At Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Lounge; Mint Julep made with Bulleit Bourbon paired with Bacon wrapped scallops with couscous, bell pepper sauce
Last week I attended to Bulleit Bourbon paired dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Midtown West. If you’ve recalled in my recent review (on my Easter gift guide), they create very good bourbons that are robustly spicy with vanilla end notes.
Honoring their flagship bourbon and it was the Kentucky Derby that weekend, they started with mint juleps made with the Bulleit Bourbon. Super refreshing that has a resonating, spicy roundness of its bourbon. It works very well with the bacon wrapped scallops with couscous and bell pepper sauce.
The next course of roasted pear, spiced pecans, blue cheese salad was paired with Sterling Vineyards, Carneros Pinot Noir 2011 that paired very well together. The complex flavors of strawberry compote, fresh blackberry, toasty cocoa notes worked well with the low acid vinaigrette and a mild blue cheese.
Pan roast salmon paired with Bulleit Rye
The pan roast salmon with horseradish whole grain mustard sauce topped with onion bacon jam paired with Bulleit Rye. The rye is a straight rye whiskey, offering a 95% rye mash whiskey (with 5% malted barley). It’s very smooth, bolstered by sweet tones of maple and oak. Finishes long, satiny, woody with a light toffee finish. It worked surprisingly well with the dish.
For the larger protein course was the filet mignon with bacon barbecue butter, New Orleans barbecue shrimp, Peach glazed and cheese stuffed chicken breast was paired with Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) BeauRouge Red Blend, Napa Valley. The dish had too much and it’s all over the place (the least favorite thing was the cheese stuffed chicken). The macaroni and cheese fared a lot better. The saving grace was really the beautiful medium-weight wine with flavors of dark berries, plum, subtle spice notes.
S’mores Cheesecake
Dessert was s’mores Cheesecake with chocolate graham cracker crisps with Bulleit 10-Year Bourbon. The bourbon was pretty darn special. It’s noticeably sweeter on the nose. On the palate, the caramel and vanilla wrapped with an orange core. Woody notes reach up mid palate. Barrel spices abound (cinnamon, clove, and a bit of licorice bite) without being overly dry. The s’more cheesecake was decent chocolate flavor and has a nice medium weight texture.
Overall, the dinner was good but the drinks were better.
To view more photos of this event, please view the slideshow below (or CLICK HERE for my photo set):
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Information:
Bulleit Bourbon (Website)
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
Website
148 W 51st Street
New York, NY 10019
(Map)
