Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/628173
1 18 / the tasting panel / january-february 2016 the opportunity to take his serve to Scotland before the Glenfiddich family, and bring the glory back home to the Grand Canyon State. For his serve, Brian taps into his "past life" as a chef, pairing three different Glenfiddich drams with three desserts, giving a retro-American spin to the Scottish classic. First up, Brian serves the Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve with his take on s'mores. He tops his graham cracker with a milk and dark chocolate ganache, folding in Hudson Baby Bourbon at the very end (the chocolate retains the actual percentage of alcohol). He finishes off the s'more with a toasted marshmallow, bringing out the full charred bourbon character found in the 14 Year. Next up, Brian pairs the Glenfiddich Original with a yuzu and green tea sorbet. He explains, "We're doing a contrasting flavor to wake up your palate and keep everything fresh and original." Last, Brian offers the Glenfiddich 21 Year Old, finished in rum casks, with his take on apple pie. He mixes green apples, Mackintosh and Asian pears with cinnamon, brown sugar and a Sailor Jerry—spiked cara- mel sauce, mimicking the soft notes of the 21 Year. To tie the three desserts and drams together, Brian toasts a local blend of tobacco called Gold Rush that imparts a caramelly smoke. He sets the tobacco in a small ramekin in the middle of the three dishes, trapping the smoke in a glass dome that's unveiled upon presentation. Although there are some obvious choices for what traditionally pairs well with Scotch and Jennifer admits that she gets to indulge in many of them, she notes that Brian's serve has circumvented the traditional charcute- rie, bacon and maple syrup. "What is so thrilling about his pairing in particular is he went from a place of obvious to a serve that's absolutely innovative in its flavor pairings." She goes on to say, "This kind of work is an example of Glenfiddich moving into the mil- lennium. It's moving into the future of Scotch enjoyment, balancing tradition and innovation." Brian has certainly created a win- ning serve for his customers, but is it enough to take home the Kindred Spirits title? Jennifer finds that many of the contestants contribute "an element of playfulness" to their serves—incorporating everything from light to dance. For Brian, winning the competition means much more than a trip to Scotland. He says, "It would be a definite highlight of my career. I've put a lot of effort into our bar programs, we have one of the biggest whiskey programs in the state. I stand behind all the Glenfiddich expressions we have, and we have almost all of them. I think they work extremely well when trying to explain maturation to guests. Winning would mean I'm standing behind my product properly." Jennifer Wren, West Coast Ambassador for Glenfiddich. Brian Goodwin, Beverage Director of restaurant group In Good Spirits located in Scottsdale, Arizona, said winning the Glenfiddich Kindred Spirit competition "would mean I'm standing behind my product properly."