A grain to glass whisky dining experience

Scottish Highland distillery, Glenmorangie, have teamed up with one of Sydney’s prime waterfront restaurants, Kinsleys, to deliver a special four-course menu designed to be enjoyed with some of Glenmorangie’s finest drams. It sounds like the perfect winter treat and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing it for myself – here’s a preview of what you can expect.

Grain to Glass

Perched right on the edge of the harbour at Sydney’s iconic Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo, Kingsley’s are probably best known as a premium steakhouse and seafood restaurant. But for the rest of June, they’re offering diners another winter-warmer option with their Grain to Glass menu, delivered in partnership with Glenmorangie single malt scotch whisky.

A refreshing Glenmorangie Original + Tonic was served on arrival, which was a perfect palate awakener for the first course which was soon to arrive. Can’t say I’ve ever tried whisky and tonic before, but the combination was eye-opening and I think I’ve found myself a new summer drink.

Freshly-shucked Sydney rock oysters were served along-side Glenmorangie’s Quinta Ruban; a whisky finished in port casks for two years, after ten years of initial maturation in ex-bourbon barrels.

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or was the next dram we were invited to explore, alongside a pearl-barley risotto of spanner crab, lemon, charred radicchio and almond. Extra matured in sweet wine barriques from Sauternes, France, this dessert-like whisky has long been one of my favourites. The chewy barley-texture of the risotto and smoky char of the radicchio played nicely against the malty sweetness of Nectar d’Or.

The third course was venison (cooked two-ways) and smoked kipfler potatos. Glenmorangie Lasanta – extra-matured in Oloroso and PX sherry casks – was the accompanying dram here and was another solid choice in my opinion. The sweetness, dried-fruit notes and spice from the sherry casks helped tie the dish together, playing off nicely against the fermented cherry jus and rich gamey character of the venison.

The savoury elements were enjoyable, but I’m a bit of a sucker for dessert and the caramelised brioche, date ice cream, pedro ximenez and hazelnut brittle was a great combination. Very happy to report that it tasted as good as it sounds, and paired along-side Glenmorangie’s flagship Signet whisky, it was a fitting end to a decadent meal.

The Glenmorangie x Kingsleys Grain to Glass menu is available until 30 June for $130 per person. For full details, you can check the menu out here. Special thanks to both Glenmorangie & Kingsleys for the enjoyable evening.