‘Feel Your Mind and Body Explode’: This New Scotch Bonnet Chili-Infused Whisky Pairs Well With Chocolate Tarts and… Anchovies?
Exp. 01, a limited release chili-infused spirit has just launched in honor of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s 40th Anniversary. (Photo: Scotch Malt Whisky Society)
It’s going to be a hot scotch summer, indeed: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society teamed up with Professor Brendan Walker to release a Scotch Bonnet Chili Whisky after an experiment that took place 17 years ago. The SMWS and Walker — the world’s only “Thrill Engineer” — added 100 slices of Scotch Bonnet chilies to a cask of 10-year-old single malt.
Though this spicy act of defiance ended up stripping the spirit of its title as Scotch whisky, the result, according to Walker “trigger[s] the release of dopamine.”
James Freeman, the executive chef at the SMWS, experimented with the spirit, monikered Exp. 01, in a variety of culinary recipes, showcasing its gastronomic potential. Freeman found that Exp. 01 played well with mussels, anchovies, teriyaki salmon and a chocolate tart.
For spirits enthusiasts looking to enjoy Exp. 01 in a cocktail, SMWS Ambassador Logan Shaw advises mixing it with tonic water, ice and lime for a highball with a kick. Exp. 01 is available in limited qualities as part of a new Society membership offer, according to the SMWS and can be accessed here.
“In our 40th and most adventurous year yet, this kind of cask experiment is a great example of the fun we have with whisky,” SMWS Head of Brand Marketing and Membership Helen Stewart said in a news release. “We did this simply for the thrill of it to discover what would happen – and we’re excited to share the results of the experiment with everyone and we’d encourage people to have fun with it whether using it in cocktails, cooking recipes or simply sipping it.”
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is no stranger to releasing distinctive expressions. The SMWS has released a variety of intriguing whiskies, including one matured in mixtures of Spanish oak sherry casks, ex-bourbon casks and first-fill American sherry casks, which we have reviewed here.
The latest experimental spirit was created in honor of the SMWS’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, which was inspired by the devil-may-care attitude of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s founder, Pip Hills.
“The methanol and aromatic higher alcohols found in whisky immediately trigger the release of dopamine. Chili contains capsaicin and in small amounts, capsaicin has a pleasurable, warming, peppery effect. Capsaicin can also trigger the release for endurance, and dopamine to reward for surviving such and ordeal,” Walker said in the news release. “It’s not just the resulting liquid of Exp. 01 that I find amazing — with its smooth, sweet consistency and initial peppery chili kick. What’s most exciting for me is the Society’s spirit of experimentation. This captures my imagination. Try it in a cocktail, splash it into a creamy sauce for haggis, or pipette a single drop onto your tongue, then feel your mind and body explode with excitement.”
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