Our new Pecan Smokies go great with scotch.

A lot of people like the bacon-chocolate combination. To me, it’s not about the bacon. It’s the tantalizing combination of sweet, salt, smoke and crunch that’s so delicious. So while I’m not jumping on the bacon bandwagon, I recently introduced our answer to this taste combination–Pecan Smokies.

And when you think of smoke and layers of flavor, well, scotch quickly comes to mind. Not surprisingly, our Pecan Smokies are fantastic with scotch. But there are many other combinations to explore.

Much like chocolate, scotch can be single origin or “single malt,” meaning it was made with ingredients from one region. Single malts have very distinct flavor profiles and pair well with foods. Strong chocolate flavors are usually needed to match the intense smokiness and alcohol content of scotch, but unpeated varieties can pair with more delicate flavors.

With all this bitter cold and snow, try curling up with a glass of scotch and dark chocolates by a cozy fire. It’s bound to get you in the holiday spirit! Here are some ideas to start:

Johnnie Walker Gold Label with Lucille’s Vanilla: The ultimate smooth combo. This 18-year blend’s sweet caramel and vanilla scents are matched by rich toffee and honey flavors. The truffle’s sweet lushness complements the scotch’s deep, comforting flavors.

Clynelish with Jasmine: Our delicate Jasmine truffle holds its own with this light-bodied, unpeated 14-year-old single malt with sweet floral notes.

Cragganmore with Shiitake: The savory, subtle blend of shiitake mushrooms with Peruvian chocolate envelop the sandalwood notes of this approachable, 12-year-old single-malt surprisingly well.

Oban with Cinnamon/Cayenne: This truffle’s spice matches the scotch’s strong body and smokiness. Cinnamon finds its mate in the subtle scotch’s fruit notes. This truffle’s cocoa powder coating lengthens the dry finish of this 14-year-old single malt.

Talisker with Caramel with Grey Salt: The natural “salt and pepper” notes of this firm-bodied, 10-year-old single malt scotch are a natural with caramel. The dark chocolate shell teases out sweet smokiness, while the caramel’s cream alluringly tempers the scotch.

Do you have a favorite scotch and chocolate combination? Tell us about it.

Happy holidays!