Heavily peated Octomore sourdough with whisky wash butter

The sourdough is perfectly peated, chewy, and tangy. Craig notes he was worried that the flavour may not have appealed to non-whisky drinking guests but it has been universally applauded. The whisky wash butter is smooth, creamy, and ridiculously decadent. There’s a lot of lactic acid in wash backs and in butter production, so when the whisky wash is used to inoculate the butter “it makes the butter more buttery”.

The presentation of the dish is equally simple but wonderfully executed. The bread sits on a board made out of an old whisky barrel, alongside a piece of smouldering peat, while the butter rests on stones Craig has collected from the shores of Port Bahn in Islay.

Free company hogget with sugar kelp, black walnut, and sea leek

A masterful combination of tender hogget (sheep when it is between a year and two years old), fresh sea leek, Tennent’s Lager vinegar pickled black walnut, and sweet sugar kelp. This dish ticks every box. The hogget is particularly buttery and sumptuous. Paired with the sweetness of the sugar kelp and the gentle savoury notes from the sea leek, the final result is spectacular.

Mussel, bere barley miso, and turnip broth

Simultaneously sweet, salty, and punchy, the unlikely combination of neeps and mussels creates a fascinatingly well-rounded dish. The sweetness of the turnips and the miso shine alongside the mussels' deep umami richness. Simply incredible.

Whiskeria Spring 2024 is in store now, and in selected WH Smiths.