The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, goes the old idiom. And once his stomach is satisfyingly full a happy man will be even happier given an opportunity to settle back with a postprandial whisk(e)y or three. Whether it’s Scottish whisky or American or Irish whiskey, each has its appeal and each gets ample space in the after-dinner drinks menu at Grand Old House, the place to go for the best whisky in the Cayman Islands.
Rare, hard-to-find and limited edition spirits are the highlights of an extensive after dinner drinks menu at Grand Old House. A dedicated whisk(e)y drinker will appreciate the opportunity to enjoy waterfront fine dining followed by a sampling of at least one of the following premium bottles. Sure, it will cost a bit, but nothing’s too expensive to demonstrate your love. Right?
For bourbon lovers, high on the list is a selection of rare and old bourbons from two famous distilleries, Old Rip Van Winkle and A.H. Hirsch. The Hirsch distillery, closed in 1989, was in operation for more than two centuries and produced what many consider to be the finest expression of bourbon ever made, the legendary A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16 Year Old, which is available on the Grand Old House after dinner drinks menu for $225 (1.5oz pour).
The Van Winkle name is well supported, with eight rare bottles on offer, including the peerless Pappy Van Winkle 23-year-old Family Reserve Frankfort, a mere $375 for a 1.5-ounce pour, and a slightly more affordable 20-year-old at $205. Pappy Van Winkle’s 20-year-old bourbon is the highest ever rated bourbon. Sporting an intense flavor, it retains beautiful sweet notes and peppery spices, imparting a rich, soft, sweet taste. This bourbon is exceptionally rare.
Scotches are well represented on the menu, too, with stellar vintage samples from Macallan, Glenrothes and Glenfiddich. A Macallan 12-year-old single malt at $12.95 compares very well with its $35 Ruby blended, considered the top of the Speyside distillery’s 1824 Series and priced the same as Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Two limited edition scotches worth mentioning are the Lagavulin Offerman Edition and Macallan Lalique.
Lagavulin notes the new 11-year-old batch from the Isle of Islay “carries the signature Lagavulin peatiness, but with extra spices and notes of dried fruit to carry the spice.” The flavor of Lagavulin is said to come from the barley, which is malted very slowly, allowing around 20 times the exposure to peat smoke than, say, a Speyside whisky. Barrels are both ex-sherry and ex-bourbon.
This limited edition scotch is named after actor Ron Offerman, who played the fictional character Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation,” the American sitcom running from 2009 through 2015. Both Offerman and his fictional character are renowned scotch aficionados.
The concluding chapter and crowning achievement of the Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars collection is its 65-year-old limited edition scotch, introduced in 2016 and limited to just 450 individually numbered bottles worldwide. The beautiful hand-made crystal decanter was made with the blown and pinched technique for which Lalique is famous. Every decanter is a flawless piece of art encasing some of the rarest single malt whiskies in the world.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Grand Old House, the most famous restaurant in Grand Cayman is expecting a full house on the night. Set the scene with chocolates, flowers, the best Cayman Islands wine list and a sumptuous candlelit dinner at the most romantic waterfront dining in the Cayman Islands. Then finish a perfect evening with a sampling of Grand Old House’s rare scotches and bourbons.
Grand Old House being one of the finest restaurant in Grand Cayman is open weekdays (except public holidays) for lunch and every evening for dinner. Along with the whiskies Grand Old House also serves the best list of the Cayman Islands wine which out of which many are from the vintage collection. With much happening list of things, it makes Grand Old House the most romantic waterfront dining in the Cayman Islands. Reserve your table today to experience the finest cuisine along with vintage liquor collection.
Hours: Lunch Monday-Friday 11.30-2.30pm, Dinner Nightly 5.30pm-10pm (closed for lunch on Public Holidays)
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