Beer and Cheese at Castro’s

So, if you haven’t been following along, not only am I a quick witted beer blogger, but also the host of monthly beer tasting at Castro’s Lounge, in the Beach.  These events are not so much structured flights where we all talk about the nuances the Wiliamet hop adds when used in a brew that is 10% crystal malt (though we welcome all people, so if that’s you come out anyways).  Really, we’re generally a group of people who like to drink beer, and try new things.  It’s a rare chance to sit down with others who like beer and sample 8 different examples.  Whether your regular tipple is a macrobrew from the big three, or an obscure Quebecois imperial stout, we welcome all  takers.

So last November I got a bee in my bonnet about doing a beer and cheese pairing event.  It took a few misfires and attending one at Volo to get it done, but this past Sunday (March 21st), a group of 9 tasters and myself delved into somegreat beers and cheeses, ranging in style and origin.  In the interest of keeping costs low, we did 6 pairings.  I kept beers in the familiar category, though future events will branch out a bit.

First off, we tasted Publican House Ale, paired with Zamorano Brebis (Spain).  The fairly mild creamy sheep’s milk cheese complimented the mild ale nicely, giving a good backdrop to a very pleasant grainy brew.

Next we had McAuslan Apricot Wheat with Chevrot (France).  Not a typical chevre, much less sharp, this smooth rich goat’s milk cheese balanced against the fruity Apricot Wheat beer like a champ.

Before the break we had Scnieder-Weisse Aventinus with Beemster Classic (Netherlands).  Beemster goes really well with most beers, and Aventinus is no exception.  The dark chewy wheat beer cut through a full sharp cheese, and brought out a nuttiness I hadn’t tasted before.  Quite cool.

Back from the break, we had Wychwood Hobgoblin Ale with Montgomrie Farmhouse Cheddar (England).  This cheese is made with raw (unpasteurized) cow’s milk, and has both a classic sharp cheddar taste, as well as a hint of funky barnyard.  Surprisingly, the beer presented a bit of a dark cherry flavour once you had tasted some of the cheese, which added to it’s malty cocoa profile.  Very cool, and my top pick.

Homestretch now, we had McAuslan Oatmeal Stout with Roaring 40s blue cheese (Australia).  The stout/blue cheese combo was a match I learned at Volo’s Beire et Compagnie tasting.  Not something you would naturally think of, but for some reason the sharp salty blue compliments the dry stout marvelously.  Even for people who don’t naturally like blue cheese, the pairing is worth trying out.

Last round was Unibroue La Fin du Monde with La Mimolet (France), which is a cave-aged hard cheese.  A huge robust cheese that kept up nicely with a huge robust beer.  The alcohol in the beer was both warming, but also helped keep the cheese from getting overwhelming.

Along with the cheese and beer, we had baskets of bread and croustilles/lady fingers (from Brick Street Bakery and Alex Farms respectively), a great selection of French, Italian and Greek olives (also from Alex Farms), winnowed cocoa nibs (from my private collection) and a dish of 15 year-old balsamic vinegar (compliments the good folks at Sarafino imports).  The variety of flavours from sweet to salty to bitter to savoury complimented and contrasted with the pairings and really added an, as the french say, I don’t know what.

I also was in possession of a wedge of a truly inspired cheese from Burgundy, France.  It would have been difficult to pair, given it’s, ummmm, ripeness.  It was funky.  And I’m a fan of funky cheeses.  We actually had to open doors at the bar to air the place out a bit, as many other patrons, it turns out, are not into funky cheese.  This stuff was funky.  Surprisingly, many of the tasters braved the aroma for the sake of experience.  I was stoked.  The fact that most of them disliked it was cool; at least they tried.

Despite the funky cheese, the tasting seemed very well recieved, and certianly all the words I heard were positive.  In addition to that, three patrons who happened in voiced an interest in taking part in the next one, so it’s in the works.  Looks like June will be the World Cup of Beer and Cheese.  All brews and bacterias representing WC2010 teams.

Got to give some shouts, and then I’m done:
Terry and the crew at Alex Farms in the Beach hooked us up something fierce.  And he’s on board for the next one.  Thanks, can’t wait to do it again.
Scott from Sarafino totally added value by hooking us up with one of the nicest balsamics I’ve had the pleasure of tasting.  Here’s to the future, Scott.
Brick Street has killer bread, and were willing to sell me some.  A great bakery with a heart of gold.
Tasters, thanks for putting your faith in me, even if the one cheese smelled like it’s best before date was before Michael Jackson’s. I couldn’t do it without you.

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