I love imperial stouts but when it comes to food there isn’t much that can stand up to their flavor intensity. So when you are pairing food with an imperial stout think big. These beers will have lots of roasty/smoky/coffee notes that make them perfect matches for smoked meats or veggies as well as dense chocolate or coffee deserts. But don’t be afraid to serve this beer AS dessert. It has everything you need in a desert: bittersweet chocolate notes, a hint of coffee and a wonderful warming sensation If you like bitter chocolate and coffee then you have try this beer! Pour into a snifter and let it warm up just a bit. Note how the aroma and the flavors change as the beer warms up. At 12% this beer is a sipper and I think best enjoyed AS dessert.
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In an effort to expand on the “education” part of my “Beer Reviews, Education and Nonsense” motto, I am continuing my beer and food pairing series. Specifically, I will be focusing on particular beer styles and discussing why certain types of food pair well with that style. The great thing about writing about beer and food pairings is that they can be very subjective and are a matter of personal preference. In short, there is no one right answer. I love all kinds of food and I love all kinds of beer so I will be writing with an all inclusive attitude. If you are a little pickier about your food and beer then I encourage you to comment on the posts and make your own suggestions. Remember, there is no one right answer.
Before we start talking specifics, it is important to understand some basic concepts and this week I will introduce basic pairing categories. Beer and food pairings will likely fall into three different categories: complementary flavor pairings, contrasting flavor pairings and complex flavor pairings. Complementary flavor pairings occur when the beer and food share a similar taste profile and build upon each other or resonate with each other to create a more intense flavor. An example of a complementary food pairing would be pairing an American wheat ale with Buratta cheese. The subtle hops, fruity esters and creamy texture of the beer enhance the cream filled Buratta’s texture and flavors. Contrasting flavor parings occur when the beer and food flavors work against each other and keep any one flavor profile from dominating. A good example of a contrasting flavor pairing is hoppy flavor pale ale with savory foods like pizza or burgers. The hops and the carbonation cut through the grease and cleanse and refresh the palate. Complex flavor parings happen when the beer complements and contrasts with the food. A good example of complex flavor pairings would be pairing an American amber ale with a spicy meat chili. The contrasting malty amber ale will tamp back the spices while the toasty malt accentuates the browned meat. This example is all the more complex because the carbonation will cut through the chili spices and savory oils and lift them off your tongue refreshing your palate before the next bite The true beauty of this beer is in its complexity. This beers pours a beautiful amber-orange and its abundant carbonation produces rich dense head. The carbonation also accentuates the hop bitterness and lightens the body to create a thirst quenching dry beer. The carbonation also flushes out the citrus flower and horse blanket aromas. In addition to the floral horse blanket aromas, the yeast (brettanomyces) also produces tart fruit flavors. This beer changes over time so be sure you pick the freshest bottle (they usually have a best before date) off the shelf. Older bottles won’t taste bad but the tart fruit flavors will be more pronounced.
This is a great beer to time test. Buy four bottles all with the same “best before date”, enjoy one today, take notes so you will remember your experience, and store the other three. Be sure to store the other three in a dark and cool space but not necessarily a refrigerator. A cold refrigerator will slow the aging, almost too much. If you don’t have a cool space buy a cheap styrofoam cooler and put the cooler in a room that maintains a steady temperature. Then every four months enjoy the next bottle; take notes and compare those notes with the others. Cheers! Getting you started, ASAP! You can get started pairing beer with food right now if you want. There’s nothing to it, in fact I bet you have been doing it quite successfully for years whether you realize it or not. Have you ever had beer with pizza? Bingo! How about beer with burger and fries? That’s a good match, too. These are classic examples of beer and food pairings for a good reason. They taste great together. So you really don’t need to wait for some beer geek to write an blog about food pairings before you start because your beer intuition is working just fine. I am here to help out with the more challenging pairings like spicy Thai, savory stews or even dessert. Beer isn’t just for pizza and burgers anymore. Rule of Thumb. You have probably heard something similar to “red wines with red sauces and white wines with white sauces”. There is a similar rule of thumb for beer and it is light dishes should be paired with light (as in delicate or light bodied not diet) beers. Heavier dishes should be paired with heavier or full bodied beers that have big flavors and big aromas. This is a great place to start when you are learning to pair beer with foods. Let’s say you are having a lightly grilled and lightly seasoned fish. A good beer pairing for this meal would be a beer that doesn’t overwhelm your palate like a wheat beer. If you decided to quaff a mighty double IPA with this meal chances are you wouldn’t taste much of your fish because the beer will have fatigued your taste buds. Conversely, if you were enjoying a heavy flavorful meal like smoked or barbecued meat you would want to pair that with a heavier more flavorful beer just so you could taste what you are drinking. Otherwise you may just as well drink water. Remember to have fun.
If you use the rule of thumb from above and reference the quick start guide you can get started right away pairing your favorite beer styles with some tasty dishes. Remember you are just eating and drinking beer so don’t forget to have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously. The last thing the world needs is a pretentious beer prick. |
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