I don’t want to make you feel too bad if you missed the Four Roses Dinner at Buck’s Restaurant last Thursday night, but it was one of the best food-and-drink pairings I’ve ever had. Each of Executive Chef Andrew Welenken’s five delicious courses enhanced and amplified the Four Roses bourbon expression that accompanied it.
The seared scallop with Yellow Label bourbon and blueberry barbecue sauce sweetened the tasting of Yellow Label. The Single Barrel “brightened” when served with the roast duck and frisee pear salad and its sweet, smoky dressing. After a palate-cleansing Small Batch strawberry mint julep granite, it was time for the main course: Four Roses and maple-glazed pork tenderloin medallion and a sweet potato mousse that really pulled out the molasses in the Small Batch. Dessert was an excellent vanilla bean creme brûlée paired with a taste of the 2011 Limited Edition Single Barrel, which shared the flavor of toasted caramel, almost toffee (more complete tasting notes to come soon).
We also enjoyed a special cocktail, the “Knockout Rose,” made with Four Roses, grenadine, soda and a cherry.
Along the way, Four Roses brand ambassador Al Young, author of “Four Roses – The Return of a Whiskey Legend,” gave his own tasting notes and sampled the history of the best-selling bourbon in Europe and Japan. Among his stories: Four Roses got its name when its founder proposed to a Southern belle who said her corsage at the ball that night would reveal her answer. “Yes” was signified by … Four Roses.
They made a perfect pair – and that tradition continued at the Four Roses Dinner at Buck’s Restaurant.
