Ask anyone about their first impression of whisky, and chances are they would tell you it felt like an “old person” thing — always serious, often enjoyed neat, sometimes on the rocks, with a bowl of smoked nuts and a brooding attitude. The scene was set for us to find out when an invitation to board a 13-hour flight to London and on to the homeland of whisky, Scotland, to discover The Singleton’s new Gourmand Collection came. Could this be another demonstration of the poshness of whisky?

The buildup was intense: the snazzy location for this launch event — at The Connaught in Mayfair, London — only set the bar higher as we were led through the grand façade of the hotel. The dress code said cocktail, but the men all donned nothing less than impeccably tailored suits. Once we arrived at our tasting suites at the Red Room however, the hoity-toity impression vapourised immediately, replaced by a spirit of exuberance as we were presented with a trio of 50cl bottles adorned in playful bronze, gold and pink. On each bottle beside The Singleton logo, the 42 digits in gold were the most noticeable bit on the label, signalling the extremities we were about to experience — just how long these whiskies have matured, how each expression was designed to evoke the essence of fine desserts and how £8,800-worth of whisky would taste like.

At The Singleton, indulgence comes in the form of a liberty to play, to experiment and to push the boundaries of flavour. To demonstrate the depth of flavours of the 42-year-old Gourmand Collection, along with the boundless versatility when it comes to whisky pairings, it called upon the brilliance of Master Pâtissier Nicolas Rouzaud, who runs his eponymous patisserie at The Connaught.

For this taste experiment, Rouzaud presents three cakes to complement each of the whiskies. Matured with charred bourbon and finished in Amarone wine casks, the Black Cherry Gâteau Single Malt Scotch Whisky boasts strong notes of ripened black cherries. The accompanying cake crafted with rich chocolate and Griottines cherries brought out the whisky’s vibrant cherry notes. Next on the lineup was the Caramelised Crème Brûlée Single Malt Scotch Whisky, which has notes of baked vanilla custard. Heavily charred in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-Grand Cru Chardonnay barrels, this single malt is notably silkier, brighter and vanilla-forward. “What goes best with Crème Brûlée? Crème Brûlée, of course!” laughs Global Malt Whisky Ambassador Ervin Trykowski. Complementing this Single Malt was a reimagined version of a crème brûlée, combining puff pastry, flan and caramel cream to bring out the rich, velvety texture and the decadent, caramelised flavours of the dram. Lastly, the Fig & Chocolate Ganache Single Malt Scotch Whisky variant was presented in its splendour, featuring rich notes of cocoa, the warmth of fresh spices and ripened berries attributed to the European and American Oak casks. To pair, Rouzaud presented a surprisingly airy sponge cake that combines dried fig, silky mousse and a crisp base that offsets the richness of the chocolate.

It is noteworthy that The Gourmand Collection and Rouzaud’s fabulous desserts speak eloquently in nuances, not novelty for the sake of novelty. Far from a literal interpretation of their source, like say, a banana-scented pen or coffee-flavoured lip balms, consider the Single Malts presented as an extrapolation — a suggestion that tests one’s imagination, olfactory and gustatory senses.

“These cakes were not made with whisky at all,” Rouzaud confirms. The Singleton’s nuances come from their expertise in layering their casks to create a depth of flavours that draws from memories and other spirits we love. “What we want to create at The Singleton is to showcase a sense of playfulness, even at a serious price point. We pair gin with everything, why not do the same with whisky?” offers master blender Dr Craig Wilson. Across 42 years of maturation for the Gourmand Collection (the three expressions spend their first 13 years matured the same way before diverging into their respective casks for the next 29), The Singleton exudes an idea of being timeworn, but not weathered. Much like an individual who has aged well, you would find that each expression still possesses a youthful exuberance found in the brightness of its flavours.

To understand The Singleton’s artistry one must begin at its origins, in the Scottish Highlands. Praised for the rich, nutritious soil, the Black Isle — 20 minutes away from Inverness, where the Glen Ord Distillery is located — is where The Singleton sources its barley. Once harvested, a long and arduous process begins at the distilleries, namely Glen Ord, Glendullan and Dufftown.

During the distillery tour at Glen Ord, where 40,000 tonnes of barley are processed yearly, it is evident that slow and steady is The Singleton’s point of differentiation when creating their signature expressions. The process begins with a standard twoday steeping process to “wake up” the barley, after which it is left to germinate for four days before being dried and ground for mashing. Where The Singleton truly takes its time begins after — fermenting the barley for 75 hours (instead of 46), and slowly distilling them with warm water to create more complex flavours. However, rendering its house style is more than just an act of letting the barley mature for as long as possible.

This is evident even when comparing The Singleton of Glendullan 12 and The Singleton of Dufftown 21, the former’s symphony of flavours leans more towards fragrant and vanilla while the latter is reminiscent of toffee, burnt orange and berries. “Time in casks is what gives our fresh stills character, however, there is a fine line between creating an expression versus losing its entire identity to the wood,” Wilson explains. Here, maturation becomes an art form, combining the unique identities of their casks’ former lives with the canvas of fresh stills. The Singleton refers to its process as a marriage, not a blend, as stills are all from the same distillery.

Guests who embark on a distillery tour at Glen Ord also have the opportunity to try another bespoke cake by Nicolas Rouzaud: one cake, three layers — crafted to pair with The Singleton 12-, 18- and 21-Year-Old. The cake transitions from a light and fruity layer to a substantial base and salmon-shaped chocolate to complement the complex layers of The Singleton’s expressions. Across all the different variants and maturations, you will find the overlapping notes in coffee, caramel, hazelnut, berries, dried fruit and red apple, all combined into a harmonious symphony of flavours from their painstaking distilling process. When it comes to pairings, even at home, Wilson proposes the idea of push and pull, using flavours that complement and juxtapose each other. In conversation, he shares that he enjoys pairing his dram with a side of bakkwa (salty-sweet dried meat) as its savoury, umami taste matches the intense, chocolatey aroma of the whisky.

In all of their playful decadence and meticulous craftsmanship, The Singleton offers a wide variety of expressions that demonstrate a versatility that definitely extends beyond the image of an average whisky drinker: a moustached man with a cigar. What the Gourmand Collection exemplifies is The Singleton’s commitment to artistry, setting the tone that mature whisky does not just lead to a dry, singular taste. Through its casking techniques and the commitment to delivering a vibrant yet smooth mouthful, it achieves the goal for the world to view whisky in a new light — posh, because it took time and rigour to be crafted, but far from snobbish for all the ways you can luxuriate in it. If you are visiting London between 28 April and 5 May 2025, experience the pairing of the Gourmand Collection and Rouzaud’s cakes at Burlington Arcade and spirits merchant Justerini and Brooks. You’ll be glad you did.

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