Blood orange and chocolate with Highland Park 12

It’s not often I come across such a good dessert pairing, let alone one with whisky but here’s a stellar one from L Mulligan Grocer in Dublin which offers whisky pairings with all its desserts

The one we chose was called simply 'blood orange and chocolate'. It was actually quite a complex and sophisticated combination of candied slices of blood orange, a very short, crumbly ‘double’ chocolate shortcake, dark chocolate mousse, bitter orange purée, oatmeal praline and sea salt caramel.

The whisky they paired with it was a rich-tasting, spicy Highland Park 12 which you’d have thought would be way too strong for it but was actually spot on - one of those comparatively rare combinations where each element of the partnership - food and drink - enhances the other. The bitterness of the orange, I think, particularly helped bringing out a fruity, almost orangey element in the whisky.

It goes to show there’s more potential in pairing whisky with food than most imagine.