Merrywell will be the house of Jack Daniel's Barrel House from the 23rd of February until the 9th of April. During that time, they will serve special dishes inspired by Jack Daniel's whiskey.

Tonight we had a chance to try some of the tasting plates prepared by Chef Ryan Ebbs that was matched to specific JD's whiskeys.

The first dish already blee us away! It was JD glazed pork belly that was served with fresh green apple slaw and orange-whiskey chimichurri. This dish was matched with the mellow, clean and smoky Gentleman Jack. Gentleman Jack was twice filtered through charcoal. This whiskey was based on a trial recipe that JD created.

The second dish that we tried was grilled smoked pork sausage which is also known as andouille. The andouille sausage was served with drunken baked beans in BBQ sauce.

The surprising element of this dish was the fried green tomatoes. I spoke to two tomato haters tonight and both of them really enjoyed the fresh and the tart flavour that came from the tomatoes. 

Our third meal was paired with JD Sinatra Select which was made in the Sinatra Barrels which has more grooves in the barrel. As the name suggested, this whiskey was created as a tribute to Frank Sinatra.

The smoked brisket was thinly sliced and really combined well with the sweet BBQ sauce. The fluffy cornbread was baked really well, definitely must have while it's still warm.​

Chef Ryan said that the meals were designed to be shared which explained the size of the full rack JD Ribs! This dish even came with a whole grilled corn-on-the-cob...! I cut up my watermelon and really enjoyed the sweet flavour combined with the hearty ribs.  This dish was paired together with the smooth and light Old No 7.

To complete the set, we were served a big slice of Hummingbird Cake. This Southern American light spice cake was covered in cream cheese and pecan. I was so happy that this cake wasn't overly sweet and was a great dessert to close the night. This was paired with the sweet JD Tennessee Fire.

Live music will be available every Friday to Sunday at the Merrywell. They will also stock the full range of Jack Daniel's whiskeys. This will be a great time to come down and try some Southern American style dishes while sipping on the limited edition Sinatra Select from JD.

THE MERRYWELL’S AND JACK DANIEL’S TOP TIPS

1. Start by identifying the key flavours in your whiskey.
You need to identify the key flavours that are within a whiskey before trying to match it to the perfect meal. Either read the tasting notes which are an excellent guide or jump straight in and simply try the whiskey - asking yourself simple questions like is it spicy or smoky? Are there notes of vanilla or citrus?

2. Our palate is affected by what we combine – therefore avoid using vinegar within any meal.
The presence of vinegar clashes with the malts of the Whiskey. One combination that is highly successful in bringing out the ideal flavours of the whiskey is a smoked dish. For example the Smoked Brisket with BBQ sauce paired with the Jack Daniels Sinatra Select brings out a greater appreciation for the smokier notes.

3. Match light drinks to subtle food and full bodied whiskey to more robust meals.
A great example is Gentleman Jack’s, as it has a crisp and clean finish, with a sweat vanilla, fruit and light spice taste. This lighter bodied whiskey compliments perfectly with the citrus and flavoursome spices of the Jack Daniel’s Glazed Thick Cut Bacon with Green Apple Slaw and Orange Whiskey Chimichurri.

4. To cut through the strength of stronger whiskeys on your palate, sweeten it
with dessert.
The strength of the whiskey impacts the palate, as highly aromatic spices often blow the palate out of proportion. A way around this is to correct the concentration with sweetness or viscosity. A perfect example is the Tennessee Fire paired with a traditional Southern dessert such as the Humming Bird cake. This allows the palate to cut through the bold flavours and provides the perfect counteract to the smooth yet, fiery finish of the whiskey.

5. The weight of a meat is important when matching protein to a whiskey.
As a guide, it’s good to remember the brown spice single barrel whiskeys contain black pepper, cloves and cinnamon which lend itself to a variety of rich and fuller meats. By using everyone’s favourite, ribs with JD BBQ Sauce, it can be harmoniously matched to the medium bodied, caramel, vanilla and toasted oak taste of the Jack Daniel’s Old No 7.

Thank you very much to Crown Perth and Jack Daniel's for tonight's event.