Recently, I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese!  Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

At the beginning of each post I will briefly describe the highlighted cheese. Below the cheese description you will find the beer pairing suggestions. Most of the cheeses will have at least two detailed beer pairing suggestions and some will have three! The beer suggestions will include detailed descriptions of each pairing as well as detailed descriptions of the beer. 

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here!   

Red Dragon/Y-Fenni is a semi-soft, mustard, cheddar cheese produced in Wales and made with an English brown ale.  As you can imagine, this cheese has a pronounced mustard taste but it isn't overpowering and the seeds add a nice texture to the creamy texture.  The brown ale taste is quite subdued barely noticeable except only as a light tang. Red Dragon could be spread on a cracker if you were so inclined or just enjoy a chunk here and there.

Y-Fenni refers to the Welsh city of Abergavenny where the cheese is produced.  There are two types of this cheese produced and when the cheese is covered in red wax it is called Red Dragon.  Red Dragon is a reference to the red dragon on the Welsh flag.

American IPA

This is a really fun pairing. The subtle rye spiciness in Ruthless Rye rounds the edges off the mustard seed and combines to create something reminiscent of a sandwich - think mustard and cheese on a toasted piece of rye (without caraway). Yummy! The savory cheese also balances out the hop character, something non-IPA fans might appreciate. 

Below my review of Ruthless Rye:

Ruthless Rye is a "specialty" IPA meaning that it is falls out of the usual style parameters. Ruthless Rye IPA pours a crystal clear copper with a cascade of tiny carbonation bubbles rising from the etching in the bottom of my glass.  The pillowy, off-white head has staying power with some decent lacing on the side of the glass.  Lemon peal, pine and earthy hop aromas (a mouth watering combination) ready your palate for what's to come. Ruthless Rye's crisp hop bitterness gives way to a wonderfully smooth earthy hop flavor. However, the caramel-like malt sweetness and the rye malt spiciness balance the bitterness before it can become to intense. The malts then morph, what could be an over the top aggressive, hop bitterness into a smooth and refreshing grapefruity flavor. 

My overall opinion is that you should try this beer!  Ruthless Rye doesn't have the one-sided bitterness that turns so many people away from trying other IPA's. The mix of spice and citrus hop flavors make this beer an awesome pairing for Red Dragon or salads that include bitter greens and/or citrus.

Examples:  Two Hearted Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Hop Devil Ale, Raser 5, Titan, Blind Pig
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas. 
Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.
Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.
Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

Food Pairings: Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.

HopHeadSaid:  I love IPA’s! They are refreshing when it is hot out and their warming alcohol keeps you warm when it is cold.  These beers pair well with many foods especially savory or sweet foods.  The bitterness and alcohol help cleanse the palate of savory foods like cheeses or fried foods and the bitterness also helps keep the sweet foods in check.  But if you want to spice things up a bit drink an IPA with some spicy salsa.  The bitterness momentarily emphasizes the spice but the alcohol helps to refresh the palate just like a tortilla chip.

*Photo credits: Photos linked to their source.
Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese

Earlier this week 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 three weeks I will be posting the results of these delicious and sometimes surprising pairings.

Today, I am pairing Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine with Jean-Michel's Earl Grey bonbon.  At first this may not sound like an appetizing mix but after you read this description you will be putting this combination at the top of your pairing list.

Dark chocolate ganache, infused with Earl Grey tea, covered with dark chocolate

Earl Grey tea is a special blend of tea made with the oil from bergamot orange rind. To read more about Earl Grey tea click HERE.  

Picture and Description courtesy Chocolats du CaliBressan

Bigfoot Aroma: Complex blend of hops (spicy, citrus, pine resin), malt (caramel sweetness), and subtle alcohol. 

Bigfoot Apperance: Deep copper with garnet highlights, light tan head that dissipates quickly.

Bigfoot Flavor: Pronounced caramel sweetness upfront that gives way quickly to a pronounced hop flavor (resinous and citrus) and bitterness. Bitterness and an alcohol warmth linger in the aftertaste and encourage you to take another drink.

Bigfoot Mouthfeel: This big beer with its big smooth body ends with surprisingly medium dry finish

BJCP Style 19C.  American Barleywine
Other Examples: Old Ruffian, Old Crustacean, Hog Heaven, Old Guardian
Serving Temp: 45°- 50°
Glassware: Snifter
Aroma: Assertive hop aroma (earthy, floral or spicy) may be present especially in young samples.  Sweet caramel notes will be present in young samples.
Appearance: Crystal clear, amber to deep copper with red highlights.  The head can be off-white to light tan but generally the head dissipates rather quickly.
Flavor: Sweet caramel malt will be noticeable at first but the finish will be all hops (flavor and bitterness) especially in young samples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, smooth with a pleasing alcohol warmth.
Food Pairings: Dessert: chocolates. Cheese: sharp.

HopHeadSaid: I love American Barleywines, young ones anyway.  I enjoy their assertive malt flavors and crazy-over-the-top hop flavor and bitterness when they are young.  If you find young barleywines to be too assertive I suggest you buy a few six packs and save them for a year or two.  If you do buy some for storage, be sure to store them upright in a dark and cool place. Taste one every few months after the first year and note the changes in the beer.  Barleywines age well and after a few years the bitterness will diminish but the hop, malt and oxidation flavors meld to create an incredibly complex beer.  I do enjoy these aged beers especially when paired with the right meal but I am too impatient to wait a year or more to drink a beer.

1. The sweetness of the ganache resonates with the caramel-like malt sweetness in this beer.  Also, the ganache's sweetness naturally contracts some of the bitterness of the beer.
 
2. The Chinook hops (a varietal) used to bitter this beer have a distinct spicy, resinous pine flavor which resonates with the herbal flavors in the Earl Grey tea.  The Cascade and Centennial hops (varietals) have very distinct citric flavors which resonate with bergamot orange rinds used in the Earl Grey tea.

3. The alcohol, and to a lesser extent, the carbonation in this big beer help to cleanse your palate of the sweet ganache and dark chocolate. After the cleansing, you are left with is a pleasant citrus spiked tea aftertaste.

Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Chocolate Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Chocolate