Creamy, did justice to the whisky’s namesake notes. The former used smoked garlic puree and herbal bah kut teh jus to enhance chargrilled lamb loin, resonating with the peatiness of the whisky. The latter on the other hand, featured a milk chocolate log as the star of dessert, altering Chivas 18’s already long finish with sweeter and creamier sips.
