On Monday, Drinks Trade was invited by William Grant & Sons to an exclusive preview of The Balvenie Residence, an Australia-first luxury two day experience launched in partnership with boutique NSW Southern Highlands hotel Osborn House. Designed as the ultimate luxury escape for whisky enthusiasts and lovers of fine dining, the experience stands as a hallmark example of connecting premium whisky with its consumers.
“The Balvenie and Osborn House share a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, and I’m thrilled that we can bring such a special experience to Australian whisky drinkers,” said Joey Chisholm, Brand Ambassador.
“I was lucky enough to recently visit our distillery in Dufftown Scotland and what I took away was the truly inspiring dedication, passion and teamwork that goes into handcrafting each dram of our whisky. On my first visit to Osborn House, I felt that same energy. The team's hospitality is infectious and the experience they create is a level of luxury unlike anywhere else in Australia.”
The Balvenie Residence also marks a continuation of The Balvenie’s belief in pairing whiskies with food cooked over fire. Long-term The Balvenie partner Lennox Hastie curated and cooked the preview Residence’s menu, with next year’s public release to be handled by Osborn House Head Chef Axell Torres and its new Fire Kitchen restaurant.
Chisholm said, “we hope each guest enjoys the perfect pairing dinner Osborn House’s head chef Axel and I have put together. There is nothing better than fresh produce over the open flame and a drop of our cask-finished single malt.”
The launch event also featured a number of additional activities designed to immerse attendees in the connection between whisky and nature. This started with a visit to Mussett Holdings Regenerative Farm, where chef Lennox Hastie sourced ingredients for the day's lunch.
Unsurprisingly, given the long-term collaborative partnership between Firedoor restaurant and The Balvenie, the lunch menu prepared by Hastie offered valuable insight into the potential of food and whisky pairings, and included:
First course - Surf N' Turf - Oyster, Seaweed & Kangaroo, Juniper Shady's Pumpkin Bread. Smoked Butter, and Malted Barley - was paired with The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old.
Next up, Rainbow Trout, Paperbark Mussett Sugarloaf Cabbage, Spiced Yoghurt, and Trout Roe was paired with The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old.
The third course of Kiwami Beef, Mussett Mushrooms, and Toasted Yeast was paired with The Balvenie Pineau Cask 16 Year Old
And dessert - Torrija, Bochet Mead Cream, and Will's Rhubarb was paired with The Balvenie Portwood 21 Year Old.
Over the past few years, The Balvenie and Firedoor have partnered up to educate patrons about their shared parallels regarding the complex symbiotic relationship between wood and ingredients. This includes shining a light on the importance of the variety of wood in use. At Firedoor, Ironbark is used for roughly 50% of all cooking tasks, although additions of cherry wood, apple wood, wine barrels and, naturally, whisky barrels, are all carefully employed to alter the final profile of the dishes being created. On top of the unique flavour characteristics imparted, the use of The Balvenie casks helps to explain the influence of wood on flavour in a novel, consumer-friendly way.
The Balvenie Residence will be available to the general public from May to June next year, with packages starting from $2,500. To book or to learn more, click here.
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