Trust x Kropka x Woodford, Kraków
Once again the dream team has paired up and like professional athletes who know how to work together instinctively have created some magical pairings for the latest installment of drinks meeting dining. If you want to read about one of the earlier event, you will find the article here. The previous theme of Portugal and Port Wine may have narrowed down the taste experience just a bit, but with this edition there are fewer limits and more creativity.
Woodford Reserve, both with its Bourbon and Rye variations, is playing a bit of a supporting role this time, as the main players, the cooks, and bartenders, are really showing their strength. This time there was no welcome drink or introduction and the first dish already went full flavor.
Beef seasoned for 40 days | Broth | Gochujang | Quail egg
Woodford Reserve Bourbon | Seasoned beef fat wash | Miso | Fino sherry
Very intense salty umami start from the drink, you can absolutely feel the difference between a regular fat wash and a fat wash done with actual meat from the kitchen. It at first covers the Sherry, which arrives towards the end. As a pairing it is balanced perfectly with the spicy fermented broth and aged meat, just a little rawness added by the egg and spring. The Sherry in its undertones goes especially well with sweeter notes from gochujang, while butter matches the fatty parts of the meat. Since the Korean paste has fermented rice notes, they match the aged Sherry.
Salmon tartar | Green curry | Shiso | Sorrel
Woodford Reserve Rye | Patchouli | Shiso | Palo Santo
The drink is a lot more light and sensual compared to the first one. It is floral, perfume-like, with very little trace of Rye actually, or at least not in a traditional cinnamon-kind-of-rye way. Of course, Woodford Rye itself is also not as dark in flavor as some other popular Ryes. Lemon, zesty minty notes together with Palo Santo almost subtly add the aftertaste of Tequila. The food adds a beautiful green texture with fatty salmon and light leafy notes, which balances the sweetness of the drink. Think of the classic combination of a Michelin star level salmon with a floral white wine, from France maybe, and take it to a more creative level. My personal favorite of the evening.
Beef tartar | Wild garlic | Chicken skin
Woodford Reserve Bourbon | Calvados | Ruby Port | Malbec | Lovage
The cocktail just by itself is very dark and wine-heavy, which of course can be attributed to the kind of wine chosen. Unfortunately, selecting the right wine for a cocktail is extremely difficult. Strong chocolate notes are missing more of a counterpart towards the end. The food however does balance perfectly to give credit. Sauce hollandaise with wild garlic adds the needed aftertaste. The chicken skin could be a little more present, but then it would also probably go much more in the direction of the first dish. Just to note that the tartar is prepared with a lot of effort and is a staple at Kropka restaurant as well, where the meat is aged before grinding.
Milk ice cream | Burnt butter | Antonius Caviar Oscietra 5 Stars | Blackcurrant wood oil
Woodford Reserve Bourbon | Roasted butter | Cream | Trusted Fortified Wines Blend
Starting again with the drink, it is, unfortunately, a little unbalanced, and I would consider it the weakest out of the line-up. The Bourbon just doesn't fit right with heavy cream, it is maybe closer to the more experimental Trust signatures, which not necessarily works well with pairings. The food however is amazing and shines by itself. Antonius has been featured before, and Kropka has already done a dessert with ice cream and caviar at a previous event. Here we find the evolution of that. Not only is the ice cream perfectly sweet, the oil with the cookie at the bottom adds just a touch of sweet earthiness that is then broken up by the salty caviar which then flows back together with buttery softness, matching the oils and milk. I love the bit of, perhaps unintentional, role reversal here. At the beginning we had a rich, mouth-filling, sweet, fruity punch of flavors, while the dessert is much more refreshing, subtle and inviting curiosity. Perfection.
Another absolute pleasure and ongoing success story delivered by both teams that is just brimming with passion and excitement. I believe that this time it was the perfect combination of freedom by not limiting yourself to a particular cuisine and flavors that The Trust has mastered with their regular drinks.
Of course, if you are an absolute fan of Woodford Reserve and were hoping for more rarities or more focus on the particular history or character of the distillery, then this event had a different concept. In my opinion, it was the right decision not to make it a traditional ‘Woodford Masterclass’ or anything similar.
I can’t wait for future ideas and to also see the elements and the craft reappear as parts of the new menus in Trust and Kropka. If you want to read more about the bar itself, you will also find our full review here.
/jf
