HopHeadSaid
  • Blog
  • pintsandpairings
  • ABOS

chocolate.pairing: Kwak and Ginger Truffle

3/20/2012

0 Comments

 
Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Carpinteria and combine two of my favorite things: chocolate and beer. Over the course of two hours, Jean-Michel (chocolatier/owner of Chocolats du Cali Bressan), Jill (his wife) and I tasted a dozen or so delicious artisan chocolates and paired them with beer.  Together we were able to pair six different beers with ten different chocolates! Over the next two weeks I will be posting the results of these delicious and sometimes surprising pairings.
Picture
Click to vist Chocolats du CaliBressan.

Picture
Jean-Michel and Jill.

Chocolate Description: Ghana Truffle

Picture
Dark chocolate ganache made with chocolate from Ghana, 85%, pure origin, with fresh ginger. Our highest level in a dark chocolate. (previously Ecuador)


HopHeadSaid: If you shy away from ginger (as I do) there is no need to shy away from this truffle. A hint of ginger's sweet spiciness rounds off the edges and balances the ganache with the 85% cocoa, dark chocolate.

Picture and Description courtesy Chocolats du CaliBressan

Beer Style and Description: Kwak

Picture

Yep that is how a "proper" Kwak is served! An elegant bulbed glass that can only be used if it is in its stand. Brewery lore explains that the Owner of the brewery was an avid equestrian (and beer drinker evidentially) and he wanted a beer glass that could balance on his saddle without falling over. While they couldn't figure that out, they managed to design a "glass" that would stand upright in in a stirrup. 

Almost every Belgian beer has a glass that was designed specifically to showcase one or more its special qualities. The makers of this glass had a lot of fun as you can see, but they also designed a glass that would showcase the brilliant clarity and color of this beer.

Aroma: A hint of caramel is all but covered up by a layer of spicy phenols and fruity esters.
Appearance: Beautiful orangey copper and clarity (if poured correctly) with a  giant rocky head that seems to last forever and leaves beautiful lacing on the inside of the glass.
Flavor: The flavors are as they smelled. A hint of caramel-like sweetness upfront is quickly replaced by a spicy phenol.
Mouthfeel: This is a medium bodied beer with elevated carbonation and a pleasant warming alcohol. 

Food Pairings: Vegetables: pepper seasoned, roasted or sautéed; caramelized veggies. Meat: game, grilled. Desserts: cinnamon or ginger spiced.

HopHeadSaid: Belgian ales are some of the most exciting and challenging beers to pair with food. The term “Belgian” is a loose style descriptor for beers that get a majority of their flavors from fermentation instead of malt or hops. There are hundreds if not thousands of different Belgian beers each with a unique spicy phenol derived from fermentation.  This makes them challenging to pair because one particular “Belgian Pale Ale” can taste quite different from another so you will have to taste each to fully appreciate its flavor profile.  However, this variety is exactly what makes them so special because you are sure to find a Belgian ale to match any food pairing, especially veggies.

BJCP Style 18D.  Belgian Golden Strong Ale

Other Examples:  Duvel, Delirium Tremens, Don de Dieu, Mischief
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Snifter, Tulip
Aroma: Lots of fruity esters will be present (think pear) with a good dose of pepper.
Appearance: Yellow to light amber, good clarity and pours with a long lasting, voluminous, rocky head. Pour slowly to ensure you don’t rouse any yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle, this will cloud up your beer.  Pouring slowly down the side of your glass will also keep you from pouring a glass full of foam from these highly carbonated beers.
Flavor:  The fruity esters (think pear, again) carryover in the taste and are balanced by a low to moderate pepper-spiciness. The alcohol and yeast phenols help to balance the fruity sweetness. There is very little bitterness in these beers and the hops are used as a “spice” more than for bitterness.
Mouthfeel: The elevated alcohol content a high carbonation helps to lower the body and dry out the finish. There is a pleasant alcohol warmth present in these beers but they should never be hot or harsh.



This pairing works because:

1. There is very little bitterness in this beer and so there isn't any clashing of sweet and bitter flavors.
2. The caramel-like sweetness resonates with the sweetness in the ganache.
3. The caramel-like sweetness also counteracts the dark chocolate and ginger spiciness.
4. This beer has a moderate phenolic spiciness (derived from the yeast) that resonates with the subtle ginger spices. 
5. The alcohol and carbonation help scrub and refresh the palate.
6. There is a sweet warm alcohol spiciness aftertaste that encourages you to take another bite and sip!
Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Chocolate Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Chocolate
0 Comments
    Picture
    CraftBeerClub.com-The Finest Beers!-125x125 banner
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    21st Amendment Brewery
    3 Stars Brewing
    7 Layer Dip
    Abt 12
    Alesmith
    Amber Ale
    Amber Lager
    American Brown
    American Pale Ale
    American Strong Ale
    American Wheat Or Rye
    Aperitif
    Appetizer
    Artichokes
    Arugula
    Asain
    Avery
    Avery 18
    Avocado
    Bacon
    Barleywine
    Bass
    Beer Dinner
    Beer Pairing Basics
    Belgian Dark Strong
    Belgian Golden Strong
    Bigfoot
    Big Sky Brewing
    Black Butte
    Black Currant
    Blonde Ale
    Bock
    Bohemian
    Bohemian Pilsner
    Bonbon
    Bonfire
    Bo's Man Cave
    Boysenberry
    Bread Pudding
    Brooklyn Brewery
    Brown Ale
    Buddha
    Burrata
    Butternut Squash
    Cabots Clothbound
    Cake
    Cal-Belgique
    Caramel
    Carnitas
    Carrot Cake
    Cassis
    Chai Cream Ale
    Cheese
    Chicory Stout
    Chocolate
    Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Chocolats Du Calibressan
    Cider
    Cinnamon
    Coconut
    Coconut Porter
    County Line Rye
    Cream Ale
    Cucumber
    Cupcakes
    Denver Pale Ale
    Dessert
    Dip
    Dogfish Head
    Donuts
    Doppelbock
    Dortmunder
    Double Jack
    Dragonstooth
    Dr. Bill Sysak
    Duchesse De Bourgogne
    Dupont
    Eisbock
    Elysian Brewing
    English Pale Ale
    Esb
    Ewephoria
    Feta
    Firestone Walker
    Fish
    Flying Dog
    Food Pairing Basics
    Four Points
    Frittata
    Fruit
    Full Sail
    Game
    Ganache
    German
    Ginger
    Grapefruit
    Great Divide
    Grilled Meat
    Halftime
    Half Time
    Ham
    Harpoon
    Heavy Seas
    Helles
    Hennepin
    Hinterland Brewery
    Hopsickle
    Horny Devil
    Hoss
    Ice Cream
    Imperial Ipa
    Imperial Stout
    Ipa
    Kolsch
    Kona Brewing
    Kwak
    Lager
    Lamb
    Lasagna
    Levitation
    Light Hybrid Beer
    Light Lagers
    Lilikoi
    Longhammer
    Loose Cannon
    Maibock
    Marzen
    Maui Brewing
    Meatballs
    Melon
    Mexican Cuisine
    Milk Chocolate
    Mission St Brown Ale
    Monviso Blue
    Moose Drool
    Moylan
    Munich
    Nachos
    New Belgium
    New England
    New York
    Nfl
    Oaked Arrogant Bastard
    Oktoberfest
    Old Bar Brown
    Old Bar Brown Ale
    Ommegang
    Orval
    Ouroboros Ales
    Oysters
    Pairing Categories
    Pale Ale
    Paradise Pantry
    Passion Fruit
    Pepper Jack
    Pilsner
    Pilsner Urquell
    Pleasant Ridge
    Pondhopper
    Pork Sliders
    Porter
    Prosciutto
    Pumpkin
    Quadrupel
    Rauchbier
    Ravioli
    Red Brick
    Red Dragon
    Redhook
    Red Hook
    Ruthless Rye Ipa
    Saison
    Salad
    Salad Witbier
    Salsa
    Salted Caramel
    Samuel Adams
    Schwarzbier
    Scuttlebutt
    Sidecar Restaurant
    Sierra Nevada
    Smoked Meat
    Somersalut
    St. Bernardus
    Steinhaus Brewing Co
    Stone
    Stout
    Surf Brewing
    Sweet Potatoes
    Taste Of Home
    Tdac
    Telegraph Brewing
    Teriyaki
    Terza Birra
    Thanksgiving
    The Bruery
    They Draw And Cook
    Tipsy Turkey
    Tiramisu
    Titan Ipa
    Tome De Savoie
    Trade Winds
    Tripel
    Truffle
    Truffles
    Union Jack
    Uplands
    Veggies
    Vienna
    Wassail
    Weizenbock
    Winnemere
    Winter Warmer
    Witbier
    Woody Creek Whit

    food pairing
All Content © Curtis Taylor 2010-2020