The “Art of Feasting,” created by The Singleton Scotch Whiskies, is part of a recently announced new dining experience which distills the movements of guests throughout a dinner into a digital artwork.
And the first of these new dining experiences, which will be popping up globally, took place in London recently with a five-course feast created by Ollie Dabbous, mapping a gastronomic journey in celebration of the launch of new single malt Scotch whisky, The Singleton of Glen Ord 39-Year-Old.
The artwork created by the inaugural Course of a Feast is a moving digital piece showing the bursts and contours of the guests’ movements over the evening, as well as a still portrait that exhibits the evening in one layered composition.
The artwork charts the journey of a feast, in what’s describes as a decadent odyssey of flavor which reflects the maturation journey of The Singleton 39-Year-Old single malt.
Aged in a variety of casks which had previously held wines from the vineyards and chateaux across Europe, the feast took patrons through these regions and then back to the Highland home of The Singleton at Glen Ord, where the whisky was nurtured by Master of Malt for The Singleton, Maureen Robinson.
Ollie Dabbous, chef patron of Michelin starred HIDE London, took inspiration from these influences which helped shape the rare whisky, and together with Julien Sarrasin, his award-winning head sommelier, created a five course feasting menu paired with the finest wines and The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
Julien used his knowledge of and access to the incredible 6,500 strong library of Hedonism Wines, described as a museum of fine wine, for the pairing for the evening.
The feast culminated in a celebratory tasting of The Singleton 39-Year-Old, which was paired with a unique dessert in tribute to the whisky, a millefeuille of blackberry and muscovado crumble, containing drops of the rare whisky within its many layers.
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These individual components, slowly crafted by experts, came together to create an indulgent feast of taste and depth, enjoyed by guests gathered together at Woods Quay, London’s newest floating landmark and private space on the River Thames.
The moments, expressions and movements of the guests throughout the feast were captured by overhead cameras, creating a bespoke piece of artwork to be savored long after the moment of the dining experience.
Maureen Robinson, The Singleton Master of Malt, said in a prepared statement, “The Course of a Feast was an unforgettable experience to be a part of. To see the flavour journey of The Singleton 39-Year-Old, some of my life’s work during my 40 years at Diageo, come to life and inspire the menu by Ollie Dabbous was incredible.
“The 39-year maturation journey of The Singleton 39-Year-Old was an epicurean exploration of the purposeful layering of texture and flavor, creating a topography of richness on the tongue. The artwork we created at The Course of a Feast was the perfect embodiment of this, as we mapped the interaction between one another to create a multi-layered one-of-a-kind piece of art. I will cherish the artwork we created forever as a memory of an outstanding evening, and of a special whisky we bring to the world.”
Ollie Dabbous said, “The five-course paired dining experience is a physical manifestation of the flavor of The Singleton 39-Year-Old. When I first tasted The Singleton 39-Year-Old, I was impressed by the layers of richness and boldness of the spirit. Blackberries and muscovado crumble come bursting onto the palate, which I honored with the creation of a special millefeuille of blackberry and muscovado crumble.”
Julien Sarrasin said that as Head Sommelier at HIDE, working alongside Ollie, “we work with exquisite flavors and pairings daily with rare fine wines. Meeting Maureen and delving further into the world of whisky was fascinating and it was a delight to taste the journey of this particular whisky, which was finished in casks that had previously held wine hailing from my home of Bordeaux.”
The Course of A Feast by The Singleton dining experiences will pop up again in countries across the globe, where guests will be taken on a flavor journey in an event which is then recorded in a bespoke artwork to cherish for years to come.
To register interest for one of these events, visit Malts.com.
The Singleton 39-Year-Old is now available to purchase globally from selected retailers and Malts.com. Suggested retail price in GBP is £2,295 including UK Duty and Taxes and $2,680 excluding Duty and Taxes in USD.
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