Bourbon-cheese Pairings

[jburlowski]

I love bourbon and I love cheese with my bourbon. After doing some Google searching for bourbon - cheese pairings, I bought a variety of suggested cheeses and conducted a one-man tasting this weekend.

The bourbon was ORVW107 10 y.o. because, well, that’s what I wanted to drink.

Old Kentucky Tomme

Made in Indiana and aged 5-6 months. This is a semi-soft cheese made from goats’ milk and is a style typically made in the French Alps. Generally mild with a creamy texture. Definite mushroom taste. I like this cheese but don’t see it as a particularly good match for bourbon. (I retried this later with some BT and it seemed to pair better with that pour’s earthy undertones.)

Tarentaise

From Vermont, a hard cows’ milk cheese aged about six months. Pale yellow, the taste is grassy and nutty and nicely sharp. Compliments the bourbon’s char. I liked this one a lot.

Vermont Artisanal Cheddar

Firm and aged over two years. Not the rubbery, day-glo orange cheddar that you find in the supermarket dairy case, this is the real deal. The sharpness is balanced by the high-butterfat creaminess. A good sharp cheddar is a natural with whiskey. Stands up well to the alcohol heat of the whiskey.

Mimolette Jeune

A semi-firm cows’ milk cheese from France. Naturally orange-colored. Similar to Edam, but more intensely-flavored. I found this a real match with the sweetness and caramel tones of the ORVW. A real winner!

Aged Gouda

A four year-old from the Netherlands, this is the quintessential pairing with bourbon. Very hard and crumbly. Surprisingly rich and nutty on the tongue. Very intense with a butterscotch-like finish. Always a good match.

Nancy’s Hudson Valley Camembert

One of my all time favorites, this is a Camembert unlike any other I’ve tried. From Vermont, it’s made with a mixture of cow and goat milk. Extraordinarily smooth and buttery --- with the texture of a triple-cream. All it needs is a neutral cracker and a good pour. I switched to OGD114 for this one; the high rye content and higher ABV helps cut the richness. (NOTE TO SELF: you’ve got to try this with some THH.)

[tommyboy38]

I'd be interested to see some bourbon and cheeseburger pairings.:slappin:

On a trip to Wisconsin a few weeks ago, I was dissapointed that I missed a chance to shop at the local cheese store. They have cheddar aged up to 8 years...maybe a good match with a well aged bourbon.

[Stones]

I often have Gouda or Camembert and water biscuits with a bourbon on a weekend, so much so that i had investigated making my own cheese as i was inspired by watching this TV show on Foxtel called 'Cheese Slices'.

This guy just goes around the world - similar to Zane off 'Three Sheets', but instead of tasting alcohol he taste tests cheeses from around the world.

Maybe dull to some but since i love cheese and alcohol i find both of these show intriguing.

[Jono]

Nice postings....the pairings sound delicious...definitely something to look into...I have not eaten cheese with bourbon or rye.

[DowntownD]

I love Aged Gouda with my bourbons and ryes (I usually get the Old Amsterdam brand from our local cheese importers, it's very good). Had some last night as a matter of fact.

I'll have to try the Camembert with OGD114, as well as the Mimolette Jeune and the Tarentaise with some ORVW 10/107 - those sound great.

[mier]

I also can recommand you Leyden cheese (overjarig)with a Elijah Craig or a Friesian nagelkaas with a good rye(both Dutch) or a matured German Tilsiter with any old Bourbon.

Eric.

[Sin]

Aged Gouda with bourbon is a MUST enjoy! They go together so well, it's scary!

One of my favorite aged Gouda cheeses Rembrandt (below). It's crunchy, salty, sweet, smoky with honey and caramel notes with nuts and wood. It tastes like a good cream, cheesy scotch or bourbon! Greatest thing about it, it's affordable and readily available in the US (Costco and Sam's Club both sold it at one time).

[George]

Aged Gouda with bourbon is a MUST enjoy! They go together so well, it's scary!

I agree. Great combination. :yum:

[MarkEdwards]

I found habenero-cheddar and a horseradish-cheddar cheeses at Costco, and found that they go very well with bourbon.

[Sin]

I found habenero-cheddar and a horseradish-cheddar cheeses at Costco, and found that they go very well with bourbon.

While I don't mind spicy cheddar on a ham sandwich, or something similar, it doesn't sound like a good pairing with bourbon, though. :skep:

[Lost Pollito]

I always enjoy a little Tobermory, with my Isle of Mull cheddar from Neals Yard. Granted, it's not bourbon, but still real nice. The cows are fed the spent grains from the distillery. Plus...I do enjoy cheddar with whisky, and whiskey. The mull has enough stink going on to keep up with our beloved spirit.:grin:

[MarkEdwards]

While I don't mind spicy cheddar on a ham sandwich, or something similar, it doesn't sound like a good pairing with bourbon, though. :skep:

Maybe it's just me, but I like how the bourbon flavors merge with the bite of a spicy cheese - or a sharp cheese for that matter. In fact, I find that bourbon enhances the flavors of spicy foods in general, and vice versa.