Speyside Whisky Festival 2003 

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival at Cluny Bank Hotel, Forres

We returned again to Speyside for the 2003 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th May, 2003 at the Cluny Bank Hotel, 69 St. Leonard's Road, Forres.

Whisky Classified was illustrated by a sponsored malt whisky tasting, followed by a whisky-themed gourmet dinner created by resident chef Pamela van Ankeren.  In addition, on Saturday 3rd May 2003 we hosted a whole day of distillery visits with lunch and mini-bus transport included:
-- Kick-start the day with a full Scottish "whisky" breakfast
-- VIP tour and malt whisky Masterclass with Bob Dalgarno, Macallan's Maltmaster
-- Lunch at Johnstone's of Elgin, followed by a tour of Glen Grant and a stroll in Major Grant's Victorian gardens with a dram at the waterfall
-- Rendezvous with salmon leaping in the Glen of Rothes, at Speyburn Distillery

The Wonderful World of Whisky
 Gourmet Whisky-Themed Dinner
Cluny Bank Hotel, Forres
Friday 2 - Sunday 4 May 2003

Resident Chef Pamela van Ankeren and Whisky Writer David Wishart hosted more mouth-watering, candle-lit,  whisky-themed gourmetdinners for the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in 2003.

Guests were welcomed with a whisky cordial cooler followed by a five-course dinner in the restaurant.  Alongside each course we served a carefully-matched malt whisky to illustrate the range of cardinal flavours described in Whisky Classified, and the same whisky was incorporated into the soup, sauce or cream that accompanied the dish.  David Wishart guided the diners through the flavours, adding notes on the character of each malt and the history of the distillery.

A special feature in 2004 was David's original recipe for Scottish Herring "Old Pulteney", which was served for the first time on Saturday 3rd May 2003 and subsequently published in the Scotsman and in Old Pulteney's newsletter "The Official Line".  Our recipe is as follows:

    Take two fillets of herring, baste with egg yolk and coat with fine oatmeal both sides.
    Prepare potatoes and seasonal vegetables in advance, and pre-heat serving plate.
    Lightly fry the herring fillets in a shallow pan with salted butter for 3 minutes each side, turning once.  Then flambé with Old Pulteney malt whisky and place the fillets on the heated serving dish and keep warm.  Finally, add single cream to the pan juices and reduce to a sauce stirring continuously, then some more Old Pulteney if necessary for flavouring but avoid boiling at this stage to retain the sharp maritime tang of the sauce.
    Pour the sauce over the herring, add the vegetables, garnish with a wedge of lemon, and season with freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste.  Serve immediately with a glass of Old Pulteney alongside.

Distillers who support David's work contributed all the whiskies used in the sauces and tasting.  The whiskies presented in 2003 were: Ardbeg 10yo, Benromach 15yo, Bruichladdich 10yo, Cutty Sark Scots Whisky, Edradour Cream Whisky Liqueur, Glen Grant 10yo, Highland Park 12yo, Loch Lomond Single Blend, The Macallan 10yo, Old Pulteney 12yo, Speyburn 10yo, Thorncroft Cranbury & Hibiscus Cordial and Thorncroft Pink Ginger Cordial.