Whisky Focus - Whisky & Music Pairings Mark Glen Moray Visitor Centre 20th Anniversary

Single malt whisky tastings are well known for engaging your sense of sight, smell, and taste, but as I am sure many of you already know there is another sense that can contribute to your overall whisky drinking pleasure and that is sound, or to be more precise, music.

The folks at Glen Moray are obviously well aware of the pleasure that pairing whisky with music can add to your enjoyment of whisky as earlier this month they celebrated the Glen Moray Visitor Centre’s 20th anniversary by pairing a few expressions of the Glen Moray Speyside single malt whisky with some music.

Music is very much like whisky in that everyone has their own preferences and they may turn to a different style depending on their mood or the occasion but I am sure you will agree it is without a doubt that music can enhance the experience of tasting different whisky expressions. From smooth, smoky blues to the raw, experimental notes of indie, pop, rock or classical music, their is a music track to pair with the whisky in your glass.

So, what type of music makes the perfect match? Glen Moray enlisted its team of whisky experts/avid music fans to find out.

Glen Moray’s Global Brand Ambassador and Visitor Centre Manager Iain Allan, along with Key Account Manager David McLauchlan, both passionate music fans, eagerly took on the challenge. Writer and musician Felipe Schrieberg also joined the effort for the Glen Moray Visitor Centre’s 20th anniversary celebrations which took place on July 6th, where he performed and hosted a special whisky and music gig tasting alongside his Rhythm and Booze Project co-founder Paul Archibald.

Felipe commented "So much about enjoying whisky doesn't just come down to knowing how it was made, or how 'fancy' it might be - the context in which you're drinking it can play just as important a role. In this way, music is the ultimate context-creator. Different sounds, tones and frequencies can radically shift the way your brain perceives the world around it, including the whisky you're smelling and tasting. As a result, there's few greater joys than pairing whiskies and music together."

Musical genres can be an acquired taste however. And when it came to creating their track list one thing became clear for this musical trio: there really is a match made in musical heaven for most whisky occasions.

Less mash tun and more mash up, below are their top 20 tracks:

A Whisky Party

• David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes
• Prince – I Feel for You
• Bob Seger – Old Time Rock and Roll
• Gary Clark Jr & Junkie XL – Come Together
• The Black Crowes – Hard to Handle

• Carole King – It's too late
• Eddy Vedder – Society
• Noah Kahan – Stick Season
• Zac Brown Band – Toes
• Dionne Warwick – Walk on by

• Bill Withers – Lean on Me
• Chris Stapleton – Tennessee Whiskey
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand
• Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
• The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun
• Reflections with a dram
• Tom Waits – I hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You
• Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
• Chris Stapleton – South Dakota
• James Bay – Let It Go

When it comes to pairing Glen Moray expressions, why not try one of Iain’s four favourite combinations:

Black Crowes Hard to Handle Paired With Glen Moray Port Cask Finish:
At a party you need a whisky that is welcoming for all and what better choice than the Glen Moray Port Cask Finish. Also, what better tune to kick off a gathering than this Otis Reading cover. Chris Robinson and crew take this classic and ramp it up with a great rock vibe...the original works here also!

Dionne Warwick Walk on By Paired With Glen Moray 15 Year Old:
Smooth tones need a smooth dram and here we can pull out the Glen Moray 15yr which effortlessly marries Sherry and Bourbon aged whisky to create a wonderful kaleidoscope of flavours. The perfect smooth track to match? You’d be hard pushed to find a better song than this.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Red Right Hand Paired With Glen Moray 21 Year Old:
A song that is considered one of the best from one of the world’s best bands needs a whisky which is just as highly revered. The award-winning Glen Moray 21yr is more than a match for such a classic. This whisky has spent most of its maturation in bourbon barrels creating a rich, sweet profile that is enhanced by a couple years of finishing in the finest tawny port casks. Pairing this with a song that has had a second life with a new audience, after being used as the theme tune for Peaky Blinders, also seems fitting for a whisky that takes on a new life after the finishing.

Tom Waits I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love with You Paired With Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Peated Rioja:
Ahh Tom Waits! In my opinion probably the artist best suited for kicking back and enjoying a dram. It has to be something smoky for this one, to evoke the feeling of a moody bar with Tom at the piano. The new Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Peated Rioja fits the bill just nicely, a smoky, cask strength that has a powerful edge but also has an elegant richness to it. You could pick any one of Tom Waits back catalogue for my money but this one just edges it.

You will find all these drams and the whole Glen Moray whisky range available from specialist online whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt if you want to buy any of the music tracks or albums I sugest your head over to Amazon music section.
 

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