Between the dim lighting accented by up-lit bourbon barrels, the dulcet tones from live guitarist, Sean Van Blerk and a long table-scape of candles, I knew this was fit to be a strong finish to Chef Tyler Simmons’ 2024 Dinner Series at Henderson Beach Resort. This special dinner was specifically created to debut an exclusive blend of bourbon by Timber Creek Distillery for Henderson Beach Resort, and it was an honor to be a part of this milestone!
I started the evening off with a Paper Plane, featuring The Henderson Reserve Blended Whiskey.
Two things...
1.) It was STRONG & 2.) It was DELICIOUS.
It wasn’t overly sweet, it was shaken vigorously and it was even accompanied by a tiny paper plane, which is just adorable. Once seated, our hosts walked us through the process of creating the bourbon. We heard from the distillers and the hotel about creating the whiskeys and a menu to pair with them.
First course was a duck salad with smoked duck breast, duck prosciutto, cherry puree, Florida citrus and charred lemon vinaigrette. The smoked duck on it’s own was an acquired taste, as I’m usually not the first in line for the gaminess of duck. However it was starkly contrasted by the tart cherry puree, sweet citrus and charred lemon vinaigrette which complimented the smoky, earthy flavors of the duck. This was paired with The Henderson Black Rye Blended Bourbon which, true to its name, was very much a rye. Like the salad, it was smokey, sweet and just as much an experience on the nose as it was to the palate.
Next up was a jumbo lump crab cake with tarragon mustard, beurre blanc, pickled mustard seed, smoked trout roe and apple slaw. Chef Tyler may be responsible for the one of the top three crab cakes I’ve had in my life. The crab was in chunks, not shredded. Every bite was sweet, savory and buttery - mouth feel 10/10. This was paired with a smoked Old Fashioned. Like the crab cake, it was a classic choice and just as delicious.
The third course was easily the star of the show. A Pork Duo - braised pork belly, pork tenderloin, miso glaze, butternut squash and shiso. This dish was autumn on a plate. It tasted like an authentic ramen shop made their interpretation of Thanksgiving dinner. The pork belly was basically butter and the tenderloin was juicy and well-seasoned. The show-stopper here though was the miso glaze and butternut squash. They elicited such a salty, velvety texture that your mouth just kept wanting more. I did my best to clean the plate on this one. This was paired with a glencairn of The Henderson Blended Bourbon, served neat. It was the perfect sipper to chase the pork and had a proof that necessitated sipping.
Last up was a mandatory southern fall favorite - Bread Pudding. This bread pudding was served with house-made Guinness ice cream and Henderson Reserve Whiskey Caramel. Y’all…you know bread pudding will nearly never be a bad idea, but the Guinness ice cream was such a nice touch that added a new level to the dessert. It was malty and slightly bitter, which dramatically highlighted the sweetness of the whiskey in the caramel. I hope this dessert sees a place on the menu at Primrose in the future! This was paired with a Boulevardier, which to be perfectly honest, I only took a sip of as I was approaching my threshold of whiskey consumption, but it was very strong and comparable to a negroni.
Once again, the Henderson showed up in a big way and was as generous & hospitable as ever. The experiences at Henderson never seems to disappoint and this dinner was no exception. We look forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves for 2025!
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