Which foods pair best with whisky?

I’ve been a bit of a sceptic in the past about pairing food with whisky. Not that there aren’t some great combinations but I find it hard to sustain for more than one dish.

Whisky distillers are constantly trying to persuade me to the contrary, inviting me to events pairing whisky with Indian or Italian food but it all seems slightly forced*. Even for a whisky lover there are other drinks that work better.

However there are exceptions and here are some suggestions, divided up by whisky style, with some additional input from whisky expert Dave Broom. Needless to say the better and, generally, older the whisky the more intriguing and complex the pairing.

Light fragrant whiskies with a touch of sweetness - e.g. Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie

Sushi (though whisky expert Dave Broom tells me that other styles can work well too)
Smoked salmon (especially wild salmon and other delicate smokes)
Dressed crab
Cullen skink (smoked haddock soup)
Cock-a-leekie (clear chicken and leek soup)
Parsnip soup
Kedgeree
Bread and butter pudding
Cranachan (whipped cream and whisky with toasted oatmeal and raspberries)
Soft, creamy cheeses

Medium bodied whiskies with some peat influence e.g. Bruichladdich, BNJ (Baillie Nicol Jarvie)

Smoked mackerel
Smoked mussels
Smoked oysters
Smoked duck
Smoked venison
Duck or chicken liver paté
Seared scallops and bacon
Black cod (Nobu-style) - also good with the Japanese whisky Hanyu King of Diamonds apparently
Haggis
Roast or braised pheasant
Pheasant or guineafowl with a creamy wild mushroom sauce

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