Whiskey & Cheese Pairing at Bourbon & Branch

I recently had the pleasure of enjoying the amazing whiskey & cheese pairing hosted by Amy & Amanda of Cask SF, along with Justin the cheese expert, in the library at Bourbon & Branch. What a cool idea! I was blown away, and thought I would share my notes with you… I highly suggest you gather up your favorite whiskey/bourbon/scotch bottles, purchase a few cheeses (vary their texture, origin and intensity), sit down with some friends and try for yourself – it’s really fun! If you are like me, and can’t possibly find the time to facilitate this kind of fun, leave it up to the experts at Cask. This event was super successful and I am sure they’ll be doing it again – keep your eyes open for the invite!

The cheeses were laid in the same order on each plate, and placed so everyone had the same cheese at 12 O’clock, so we were all tasting the same cheese at the same time. Generous

portions were also placed in the middle of the table, for little piggy’s like me that wanted a bit more than a taste. Whiskeys were lined up in front of us, room temp, same line-up for everyone starting and moving right. A refreshing glass of ice water was also supplied, whew, lifesaver.

Amy & Amanda printed out a lovely history piece on each whiskey & cheese, which was amazingly informative and appreciated by all – I’m not reproducing the text here for the sake of getting this out to you, but it was really fun to get background on both the cheeses and the whiskeys. I’ll recap below -

#1 pairing
Doubled & Twisted Light Whiskey: Produced by Marko Karakasevic, 13^th generation Master Distiller of Charbay. Distilled in 2006 from bottle-ready IPA beer, rested in stainless for 4 years, aged one day in used oak and bottled at 99 proof. Charbay is a small batch, family winery and distillery based in Napa Valley (that’s us!).
~~ paired with~~
Fenacho: produced by Tumalo Farms, Bend OR
Milk: Pasteurized goat’s, with fenugreek seed
Age: Natural Rind, 2 to 3 months
My notes on texture: kind of like Manchego… with seeds in it
My notes: Brilliant! The fenugreek texture reminds me of small little barley seeds, and the cheese kind of smells like beer. I tasted the cheese, then sipped the whiskey. Tried it the other way around as well (we had split decision on which was supposed to come first; decided it didn’t matter too much, although I think I liked having the cheese already in my mouth when I tasted the whiskey).

I was a proud bride when this was announced a crowd favorite at the end of the night!

#2 pairing
Scapa 16: Produced by Scapa
Classic Orkney, bright and zesty. Founded in 1885 on the Isle of Orkney, Scottland. Scapa has been mothballed since 1994, so every year the label is changed to show the new age.
~~paired with~~
Crottin de Champcol: produced by Fromagerie Jacquin, La Vernelle, Loire Valley, FranceMilk: Pasteurized goat’s milk
Age: Natural rind, 2 weeks
My notes: Scapa smells salty, if that’s a smell, in a good way. 80 proof and very smoky. Smells awesome.

#3 Pairing
High West Rendezvous Rye: produced by High West Distillery. A marriage of two straight rye whiskies – one old and one young. Utah’s first distillery since the 1870’s. The whiskey was sourced from Kentucky, blended in Utah, and created to provide the distillery with income while their own whiskey ages.
~~paired with~~
Crescenza: produced by Bellwether Farms, Petaluma, CAMilk: Pasteurized cow’s milkAge: No rind, fresh
My notes on texture: soft and melt in your mouth
My notes: The cheese melts into the whiskey, cool! Rye big in front, then drops off. Great pairing.

Pairing #4
Parmigiano Reggiano: produced by Boni, Parma, ItalySuntory Yamazaki 18: produced by Suntory
Aged in three types of oak (American, Spanish & Japanese), and produced very similarly to single malt scotch. 43% alc. By vol.
~~paired with~~
Milk: Raw cow’s milk
Age: Natural rind, 2 years
My notes: great nose – fruity. Smoky flavor, tobacco, farm animal (pleasant, if you know what I mean), charred wood. Yummy pairing, the cheese mellows out the smoke

Pairing #5
Noah’s Mill Bourbon: Produced by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers and Willett Distilling Co.Bottled at 114.3 proof. Majority of the whiskey is 15 years old, with a bit of younger and a bit of older bourbon in there to round out the overall flavor profile. Great efforts to restore the distillery to it’s original 1936 state have been ongoing for several years and are now in the final stages of completion.
~~paired with~~
Roquefort: produced by Carles
Milk: Raw sheep’s milk
Age: Natural rind, 2 weeks
My notes: Had to put a little water in it (I know, I’m getting soft!). Stewed peaches, cherry and vanilla on the nose… starts powerful and then drops out. Very oak driven. Honey.

Pairing #6
Coal Ila 8 Year Murray McDavid: Produced by Coal Ila
Young whiskey, quite unlike more traditional expressions from this distillery, which are grassier, with more brine, oil and flowers shining through the peat smoke. The name means “the sound of Islay” in Gaelic, and the distillery was founded in 1846 in a little cove near Port Askaig, on the northeastern corner of the island.
~~paired with~~
Charmoix: produced by Cooperative Fermier de Mean, Ardennes Mountains, Belgium
Milk: Raw cow’s milk
Age: Washed rind, 2 months
My notes: smoky, earthy nose, smells “thick” (if that makes any sense). Fruity flavor, a tad sweet. 2^nd favorite pairing. Salty cheese and sweet whiskey.

It was loads of fun, I look forward to doing it again!