The WiFi code displayed on the departure board at the Eurostar terminal ahead of Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s new launch in Paris could hardly have been more apt given how elevated ‘experience’ is in the Elusive Umami expression.
Master blender Emma Walker has worked with Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Kei to help create a new whisky drawn from a very select number of casks picked at the height of their maturation to impart a distinct and complex profile.
The collaboration marks a step change away from a simple “blending experience” towards “gastronomic exploration” that pushes the boundaries of how whisky is typically perceived and enjoyed.
It aligns whisky with beverages such as Champagne that are drunk in the moment and enjoyed for the experience as much as the taste, leaving behind old notions that popping the cork on a special bottle should be the preserve of only a handful of rare occasions.
Earth, wind and water
Bringing to life the experiential characteristics of Elusive Umami was a nine-course tasting menu prepared by chef Kobayashi and served as part of a journey through the elements of earth, wind and water.
Stood at a round table ahead of the event, dubbed a ‘taste for the senses’, guests were urged to try to “think differently” about the relationship between food and whisky, and “welcome time” as they made their way around the intriguing installations.
The menu was both fascinating and challenging in equal measure.
Some dishes, such as the Hay-smoked lobster with mushroom fricassee, shared a very obvious synergy with the earthy and autumnal notes of the Elusive Umami blend, while others, such as the Gorgonzola foam with muesli, worked to elevate the more elusive characteristics, such as fruit and nuts.
An entry dish of Buckwheat waffle with Kaviari “Kristal” caviar is the recommended dish of choice with the dram, drawing out the subtle, Talisker-esque hints of maritime smoke.
The pigeon, meanwhile, served to draw out the mulled spices and was a masterful mix of flavours harmonised with the utmost precision.
Seldom do we get to enjoy a mouthful of food as brilliantly conceived as that.
The many faces of Blue Label Elusive Umami
It is for that reason that the pigeon was perhaps the most suited culinary expression of the Blue Label Elusive Umami in that it spoke to the complexity of the dram.
The colour is a deep amber hue reminiscent of Drambuie, while there are hints of fresh apples, peaches, walnuts and ripe berries on the nose.
Some of the spicier elements give way to sweet notes of vanilla and salt on the palate, displaying an enjoyably long finish. Smoke is there, but it is fleeting and is perfectly balanced against the smooth flavours.
As umami and elusive suggest, there is a certain je ne sais quoi on show, or perhaps as countryman Thiery Henry would say, a “va va voom”.
Make sure to get your hands on this one before it’s too late. And whatever you do, don’t let it simply gather dust on the shelf.
Pre-order Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami on Amazon from 2nd October 2023, RRP £300
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