Single malt whisky brand "The Glenlivet" turned its attention to salt. It is doing so through the whisky master class "Malt & Salt," a project inspired by Korea's largest sea salt production area.
According to Pernod Ricard Korea, the importer of The Glenlivet, on the 17th, the Malt & Salt project will be held 10 times from this month through March next year. It is content developed jointly by a The Glenlivet ambassador and a master salt maker. The Glenlivet 12-, 15- and 18-year expressions will be tasted with pairings of local cuisine and sea salt.
The combination of whisky and salt seems far from conventional gastronomic rules. Whisky pairings have evolved around harmony with foods that undergo cooking processes, such as steak, cheese and chocolate. Salt, too, has been perceived as playing a supporting role that refines and balances existing flavors rather than creating new ones, like the premium salt with fine crystals "fleur de sel."
The Glenlivet's proposed combination of whisky and salt is different. In this project, salt is not a seasoning that strips away flavor, but a gastronomic device that brings out the whisky's aroma and texture more vividly. It compares how the mineral structure of salt opens up the whisky's bouquet and changes its texture and finish. It is said to be less a simple pairing experiment than an exploration of the essence of smoothness from another angle.
Marking its 200th anniversary last year, The Glenlivet has expanded the drinking culture of single malt whisky based on founder George Smith's spirit of challenge. It moved beyond traditional methods like neat or on the rocks to suggest cocktail styles, and broadened the use of whisky through the "The Glenlivet Capsule Collection" and the RTD cocktail "Twist & Mix."
In Korea, it expanded into desserts by collaborating with the fine dessert boutique "Patisserie Hoooots" on "The Glenlivet Whisky Hoooots." It put whisky spirit into the purée inside fruit-shaped mousse cakes, allowing people to enjoy the flavor of each lineup as a dessert. While widening contact with younger consumers unfamiliar with whisky, it also gave enthusiasts a chance to explore new combinations.
Within this context, the Malt & Salt project was planned. The reason The Glenlivet focused on salt lies in a commonality found in the production process. Sea salt is completed as seawater slowly evaporates with sunlight and wind, concentrating minerals and umami. This production method requires a harmony of tidal flats, sea breezes and sunlight, which the natural environment of the West Sea makes possible.
The aging process of single malt whisky is similar. The "Angels' Share," in which alcohol and water slowly evaporate from oak casks, deepens aroma and taste while reducing the volume of spirit. The Glenlivet mainly uses American oak bourbon casks so that vanilla, fruit and spice notes gently infuse over time. The Glenlivet thus focused on how different ingredients, through the natural phenomena of evaporation, actually gain clarity in flavor.
The Malt & Salt project revisits the production principles of whisky and salt and attempts to extend their shared value into a modern gastronomic experience. Going beyond food-centered pairings, it takes an approach that centers on the creation process of the ingredients themselves and their flavor structures. Pernod Ricard Korea said, "Like sea salt that gains deeper flavor through nature's variations, The Glenlivet will continue its unique path with constant challenges that do not settle for the present."