A Cheesemonger walks into a bar…
/The bartender says, “Wow…you look like you could enjoy a Double…or maybe even a Triple”…and then slides over a platter of Double and Triple Crème Bries!
Sounds great doesn’t it?...But what to pair with it??
We have discussed cheese and wine pairings before, but what about other libations?
There has been lots of talk about Cheese & Bourbon pairings over the last year, but I have to admit, that Bourbon is not my drink of choice and I tend to find it to be a little overpowering, so what cheeses are bold enough to stand up to this American classic?
Before I researched the cheese pairing, I wanted to learn a little bit more about Bourbon in hopes that it might unlock some guidelines for picking a good cheese pairing.
First, what’s the difference between Whiskey and Bourbon?
All Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all Whiskey is Bourbon…Let me explain.
Hmmm….That chart helped a lot! Especially when I realized the main difference was the “charring” of the oak barrel. I am a very visual person, so when I saw this display of char levels of these oak barrels, I could better understand how these different levels would add a more intense level of smokiness.
Wanting to learn more, I reached out to the American Bourbon Association, to find this historical explanation that helped me understand more about the backstory of this American classic:
“When early Americans first traveled west, they brought stills for personal use. They needed distilled spirits for social and economic reasons. A jug of whiskey was brought to all social occasions such as a cabin raising or a wedding, but it was also used as barter for supplies. These early spirits were not aged in barrels and were often flavored with fruit and sugar to take the rough edges from the drink. It was not until the 1820s that aged whiskey called “bourbon” was produced.
The first written mention of “bourbon whiskey” is from an 1821 issue of the Western Citizen newspaper. Aging the whiskey in a charred barrel is what makes bourbon. It is not known who first did this, but the earliest known mention of charring a whiskey barrel is from 1826 as a Lexington grocer writes to distiller John Corlis telling him he has heard that charring the inside of the barrel will improve the flavor of the whiskey. The next step in the evolution of bourbon is in the 1830s when James Christopher Crow (better known as Jim Crow) goes to work for Oscar Pepper as a distiller. Crow uses scientific methods to understand the distilling process and writes down his results. By writing down his results, he was able to reference his notes with each batch to produce a more uniform quality bourbon”.
The story continued on to help explain how the development and production of glass blown bottles in the 1870/1880’s helped boost sales; the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 helped better define the categories known today as “Straight,” “Blended” and “Imitation” whiskey; and how Prohibition in 1919 affected the sales and production.
Now that I felt “up-to-date” on the history of Bourbon, I was ready to pair some cheese with it, but I did not trust my own palate, so I reached out to the person that I respect the most on the subject of Cheese and Bourbon Pairings, Michael Landis. Below is the amazing pairing that he shared with me…
Paired Right by Michael Landis
Pairing up cheeses with spirits can be a problem with the alcohol overpowering the cheeses or vice versa. In pairing with Bourbons there are some very subtle flavors from smoky, malt, spices and molasses, all of these flavors generally work well with cheeses. The real problem besides the high level of alcohol are that the cheeses can overpower these subtle flavors in the Bourbon, so picking the cheese is more of a balance of intensity as well as its flavors. Here are some of my favorites:
Rich smoked Gouda with its meaty smoky flavor can stand up to about any aged bourbon and the Maker’s Mark® is one of those. They both kept their flavors intact and you could taste the smoky, meaty flavor of the cheese and the malty, smoky flavor of the bourbon in their grand boldness. (Cheese Traveler Note: When picking an accompaniment, I chose Primo® Whiskey Honey + Thai Pepper Honey – Due to be released in September to commemorate with National Honey Month. The honey is aged 100 days in whiskey barrels and then infused with Thai chilis. Wow!...What a flavor!...No wonder it was a 2020 Good Foods Award winner!)
Black Diamond® 1-Year Cheddar & Maker’s Mark 46®
This was the favorite of the pairings by previous groups. A well-made cheddar with more tang than butter and the Maker’s Mark 46® is milder and a has a little more malt than the regular one which tones down the tanginess of the cheese and brings a butter and malt flavor to the pairing. (Cheese Traveler Note: Due to today’s theme, I accompanied this paring with Bourbon Berry conserve, from Bonnie’s Jams of Boston.)
Sierra Nevada - Hatch Chili Jack & Basil Hayden's®
When I first became aware of the Jim Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection, Basil Hayden became my favorite sipping bourbons. It has a slight sweet spice and malt that’s so easy to drink. The sweet spice and malt of the bourbon blends perfectly with the Sierra Nevada Jack Hatch Chile Pepper, they just roll their spices together and then add the buttery flavor of the Jack cheese. (Cheese Traveler Note: Want to know more about this cheese and the Hatch Chile?...Click here for my blog that will give you the history behind it, as well as “New Mexico 9”.)
…and finally
Beemster® 18 Month Aged Gouda & Basil Hayden Dark Rye
Beemster® 18-month Gouda has a rich maple, butterscotch and butter flavors and that’s just what is needed with this Basil Hayden Dark Rye. The Dark Rye has a slight bitter grain with a mild smoky and spice flavor which gives the Gouda a richer flavor and the cheese takes all of the bitterness out of the bourbon. All these rich flavors stay and it’s just shy of calling this a dessert.
Wow!....Those were awesome Michael Landis!!...Thank you SO VERY MUCH for those pairings and sharing your insight!!
One for the Road…Thanks to Broderick Roadhouse
If you want more of these pairings, Michael is planning on teaming up with Adam Harris, Senior Ambassador with the James B. Beam Distilling Company for a 4-part educational series to help celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month. These will take place every Thursday in September. Michael & Adam will present an assortment of the Basil Hayden’s Bourbons and Artisan Cheeses paired up. You can read more about these events and register by clicking here.
Finally, some thanks must be given….Thank you to Primo for the samples of the Whiskey + Thai Honey, Sierra Nevada Cheese Company for the samples of the Hatch Chile Jack and to Lactalis (my employer) for the samples of the Black Diamond Cheddar. Lastly, a very, very special thank you to Steve and the staff at Broderick Roadhouse, who at the last minute opened their doors, hearts, and bar, so that we could take the photos….After tasting your Old Fashion with your house infused Bourbon, I am completely hooked and I can’t wait to come back and enjoy another one with some of the delicious food that you have to offer….Thanks for helping keep life fun!
So fellow travelers, grab a hold of your Kentucky Bourbon Trail Map, and help celebrate with me when our 1964 Congress recognized and declared Bourbon as "America's Native Spirit"
Cheers!
Trevor
