Let us be honest, who does not love Whisky and Cheese? You might be used to have these two separately, however, have you ever wonder how these two incredible products would work together? Well, let us tell you that this combination is like nothing you have ever felt. Both of them are amazing separately and even better together.
The perfect pairing
Whisky is a drink normally enjoyed among friends, as well as on important occasions. This is when you open the best whiskies. In the recent years, there has been a trend of enjoying a glass of whisky paired with cheese. This is the inspiring finale to an indulgent meal.
In order to create the perfect pairing between whisky and cheese, it is important to find a balance. You need to match powerful whiskies with powerful cheeses, flavour with flavour and body with body. Note that the good salt and fat content in the cheese will balance the body and flavours of the whisky. This is when you get the creamier cheeses, which have a higher fat content. In this sense, you will need a whisky with higher acidity to cut through the fat.
Choose your cheese, right
Too many different cheeses will complicate your palate. For this reason you need to choose a nice variety that complement each other. One or two varieties of milk cheeses would be ideal, (such as cow, sheep or goat) as well as a blue cheese, a hard one and a rind cheese. This would be the perfect amount to pair with your whisky.
Where to start
The tasting should start with the mildest combinations, of cheese and whisky. You will find the lightest styles of malt whisky in the Scottish Lowlands with a floral, grassy and cereal aromas and flavours. The Glenkinchie 10 Year Old is a classic malt with smooth aromas that grow on the palate. This whisky is the perfect match for a mellow cheddar and a sheep’s cheese. Another perfect combination for the first of your tasting would be to use the Glenlivet 12 Year Old from Speyside, due to its smooth and appealing aromas to the introductory whisky drinkers.
Whiskies from the Scottish Islands such as the Talisker 10 Year Old have stronger flavours of smoke, iodine and peat. These require a cheese with a bit more character such as aged pecorino or manchego. These cheeses have a higher salt content, which will balance perfectly with a smoky whisky.
Rich and mellow whiskies such as the Balvenie 21 Port Wood Whisky requires a cheese with the same flavour intensity. Here, the aged gouda or a mulled ripened cheese will match perfectly. These cheeses, as they get older create salt crystal that come through perfectly with bold whiskies.
Another bold choice would be the Glenmorangie Nectar D’or, which, matches perfectly with the Brie de Meaux (with a stronger flavour than the usual Brie).
From American, with cheese
We always seem to leave behind the incredible Bourbon when giving these types of suggestions. These are heavy whiskeys with an incredible amount of flavour. For this reason, Bourbon pairs perfectly with blue cheeses such as Roquefort. The richness of the Bourbon goes very well with the salty flavour of the blue cheese. Note however, that Gouda is also a perfect match to bourbons such as Makers Mark and Wild Turkey.
Create the perfect night out-in with your friends and family. Get some incredible whiskies with a variety of different flavours and notes, and pair them with different cheese. Follow our above selection and let us know, if you enjoy this perfect pairing as much as we do.